Tag Archives: Taylor Dollard

BACK AT IT TONIGHT

After three weeks of play the Modesto Nuts have the best record in the Low-A West at 13-5. The Nuts went 4-2 last week at Inland Empire and hold a 2-game lead over the Fresno Grizzlies (11-7) in the North division. This week they’ll be hosting the Visalia Rawhide.

Modesto is at or near the top of the league in many offensive categories: AVG .263 (1st), OBP .351 (2nd), OPS .762 (2nd) Runs Scored 106 (2nd), Hits 165 (1st).

SS Noelvi Marte has been leading the charge, batting .347/.427/.569 with 4 HR and 17 runs scored. OF Cade Marlowe is slashing .317/.434/.633 with 4 HR and 14 walks. Both are tied for second in HRs and Marte leads the league with 25 base hits. Marlowe’s 14 BBs are third in the league.

The pitching staff has thrown two shutouts and has only allowed eight homers, both league bests. Opponents’ batting average is .222 (3rd), team ERA 3.06 (2nd) and they have struck out a league-best 243 batters.

RHP Taylor Dollard is tied for  the league lead in strikeouts with 29 over 13 2/3 IP. RHP Adam Macko is right behind him with 27 Ks over 13 1/3 IP. RHP Connor Phillips has gone 2-1 with 9 hits allowed over 13 1/3 IP along with 22 Ks.

Coming in from the Modesto bullpen, RHP Luis Curvelo has gone 2-0 in five relief appearances with 4 hits allowed over 9 2/3 IP, walking 1 and striking out 15. RHP Leon Hunter is also 2-0 and has allowed five hits over 9IP with 4 BBs and 14 Ks. Neither has allowed an earned run.

The Nuts return home tonight after two weeks on the road where they went 9-3 at Rancho Cucamonga and Inland Empire. They will face the Visalia Rawhide who have a record of 4-14, but are coming off a split at home with Stockton and have won three of their last five.

Elsewhere this week:

LAKE ELSINORE at SAN JOSE

STOCKTON at RANCHO CUCAMONGA

FRESNO at INLAND EMPIRE

WEEK ONE

The first round of six-game series are in the books and while no team was able to pull off a clean sweep, the Lake Elsinore Storm came pretty close with five wins against the Visalia Rawhide. The Modesto Nuts won four of six from Stockton  and the San Jose Giants and Fresno Grizzlies split.

Rancho Cucamonga and Inland Empire had their series interrupted by a covid-related postponement but the Quakes eventually took three of the five games they were able to play.

STANDINGS

NORTH
MODESTO 4-2
FRESNO 3-3
SAN JOSE 3-3
STOCKTON 2-4

SOUTH
LAKE ELSINORE 5-1
RANCHO  CUCAMONGA 3-2
INLAND EMPIRE 2-3
VISALIA 1-5

PLAYERS

On offense, Lake Elsinore’s Brandon Valenzuela is leading the  league with 10 base hits, while carrying a line of .417/.533/.792. That 1.325 OPS leads the league.

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STORM GO TO 4-0, QUAKES vs. 66ERS POSTPONED

The Lake Elsinore Storm stayed perfect in Low-A West play with a dramatic 9-8 win in extra innings in Visalia Friday night while the league also saw its first postponement for covid-related reasons.

The game between the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and Inland Empire 66ers was postponed shortly before the scheduled first pitch with the 66ers ultimately posting this message on it’s official Twitter account:

Tonight’s scheduled game between the Inland Empire 66ers and the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes at San Manuel Stadium has been postponed to allow for continued testing and contract tracing involving members of the 66ers organization. MLB and the 66ers will provide further updates as they become available.

No info on tonight’s scheduled game is available at this time.

 

SCOREBOARD

 

LAKE ELSINORE – 9
VISALIA – 8

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The Lake Elsinore Storm became the league’s only 4-0 team by winning another back-and-forth battle with the Visalia Rawhide. Friday night’s win saw CF Robert Hassell III knock in the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th with a leadoff triple, driving in the installed runner from second base. Euribiel Angeles brought Hassell III home moments later with a sac fly to provide the winning margin as the Rawhide struck for one run in the bottom of the 10th, but no more.

RHP Jose Geraldo (1-0) went the final 2 2/3 innings for Lake Elsinore, giving up the lead in the bottom of the eighth, but pitching well to close it out and get his first win of the season.

The Rawhide got five strong innings from RHP Brandon Pfaadt who allowed just one hit, a Brandon Valenzuela homerun, while striking out seven with no walks. Pfaadt threw 66 pitches, 49 strikes. 3B A.J. Vukovich (2) and DH Ronny Simon (2) both homered for Visalia.

STOCKTON – 1
MODESTO – 2
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Four Modesto pitchers combined for 16 strikeouts and 1B Robert Perez drove home the eventual winning run with a two-out single in the eighth inning as Modesto won it’s third straight game, 2-1 over Stockton. RHP Taylor Dollard made his professional debut and went four shutout innings allowing  just two hits and no walks while striking out 10. Dollard struck out eight straight Ports batters in one stretch.

Leon Hunter (1-0) went an inning and a third for the win while Garret Acton (0-1) took the loss for Stockton. Nolan Hoffman pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his second save.

Stockton’s Tyler Soderstrom went 2-for-3 with a double while walking twice. Soderstrom is the Oakland A’s top prospect per MLB Pipeline.

FRESNO – 4
SAN JOSE – 9
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The Giants got four first-inning runs and raced out to a 7-0 lead after four innings while LHP Nick Swiney dazzled in his pro debut as San Jose notched its first win of the season. Luis Matos and Harrison Freed had three hits apiece and Armani Smith had a triple and four RBI for the Giants.

Swiney threw four shutout innings, allowing a hit and two walks while striking out six. RHP Justin Crump (1-0)  went 1 1/3 scoreless in relief to earn his first win. Crump didn’t allow a hit and struck out four batters while issuing two walks.

The Grizzlies got a pair of singles from leadoff man Isaac Collins while Bladimir Restituyo drove in two runs.