Mac Lyons and Luke Wortman | June 4, 2024
The Colorado Rockies minor league affiliates had a Jeckyl and Hyde Week.In the week of June 4, 2024, Albuquerque Isotopes struggled, with only one win and challenges in both pitching and hitting. Notable performers included Michael Toglia and Greg Jones. Hartford Yard Goats excelled, with Ryan Ritter and Warming Bernabel contributing significantly. Spokane Indians had a mixed series, while Fresno Grizzlies had a 3-3 series against San Jose.
Table of Contents
Albuquerque Isotopes
Series Record: 1-5 | Season Record: 17-40
The Isotopes faced off against a familiar foe, the Oklahoma City Baseball Club. Needless to say, winning only one game this week was not what the team planned for. Not only did the team get outplayed pitching-wise, but the lineup struggled badly as well. If there is a positive takeaway, it is that we have another week of baseball this week; with the opportunity to bounce back.
Notable Performers:
Michael Toglia: 22 PAs, .318/.318/.727 (1.045 OPS), 7 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 7 K
Greg Jones: 9 PAs, .167/.444/.667 (1.111 OPS), 1 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K, 2 SB
Coco Montes: 21 PAs, .300/.286/.550 (.836 OPS), 6 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 K, 1 SB
Drew Romo: 16 PAs, .267/.313/.533 (.846 OPS), 4 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 K
Aaron Schunk: 26 PAs, .320/.346/.400 (.746 OPS), 8 H, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K
Willie MacIver: 13 PAs, .333/.385/.417 (.802 OPS), 4 H, 1 BB, 3 K
Tyler Danish: 4.2 IP, 3.86 ERA, 2.14 WHIP, 2 BB, 3 K
Tanner Gordon: 5.0 IP, 5.40 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 0 BB, 3 K
Blake Goldsberry: 2.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, 1 BB, 1 K
Recap:
Despite the challenges that the team faced, there were still plenty of positive takeaways. Michael Toglia has continued to demolish the ball since being demoted to ABQ in April. The UCLA alum now has 8 home runs in just 29 games in an Isotope uniform this season. Utilityman Greg Jones hadn’t played a game at the Triple-A level in over a month, but the time away didn’t seem to affect him as he hit a monster home run in his first game back. Jones provides a major boost to the team and if he can continue to show solid plate discipline, he will be playing in Denver soon.
Coco Montes has done nothing but hit this season and that continued last week. The Miami native is now hitting .350 with 7 home runs this season. He has earned an opportunity at the major league level. Catcher Drew Romo did not have the best week given the lofty contact standards he has set, but he still managed to produce. Despite not being labeled as a power hitter, he now has 7 home runs on the year. Catcher Willie MacIver had another great week, even though his playing time is limited because of Romo. Infielder Aaron Schunk put up some of the most consistent plate appearances this week, while also hitting .320.
There weren’t that many positives on the pitching side this week. However, three performances stood out. The team got solid starts from righties Tyler Danish and Tanner Gordon. Gordon is returning from an injury and provides much-needed reinforcements for the team. The team also got a great 2.1 innings from Colorado native Blake Goldsberry. Since being called up from Hartford, the righty has looked comfortable despite the better competition and has performed well.
In terms of transactions, the team released right-handers Kyle Wilcox and Thomas Ponticelli while signing lefty Stephen Gonsalves. The Isotopes also activated Noah Davis and Greg Jones from the injured list. Wilcox was a MiLB free agent signing last offseason who played last season in the Braves system. He has overpowering stuff but struggles with command. He had a 9.12 era in 25.2 innings with the ‘Topes this season, striking out 30 but walking 25. Fellow righty Thomas Ponticelli was a MiLB Rule 5 pick out of the Guardians system last offseason. Despite being primarily a reliever, the ‘Topes decided to have Ponticelli become a starter. Ponticelli struggled in this new role having a 14.96 era in 27.2 innings. Gonsalvez was a 4th round pick out of high school by the Twins in 2013. He made his big league debut in 2018 and has tossed a 6.21 era in 29 innings at the MLB level. He started the season pitching for the Oklahoma City Baseball Club.
Call-Up Power Rankings:
- Coco Montes – INF: .350 AVG | 7 HR | 30 BB | 5 SB
- Noah Davis – RHP: 7.52 ERA | 1.87 WHIP | 20.1 IP | 25 K
- Drew Romo – C: .343 AVG | 7 HR | 2 BB | 2 SB
Looking Ahead:
This week the Isotopes will face off against an opponent they haven’t played against this season, the Sacramento River Cats. The River Cats have a great 34-23 record and are the San Francisco Giants’ affiliate. Their roster consists of many of the top prospects in the Giants system, including lefties Carson Whisenhunt and Reggie Crawford, along with righty Mason Black.
Hartford Yard Goats
Series Record: 5-1 | Season Record: 27-23
The Hartford Yard Goats had a completely opposite week than the Isotopes, with the Goats absolutely dominating. Pretty much in the lineup had a great week and the pitching staff helped to shut down their opposition.
Notable Performers:
Ryan Ritter: 13 PAs, .500/.583/1.100 (1.683 OPS), 5 H, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 SB
Warming Bernabel: 24 PAs, .409/.458/.636 (1.094 OPS), 9 H, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K
Braiden Ward: 18 PAs, .400/.471/.733 (1.204 OPS), 6 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K, 4 SB
Adael Amador: 14 PAs, .167/.214/.250 (.464 OPS), 2 H, 2 RBI, 4 K, 2 SB
Yanquiel Fernandez: 24 PAs, .409/.458/.545 (1.003 OPS), 9 H, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K,
Sterlin Thompson: 26 PAs, .125/.192/.167 (.359 OPS), 3 H, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 8 K
Zach Kokoska: 16 PAs, .333/.500/.417 (.917 OPS), 4 H, 1 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K
Bladimir Restituyo: 21 PAs, .444/.476/.556 (1.032 OPS), 8 H, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, 3 SB
Connor Van Scoyoc: 7.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 2 BB, 4 K
Andrew Quezada: 13.1 IP, 3.38 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 3 BB, 8 K
Seth Halvorsen: 3.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 SV
Jarrod Cande: 5.1 IP, 3.38 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 4 BB, 6 K
Recap:
As stated above, it was a banner week for the lineup. Infielder Ryan Ritter led the way hitting .500 with a ridiculous 1.683 OPS. Despite a slow start to the season, Warming Bernabel’s bat warmed up this week, (pun intended), as he hit .409 with 8 RBI. Outfielder Braiden Ward has been off to a blistering start since being called up to Hartford, and that continued this week. Ward now has a .351 average in 12 games with the team. Yanquiel Fernandez also joined the baseball bashing this week, hitting .409 with 9 hits. Fernandez has looked increasingly more comfortable at the plate throughout the season. Unfortunately, it wasn’t all positive in the lineup this week as top prospects Adael Amador and Sterlin Thompson both struggled.
The pitching staff continued its impressive season this week, as they limited the Fightin Phils offensive damage. Connor Van Scoyoc led the way for the team, tossing a spectacular scoreless 7 innings. He wasn’t the only dude in the rotation who pitched well, as Andrew Quezada tossed two solid starts for the team. At this point, it’s clear that he deserves to be called up to Triple-A. He may not have the most overpowering stuff, but his performance warrants a call-up. Righty Jarrod Cande struggled with walks a bit, but he had a solid 5.1-inning start striking out 6 batters. It’s fair to say that Seth Halvorsen has struggled in the bullpen a bit this season, but he has started to turn things around. This week he tossed 3 great innings, striking out 4 and collecting 2 saves.
In terms of transactions, the team saw righty Jake Sommers retire. Sommers struggled a decent bit between Double-A and Triple-A, but he showed good strikeout stuff. He was originally acquired in the Nolan Arenado trade.
Call-Up Power Rankings:
- Andrew Quezada – RHP: 2.77 ERA| 1.23 WHIP | 52.0 IP | 35 K
- Ryan Ritter – SS: .295 AVG | 3 HR | 21 BB | 10 SB
- Angel Chivilli – RHP: 2.50 ERA | 1.56 WHIP | 18.0 IP | 29 K – CALLED UP TO MLB
Looking Ahead:
This week the Goats will take on the Somerset Patriots. The Patriots are the aa affiliate team of the New York Yankees and they have a 25-26 record this season. Their roster consists of many of the Yankees’ top prospects, which promises a very entertaining series this week.
Spokane Indians
Series Record : 3-3 | Season Record: 27-20
Notable Performers (Series Stats):
Cole Carrigg – 30 PA, .444/.500/.667 (1.167), 12 H, 4 R, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 7 SO, 3 SB
Dyan Jorge – 27 PA, .375/.444/.375 (0.819), 9 H, 6 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 6 SO, 4 SB
Kyle Karros – 27 PA, .333/.407/.458 (0.866), 8 H, 4 R, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 6 SO, 1 SB
Sean Sullivan – L (2-2), 9.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Mason Green – W (4-2), 7.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
Carson Skipper – W (3-0), 3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Series Recap:
Spokane welcomed Everett back to Avista Stadium for their second series of the season against the AquaSox in terrific fashion, winning the first two games by scores of 8-7 in a walk-off and 8-5, but couldn’t get any run support for Sean Sullivan who threw a complete game in the 1-0 loss on Thursday. The Indians also came up one run short during their comeback on Friday night, dropping the game by a final of 4-3 but rebounded for a 13-4 win on Saturday. Sunday was a different story as the AquaSox evened the series at 3-3 as the Indians fell 9-5.
The AquaSox got after the Indians early in the series on Tuesday night and chased starting pitcher Victor Juarez after a three-run fifth inning. Juarez made a quick exit during his start last week against Eugene, where he allowed five earned runs and recorded no strikeouts over two innings of work. Juarez was able to finish the evening with six Ks, but Everett still had a 4-1 lead before Jake Snider drove in two runs during the sixth inning, followed by a Kyle Karros three-run bomb in the seventh. Sergio Sanchez and Luis Amoroso struggled in their combined two innings of work, allowing a total of three runs to score. Carson Skipper entered the game and did what he’d done best even before Zach Agnos’ injury, striking out three batters over the final two innings. It was eventually Jean Perez’s squeeze bunt that brought home Jose Cordova for the walk-off win.
Mason Green led the way to victory on Wednesday night and finished with a line of 7.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, and 10 K. Green set season-high totals for innings pitched and strikeouts in the game, but those 10 Ks were also a career-high for a single game for Green, finally reaching the double-digit mark since playing in the Rockies minor league system across parts of four years. Offensively, Jean Guerrero drove in four runs and Jesus Ordonez knocked in three runs for the Spo, breaking the lead open to as high as 8-1 before the AquaSox scored four late-inning runs to make the final 8-5. Guerrero’s three-run jack in the first-inning was his third of the season which all came in the month of May, halfway to his home run total of six that he hit last season with Spokane. Dyan Jorge added three stolen bases on the night, giving him 14 total on the season, adding two more runs as well to make four through the first two games of the series.
The story of Thursday’s game was Spokane’s starting pitching once again, specifically lefty Sean Sullivan who threw a complete game in the 1-0 loss, a chess match between the teams. Sean Sullivan’s dominance is becoming a weekly occurrence at this point as there have been countless gems thrown by the first-year pro, and even while he was credited with the loss on Thursday—the lone run being scored off of a solo home run in the fifth inning— his numbers are still nothing short of amazing. His 0.93 WHIP ranks third in the Northwest League while he is second to fellow starter Chase Dollander (60) in strikeouts with 57. And, since last week’s recap, Sullivan only added one walk in the game against Everett, so that is a total of four walks on the season for the unicorn. Blake St. Banter’s own Tyler Paddor offered some incredible insight in his article about Sullivan, dissecting the deception of his arm-slot, extension, lower-than-average velocity, and why everyone is going to christen him with the nickname the unicorn or the wizard at some point.
The offense was held to just three hits on Thursday, their lowest total of the season so far, but one of those hits was a Cole Carrigg triple, so at least that’s something worth noting.
Friday was once again Dollander’s Day as the Indians looked to wake the offense up and find the win column again. Over the course of five innings of work, Dollander held the AquaSox offense to just five hits and two earned runs, issuing three walks while fanning six. Even though he was credited with the loss—his first in the category at the minor-league level—Dollander finished the month of May with 33 SO, 13 BB, 10 ER, 24 H, and a 1-1 record. But the story on Friday was the same as Thursday for the Indians’ offense as the team couldn’t find pay dirt until the sixth and eighth innings. Kyle Karros drove in two of Spokane’s three runs while Jean Guerrero added another, giving Karros and Guerrero 5 RBI through the first four games of the series. Cole Carrigg added another triple, so I’m just going to start mentioning any time the speedster gets one.
The Indians were dominant on Saturday and so was Cole Carigg who wrote his name into the history books on the way to Spokane’s 13-4 win. Carrigg finished the game 4-5, 3B, 1 R, 4 RBI, 3 SB and according to MiLB, became just the fifth full-season minor-leaguer since 2005 with a four-hit, four-RBI, and three-stolen base game. Carrigg became red-hot at the tail-end of the series against Eugene and carried his performance over into the series against the AquaSox, although he did hit a bit of a speed bump during Wednesday and Thursday. Across all six games, Carrigg finished with 12 hits and 6 RBI. His three stolen bases were the most he’s had in a game so far this season and propelled Carrigg into first place in the Northwest League for the category. Everyone knows Spokane has speed, and the team proved it by stealing a grand total of seven bases. Jesus Bugarin and Bryant Betancourt also got in on the fun as Bugarin finished the night with three RBI while Betancourt went 3-3 with two BB and one RBI. Blake Adams went seven strong innings, only giving up six hits and four runs while striking out six, retiring the last seven batters he faced on the way to earning his fourth win of the season.
With the series up for grabs, the Indians stumbled on Sunday. Connor Staine struggled on the mound and lasted only 3.1 IP giving up 7 H and 6 ER, adding only 3 K. The Indians’ offense scored only one run through eight innings, making the 9-5 final seem like a better game than it was thanks to a four-run ninth inning where Cole Carrigg, Dyan Jorge, Kyle Karros, and Jean Perez all added RBIs. Carrigg went 3-4 on the night, making Sunday his third game of the series with three or more hits in a single game. Unfortunately, the fastest man in Spokane was not able to steal a base on Sunday.
What’s Up Next Preview
After splitting the series against Everett, the Indians will cross the border and head back up to Vancouver for their series against the Canadians. Spokane currently boasts a 7-2 record against Vancouver through parts of two series this season, but the Canadians sit only four games back of the Indians for the lead in the Northwest League, as Spokane currently rests at a record of 27-20.
Fresno Grizzlies
Series Record : 3-3 | Season Record: 29-21
Notable Performers (Series Stats):
Glenallen Hill Jr. – 26 PA, .333/.385/.792 (1.176), 8 H, 8 R, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2 SB
Felix Tena – 20 PA, .250/.250/.400 (0.650), 5 H, 3 R, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0 SB
Jason Hinchman – 25 PA, .273/.320/.318 (0.638), 5 H, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 6 SO, 2 SB
Alberto Pacheco – W (2-2), 8.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Brady Hill – W (1-1), 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Stu Flesland III – 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
Jack Mahoney – W (3-4), 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
Jace Kaminska – L (3-2), 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Series Recap:
The Grizzlies started off their series against San Jose with the rare Monday game, winning by a score of 3-1 thanks to some late-inning runs. San Jose would use the rest on Tuesday and come back for a 6-5 win on Wednesday before stealing a 4-2 win on Thursday and then routing the Giants on Friday night by a final of 11-4. The Grizzlies then dropped the final two games of the series 7-2 and 2-1, evening out the series at 3-3 and pushing the season series against San Jose to a record of 8-7.
Fresno won the battle on Monday by a score of 3-1. The Grizzlies were recipients of some quality starting pitching from Alberto Pacheco who finished with a line of 8.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, and 5 K., picking up his second win of the season which saw him set a season-high for innings pitched and tying the lowest number of hits the lefty has allowed in a start this season at two. Caleb Hobson and Jason Hinchman both had three-hit games for the Grizzlies who stranded a total of six on base. Glenallen Hill Jr. added a solo home run in the seventh inning to break the stalemate, before Braylen Wimmer’s sac-fly in the eighth inning secured the win.
The Grizzlies continued the scoring on Wednesday thanks to Andy Perez and Braylen Wimmer who both had RBIs in the first inning, while Glenallen Hill Jr. would keep his bat hot, adding a two-run home run in the fifth inning to extend Fresno’s lead to 5-2. Starting pitcher Bryan Perez was going strong until the Giants got after him in the fifth inning, exiting the game with the bases loaded for Bryson Hammer. Perez would go on to finish the night with 4 ER, ending a tough month of May for the righty who saw his 1.32 ERA at the start of the month balloon to 6.84 across five starts and 25 IP. Welinton Herrera already had his hitless streak snapped during the previous series against Visalia, and on Wednesday night when he entered the game in the bottom of the seventh, he’d have his shutout streak snapped with two outs. That was 13 straight appearances and 19 IP without allowing a run for Herrera, an impressive feat for the 20-year-old who would also be credited with the loss on the evening.
Fresno looked to rebound Thursday night and while it once again required extra innings, the Grizzlies got the job done. Fresno’s offense was stifled for eight innings, recording only two hits in that time, but broke through in the ninth inning thanks to Jason Hinchman who was able to drive in both Glenallen Hill Jr. and Braylen Wimmer after some intelligent baserunning by the pair stole their way into scoring position. In the tenth inning, Nick Gile would give the Grizzlies the run they needed, scoring Felix Tena before Caleb Hobson added a sac-fly to add some insurance.
On the mound, Brady Hill stole the show late in the game. Hill entered in the eighth when the Grizzlies were still trailing and through two innings of work, Hill finished with a line of 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, and 4 K, picking up his first win of the season in the process. The most pivotal moment was his masterclass in the bottom of the ninth where he struck out the side and pushed the game to extras. Sam Weatherly came in and offered up some relief, which gave him his third save of the season.
Fresno returned to form on Friday night as the offense got after San Jose early and didn’t let up. A five-run first inning was capped off by a Felix Tena two-run home run, the first of three home runs on the night for Fresno. Glenallen Hill Jr. crushed his third home run of the series and fourth in the last five games when he sent a two-run bomb out to center field in the eighth inning. Hill Jr. would end the night 4-5 with 3 RBI while Andy Perez, Jason Hinchman, and Felix Tena would all finish the game with 2 RBI. On the mound, Jack Mahoney settled in after allowing three runs through the first two innings and would go on to strike out six through 5.0 IP. Stu Flesland III was dominant in relief of Mahoney, fanning five of the seven batters he faced, allowing no hits and one walk.
The Grizzlies were stifled at the plate on Saturday night and finished with three total hits on the evening as the Giants picked up their second win of the series. For Fresno, three hits tie the lowest number of hits in a game this season, and is particularly frustrating because of how dominant they were on Friday. San Jose starting pitcher Ubert Mejias may have Fresno’s number as he picked up his second win in as many starts against Fresno and has held the Grizzlies to two runs in each start. Up against Mejias for the Grizzlies was lefty Isaiah Coupet who went through five innings of work, allowing only four hits, three earned runs, two walks, and four strikeouts. Coupet would be credited with the loss, his second of the season. Catcher Darius Perry was the lone Grizzly to get two hits on the evening along with the lone RBI.
Fresno struggled once again on Sunday, losing by a final of 2-1, a game where they left five men on and had some trouble on the base path as runners were picked off twice and caught stealing once. Starting pitcher Jace Kaminska retired the first six batters he faced before escaping a five-hit, two-run third inning, with minimal damage. Kaminska would go on to only give up one more hit in the game while finishing with five strikeouts. He’d be credited with the loss, his second of the season, but Kaminska’s ERA still rests at a California League-leading 1.96 while his 1.07 WHIP is second in the league.
What’s Up Next Preview:
After splitting the series against San Jose, Fresno returns to action this week on the road against the California League’s best team, the Modesto Nuts. The Grizzlies went 2-4 in their last series against Modesto and are looking to climb the standings against a high-powered offense.
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