Luke Wortman and Mac Lyons | July 16, 2024
The Colorado Rockies affiliates had a roller coaster of a week. First, the Albuquerque Isotopes had a mixed series against Tacoma Rainers, with standout performances from Jimmy Herron, Willie MacIver, and Elehuris Montero. Hartford Yard Goats struggled against Portland Sea Dogs, despite strong efforts from Warming Bernabel and Zach Kokoska. Spokane Indians won 5 of 6 games against Everett AquaSox, powered by standout performances from Cole Carrigg and Carson Skipper. Fresno Grizzlies faced Lake Elsinore, with Jace Kaminska leading them to a 2-4 series record.
Colorado Rockies MiLB Recap Table of Contents
Albuquerque Isotopes
Season Record: 4-2 | Series Record: 36-57
Notable Performers
Jimmy Herron: 28 PAs, .385/.429/.654 (1.083 OPS), 10 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 SB
Drew Romo: 18 PAs, .176/.222/.529 (.751 OPS), 3 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1 BB
Elehuris Montero: 28 PAs, .346/.393/.769 (1.162 OPS), 9 H, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 6 K
Sean Bouchard: 14 PAs, .308/.357/.538 (.895 OPS), 4 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 SB
Willie MacIver: 17 PAs, .533/.588/1.067 (1.655 OPS), 8 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K
Julio Carreras: 22 PAs, .450/.500/.600 (1.100 OPS), 9, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K, 3 SB
Greg Jones: 28 PAs, .348/.464/.391 (.855 OPS), 8 H, 3 RBI, 5 BB, 7 K, 3 SB
Dugan Darnell: 3.00 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 3.0 IP, 1 BB, 5 K
Noah Davis: 0.00 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 5.2 IP, 3 BB, 3 K
John Curtiss: 0.00 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 2.2 IP, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 SV
Juan Hillman: 0.00 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 4.0 IP, 2 BB, 5 K
Recap
The Isotopes faced a difficult challenge this week, facing off against the Tacoma Rainers; who rank 1st in the PCL West Division. The Isotopes had no trouble against the Rainers pitching on the first game of the series but weren’t able to secure the win as they lost 9-10. Jimmy Herron had a monster game going 4-5 with a home run and 2 RBI’s. Greg Jones, Sean Bouchard, and Greg Jones each collected two hits. Grant Lavigne added a home run in the 7th inning, his 13th bomb of the season. Peyton Battenfield started the game, tossing 5 innings while giving up 3 runs.
The ‘Topes were able to bounce back in the second game of the series, winning 14-12. Julio Carreras, Connor Kaiser, Willie MacIver, Elehuris Montero, and Sean Bouchard each collected two hits in the 13-hit contest. Montero hit his first home run of the season, while Sean Bouchard and Connor Kaiser both hit one over the fence as well. It was another tough day for the pitching staff, who gave up 12 runs in this game. Reliever Stephen Jones got the win, while John Curtiss tossed 1.2 scoreless innings to get the save.
After two games that turned into offensive slugfests, the series’ third game was relatively mild, as the Isotopes won 4-3. Jimmy Herron led the team collecting 2 hits, while Drew Romo added his 11th homer of the season. Noah Davis tossed 5.2 innings giving up 0 earned runs. Riley Pint got the save, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings while striking out 3.
The Isotopes won their third game in a row of the series, taking the 7-6 victory. Elehuris Montero, Drew Romo, Greg Jones, and Julio Carreras each added two hits. Romo hit his 2nd home of the series. Juan Hillman tossed 4 scoreless innings while Matt Koch tossed 1.1 scoreless innings to get the save. The home run by Romo was the deciding factor of the game, as his three-run bomb walked the game off.
Unfortunately, the winning streak wouldn’t continue as the team lost 5-13. Julio Carreras led the way in the lineup collecting three hits, while Greg Jones and Elehuris Montero each collected two. Jimmy Herron added a grand slam in the third inning. Karl Kauffmann tossed 4.1 innings while giving up 5 runs, and the bullpen struggled badly.
The Isotopes were able to close out the series with a victory, winning 5-4. Willie MacIver collected two hits with a home run, while Elehuris Montero added a home run as well. Peyton Battenfield started the game tossing 5 innings while giving up 3 runs. Riley Pint collected the win, while John Curtiss got the save.
Call-Up Power Rankings
- Willie MacIver – C: .335 AVG | 12 HR | 1.054 OPS | 26 BB | 4 SB
- Noah Davis – RHP: 5.69 ERA | 1.59 WHIP | 55.1 IP | 57 K
- Jimmy Herron -OF: .303 AVG | 9 HR | .859 OPS | 22 BB | 8 SB
Looking Ahead
The Isotopes have the next couple of days off, before facing the Sacramento River Cats for three games. The River Cats are the affiliate of the San Francisco Giants and have a 49-44 record this season.
Hartford Yard Goats
Notable Performers
Warming Bernabel: 24 PAs, .435/.458/.565 (1.023 OPS), 10 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
Zach Kokoska: 20 PAs, .333/.400/.556 (.956 OPS), 6 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 6 K, 1 SB
Adael Amador: 20 PAs, .200/.368/.267 (.635 OPS), 3 H, 4 BB, 6 K, 1 SB
Yanquiel Fernandez: 19 PAs, .333/.368/.444 (.812 OPS), 6 H, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K
Sterlin Thompson: 18 PAs, .333/.444/.400 (.844 OPS), 5 H, 5 K, 1 SB
German Marquez: 5.40 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 5.0 IP, 0 BB, 8 K
Connor Van Scoyoc: 3.00 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 6.0 IP, 2 BB, 6 K
Evan Shawyer: 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 3.0 IP, 2 BB, 4 K
Zach Agnos: 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 3.0 IP, 2 BB, 3 K
Collin Baumgartner: 0.00 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 3.1 IP, 0 BB, 3 K
Alec Barger: 0.00 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 3.2 IP, 0 BB, 2 BB
Recap
The Yard Goats’ series against the Portland Sea Dogs got off to a rough start, as the team lost 3-7. Warming Bernabel started the series strong, collecting 3 hits. 7 players in the lineup each collected a hit. German Marquez made another rehab start with the team, tossing 5 innings of 3 run ball while striking out 8. Righty Colin Baumgartner tossed 1.1 scoreless innings while striking out 1 batter.
The Goats bounced back the next day, winning 8-2. Warming Bernabel and Yanquiel Fernandez each had 3 hits, while Bladimir Restituyo added 2. Kyle Datres added his third home run of the season. Lefty Evan Shawver started the game, tossing 2 scoreless innings. Righty Alec Barger got the win, tossing 2 scoreless while striking out 2.
The Yard Goats lost the next game 1-10. The team collected only two hits, with Yanquiel Fernandez and Sterlin Thompson having one apiece. Mason Albright got the loss, tossing 4 innings while giving up 5 runs. Brendan Hardy threw 1.2 scoreless innings, while Seth Halvorsen struck out 2 in a scoreless inning.
The Yard Goats won the next game, scoring 3 runs in the last couple of innings. Zach Kokoska and Warming Bernabel each had two hits. Connor Van Scoyoc threw 6 innings while giving up 2 runs. Juan Mejia got the win, throwing a scoreless inning. Jaden Hill got the 5th save of the season, tossing a scoreless inning.
The ‘Goats lost the next game, losing 2-5. Braiden Ward collected two hits, while Zach Kokoska added his 13th home run of the season. Carson Palmquist got the loss, throwing 3.1 innings giving up 2 runs and striking out 6. Brendan Hardy tossed 2 scoreless innings while striking out two.
The Yard Goats closed out the series by winning 5-4. Adael Amador collected two hits while Warming Bernabel and Ryan Ritter each had a home run. Jarrod Cande started the game, throwing 5 innings with 5 strikeouts while giving up 4 runs. Jaden Hill got the win, striking out 2 in a scoreless inning. Zach Agnos got his first save from the ‘Goats, striking out 2 in a scoreless inning.
Call-Up Power Rankings
- Andrew Quezada – RHP: 3.18 ERA | 1.23 WHIP | 82.0 IP | 60 K
- Ryan Ritter – INF: .275 AVG | .804 OPS | 6 HR | 31 BB | 16 SB
- Brendan Hardy – RHP: 3.86 ERA | 1.19 WHIP | 30.1 IP | 34 K
Looking Ahead
The Yard Goats will have a couple of days off, before taking on the Bowie Baysox. The Baysox have a 40-46 record and are the affiliate team of the Baltimore Orioles. Their roster contains several of the Oriole’s top prospects.
Spokane Indians
Series Record: 5-1 | Season Record: 54-31
Notable Performers (Series Stats)
Cole Carrigg – 27 PA, .391/.481/.652 (1.134), 9 H, 7 R, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 4 SO, 2 SB
Kyle Karros – 30 PA, .208/.345/.417 (0.761), 5 H, 3 R, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 6 SO, 2 SB
Bryant Betancourt – 17 PA, .313/.353/.750 (1.103), 5 H, 2 R, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0 SB
Jesus Ordonez – 14 PA, .545/.615/1.00 (1.615), 6 H, 6 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 0 SO, 2 SB
Jose Cordova – 21 PA, .263/.318/.421 (0.739), 5 H, 4 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SO, 1 SB
Chase Dollander – 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
Sean Sullivan – W (5-2), 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Braxton Hyde – 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Carson Skipper – 2 W (7-1), SV, 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Series Recap
The Spokane Indians and Everett AquaSox kicked off their fourth series of the season against one another on Tuesday. So far, through eighteen games, they’ve split all three series for a 9-9 record. Everett gained the upper hand in game one on Tuesday, taking things to extra innings for a 6-3 win, but Spokane battled back on Wednesday to earn a 5-4 victory and snuck out another win on Thursday, 6-5. The Indians then managed to walk away with a wild win on Friday, putting up lucky number 13 runs for a 13-8 win, before winning on Saturday 4-1 and escaping a wild game on Sunday afternoon in extras by a final of 9-8.
Spokane fans were treated to their final Chase Dollander start on Tuesday as the righty departed for the MLB’s 2024 Futures Game after the game, where he would be named the National League’s starting pitcher, a worthy accolade for someone who has been a standout through his first three months of minor league baseball. After the Futures Game, it was announced that Dollander wouldn’t return to the Pacific Northwest, but would take his talents to Hartford, embarking on the next step in his development at the Double-A level.
As for Tuesday’s game, Dollander didn’t allow a single hit through the first 10 Everett batters he faced on the way to his two-hit, nine-strikeout night, cut short by an exit after the third inning. Spokane pitching coach Blaine Beatty had to make a tough choice as Dollander’s pitch count was at 71 after the third, and the decision was made to close the chapter on his time in Spokane. Dollander’s final record as an Indian was 4-1 through 14 total starts with a 2.83 ERA and 70.0 IP. The 22-year-old also added 111 SO, which equated a 37 K%, while managing to have a 9.3 BB%.
Everett had a 1-0 lead going into the sixth inning and added two more off of Braxton Hyde before the Indians offense got things rolling in the seventh thanks to a pair of doubles from Jack Blomgren and Jose Cordova, followed by an RBI single by EJ Andrews Jr. Brayan Castillo weather the storm and hung up six strikeouts through two innings of work while only allowing one hit. With the game deadlocked at three and stretching into extras, the AquaSox tallied three runs off of Luis Amoroso, leaving Spokane sputtering for any offense as they came up short with men on third and second.
The Indians played another back-and-forth game on Wednesday as Everett tagged Blake Adams for two runs across the first two innings to take the lead. Adams would settle down and finish the evening with 6.0 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, with 5 K, allowing the Spokane offense to tie the game thanks to a Cole Carrigg RBI and some aggressive baserunning by Kyle Karros who stole home in the third inning en route to a 3-4 night at the plate. A Carrigg double would give the Indians the lead in the sixth inning, Carrigg’s second knock of the night, but the lead wouldn’t last for long as Welinton Herrera struggled a bit in the eighth, surrendering the two-run lead off of three hits. Spokane’s luck would eventually turn after Carson Skipper closed the door on the AquaSox in the ninth when Cole Carrigg was able to go from first to home on a throwing error for the walk-off victory.
After playing the hero on Wednesday night, Carrigg got the Indians off to a hot start on Thursday with a leadoff home run, his eighth of the year. Everett would eventually take the lead after scoring runs in the third, fourth, and fifth inning, ending Connor Staine’s night after four innings of work with only 4 H, 2 ER, and 4 K. But Spokane rallied back in the sixth as Kyle Karros sent a ball out to the Pepsi Porch in right field for a two-run home run, followed by a Jake Snider solo shot to give the Indians a 4-3 lead. The AquaSox would once again tie the game in the eighth, but the Indians and Juan Guerrero had an immediate response as Guerrero drove in two runs to end the game and give Spokane their second straight win.
The Indians needed 13 runs to win their third straight game on Friday, scoring a touchdown and an extra point to start things off in the first inning with RBIs from Kyle Karros, Juan Guerrero, and a pair from Bryant Betancourt off a double, all capped off by Jesus Bugarin’s three-run home run. Everett responded with four runs off of Victor Juarez, who wouldn’t have the best of starts as he’d go on to finish with a line of 4.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, and only 4 K. Bryant Betancourt had two solo home runs on Friday, his first multi-home run game of the season, as he’d go on to finish the night 3-5 with 4 RBI, while Jesus Bugarin also went 3-5 but tacked on 5 RBI. Welinton Herrera put an end to Everett’s chances of a comeback as he entered with a five-run lead in the sixth and struck out three of the four AquaSox batters he faced, although Caleb Franzen would earn his first win of the season as he entered in relief during the fifth inning. Dyan Jorge also broke through after going hitless in three straight games, going 3-6 at the plate as the Indians earned yet another victory and put themselves in prime position to earn their first series victory of the season against Everett.
The Indians made it four straight wins on Saturday as fans at Avista Stadium happily welcomed back the left-hander after his brief stint with the Rockies in the ACL. Sullivan’s time away from Spokane didn’t alter much to what he’s been doing throughout his first season at High-A, as he finished with a line of 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, while earning 5 K and his fifth win of the season. Everett struck first in the third inning after Sullivan had not allowed a single hit until Freuddy Batista’s solo home run, but the Indians and Kyle Karros responded quickly, Karros crushing his twentieth double of the season to tie the game, followed by a Bryant Betancourt single to take the lead. Jose Cordova and Jake Snider added runs in the eighth inning, while Braxton Hyde and Carson Skipper combined to allow just one hit through four total innings to shut the AquaSox down and secure the series victory for the Indians.
Everett did not go down without a fight on Sunday as the Indians fumbled the 5-0 lead they had reached thanks in part to GJ Hill’s two-run bomb in the third inning. Everett rallied back against Mason Green in the fifth inning as the righty struggled with his command and game control, surrendering runs via a balk and wild pitch. Jesus Ordonez gave Spokane a more comfortable lead in the sixth inning with a solo home run as part of his 3-5 night at the plate, but Welinton Herrera also continued to show signs of some struggles since his promotion as he gave up three runs in the eighth inning, allowing Everett to take the lead. With GJ Hill on second and one out in the bottom of the ninth, Jake Snider took the game to extras, where Carson Skipper would shut down the Everett offense, allowing EJ Andrews Jr. to bring home the winning run on a sac bunt and a throwing error by AquaSox pitcher Jason Ruffcorn.
What’s Up Next Preview
The Indians finally won their first series of the season against the AquaSox, an opponent that has proved troublesome throughout the year. Going forward, the Indians will be missing one major piece from their starting rotation with Chase Dollander’s promotion. At least the boys in blue and red will have some rest with the All-Star break and will return to action on Friday to take on the Vancouver Canadians for a three-game series on the road.
Fresno Grizzlies
Series Record: 2-4 | Season Record: 46-40
Notable Performers (Series Stats)
Andy Perez – 26 PA, .231/.231/.423 (0.654), 6 H, 3 R, 4 RBI, 0 BB, 3 SO, 1 SB
Caleb Hobson – 29 PA, .296/.321/.370 (0.692), 8 H, 2 R, 0 RBI, 1 BB, 6 SO, 0 SB
Ben McCabe – 12 PA, .455/.500/.455 (0.955), 5 H, 0 R, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0 SB
Michael Prosecky – 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
Jace Kaminska – W (5-4), 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K
Bryson Hammer – W (4-3), 4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 K
Series Recap
The Fresno Grizzlies faced off against Lake Elsinore for their first meeting of the season against the Storm. Lake Elsinore showed their dominance on Tuesday night, winning 13-5. The Grizzlies roared back on Wednesday for a 6-3 victory, but were doubled up on Thursday for a 10-5 loss. Fresno lost again on Friday after being shutout 4-0 and lost in extras on Saturday by a final of 2-1. The Grizzlies picked up their second win of the series on Sunday thanks to a show of dominance from Jace Kaminska who powered the team to a 3-0 victory.
Fresno started off the series on the right foot, scoring two runs in the first inning thanks to Andy Perez and Felix Tena. However, the Grizzlies couldn’t find shelter from the Storm as they tied the game in the third inning off of a two-run blast from Lake Elsinore SS Leodalis De Vries. Fresno starting pitcher Alberto Pacheco didn’t have his best arsenal on display, as he finished with a line of 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, while adding 4 K through 5.2 IP. Both teams traded runs up until the seventh inning, where Lake Elsinore took over and added four runs off of Brady Hill, and added another pair before the inning was over, giving the Storm a six-run lead. Fresno didn’t have an answer to the Storm as they only had one man reach base through the last two innings.
Lake Elsinore crept out to an early lead Wednesday night, scoring two runs off of Fresno starting pitcher Bryan Perez, who struggled with his control at times throughout the game as the righty walked five batters but still managed to get five strikeouts. The Grizzlies offense came out of hibernation in the fourth inning thanks to Brad Cumbest’s three-run jack out to left field. Cumbest got off to a hot start when he joined Fresno in late June, but his production at the plate slowed a bit throughout the series against San Jose and Modesto, but there’s nothing like a 2-4, 4 RBI night at the plate to get the 23-year-old outfielder back into the swing of things. The Storm would eventually tie the game in the sixth, where Bryson Hammer would take over and throw 3.1 solid innings, giving up only 2 H, 0 BB, while fanning five Storm batters. In extras, Cumbest drove in the winning run, while Nick Gile and Jason Hinchman added the insurance before Sam Weatherly closed the door for his sixth save of the year.
The Grizzlies looked to make it two in a row on Thursday and received help in the first inning from Andy Perez, who drove in a run off of a double, and a Luis Mendez RBI. The Storm responded against starting pitcher Jack Mahoney the next inning, putting up four runs against the righty, a difficult spot to be in especially when you have to go up against Padres SS Xander Bogaerts, which ended Mahoney’s night early. Lake Elsinore put up six more runs throughout the game against Stu Flesland III and Tyler Hoffman, putting the game far out of reach for a comeback. The Grizzlies did score three more runs in the ninth, courtesy of Jason Hinchman, Tevin Tucker, and Ben McCabe, but it was Luis Mendez who stood out with a 4-5 night at the plate.
One inning was all it took for the Grizzlies to fumble the game on Friday night, as Isaiah Coupet put together another solid outing besides the four-run fourth inning. Coupet’s night was cut off after the sixth inning as the lefty allowed just 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, but still managed to weather the Storm as he added 8 K. Offensively, the Grizzlies weren’t able to offer Coupet much support, as the team finished with just three total hits and just one walk, getting only one man on base throughout the final three innings.
The Grizzlies tried to find their offense again on Saturday night but only managed to touch home once, finally breaking through the scoreless tie in the seventh inning via a Braylen Wimmer sac fly. In the meantime, Michael Prosecky proved that he may be ready to take the next step as the righty continued to dominate, easing his way through six innings in which he allowed just two hits, two walks, and struck out eight. The Grizzlies and Sam Weatherly gave up their one-run lead with two outs in the eighth inning, where the game would remain knotted at one apiece until the Storm struck against Kanin Handy in the tenth inning as he gave up hits to both batters he faced, allowing the ghost runner to score.
While it may not have been an exciting game on Sunday, the Grizzlies were finally rewarded with a 3-0 victory over Lake Elsinore. Jace Kaminska did most of the heavy lifting for Fresno and was lights out through 7.0 IP, giving up just 3 H, 0 BB, but struck out 10. Kaminska along with Jack Mahoney have been the backbones for Fresno as of late, as Kaminska now has 17 K across his last two starts, 13.0 IP in total, while only allowing nine hits. Mahoney did struggle on Thursday, but was undefeated in June and added 23 K through 25.2 IP. Braylen Wimmer broke through in the third inning as he drove in his third run of the series, before Andy Perez brought Wimmer home with a two-run home run. Andy Perez followed up his two-hit night on Saturday by doing the same on Sunday, while Caleb Hobson doubled up his two-hit night on Saturday by going 4-5 on Sunday. Cade Denton made sure Fresno got their second win of the series as he picked up his first save of the season.
What’s Up Next Preview
With some roster changes happening in Spokane, the Fresno Grizzlies may look different the next time we see them, as Jace Kaminska, Jack Mahoney, or Michael Prosecky, are all in a position to earn their respective promotions to High-A Spokane. Next week, the Grizzlies will enjoy some time off and pick things back up with a three-game series at home against the San Jose Giants.
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