The Albuquerque Isotopes had a mixed series, with notable performances by Elehuris Montero, Jordan Beck, Jameson Hannah, Grant Lavigne, and Dugan Darnell. The Isotopes faced ups and downs, ending the series with a devastating loss. They will face the Sacramento River Cats next. The Hartford Yard Goats had an impressive series, led by Adael Amador, Warming Bernabel, and Yanquiel Fernandez. They will face the Richmond Flying Squirrels next. The Spokane Indians had a series split and will face the Tri-City Dust Devils next. The Fresno Grizzlies dominated the Lake Elsinore Storm and are set to play against the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.
ICYMI: A Flurry of Exciting Promotions
Colorado Rockies MiLB Week 18 Recap
Albuquerque Isotopes
Series Record: 2-4 | Season Record: 40-68
Notable Performers
Elehuris Montero: 30 PAs, .455/.600/.864 (1.464 OPS), 10 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 8 BB, 7 K
Jordan Beck: 31 PAs, .241/.290/.448 (.738 OPS), 7 H, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 13 K, 1 SB
Jameson Hannah: 19 PAs, .353.421/.647 (1.068 OPS), 6 H, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K
Grant Lavigne: 28 PAs, .417/.500/.667 (1.167 OPS), 10 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 4 BB, 6 K
Drew Romo: 21 PAs, .294/.429/.353 (.782 OPS), 5 H, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 2 K
Dugan Darnell: 0.00 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, 1.2 IP, 0 BB, 3 K
Lucas Gilbreath: 0.00 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 2.2 IP, 2 BB, 3 K
Recap
The Isotopes started the series off with a bang, winning an offensive slugfest 15-11. Elehuris Montero and Grant Lavigne each collected 4 hits, with Lavigne also collecting 6 RBI. Jordan Beck, Sean Bouchard, and Greg Jones added a home run. Dakota Hudson put together a terrific start, tossing 5 innings while giving up 1 run. The bullpen struggled badly the rest of the game, giving up 10 runs.
Unfortunately, the Topes couldn’t compound the winning streak, losing via walkoff 6-7. Elehuris Montero and Grant Lavigne each collected two hits, with Montero and Willie MacIver adding a homer as well. Karl Kauffmann started the game, giving up 4 runs in 5.1 innings. Lucas Gilbreath put together a great outing in the ‘pen, striking out 3 in 1 inning. Reliever Matt Koch got the loss.
The Isotopes were able to get back to their winning ways on Thursday, taking the game 9-8. Hunter Stovall and Jameson Hannah each had three hits, with Hannah having an especially impressive stat line, collecting 6 RBI’s. Hannah and Elehuris Montero each hit a home run. Lefty Josh Rogers started the game, giving up 5 runs in 2.2 innings. Juan Hillman collected the win, striking out 2 in 4.1 innings.
Unfortunately, the Isotopes lost Friday’s game 3-9. Drew Romo went 1-5 with 2 RBI’s. Peyton Battenfield gave up 4 runs in 5.2 innings, while Jeff Criswell struck out 4 in 1.1 innings.
The Isotopes lost a heartbreaker on Saturday, losing 11-12. Outfielder Greg Jones had 4 hits and 3 RBIs, while Sean Bouchard hit his 9th home run of the season. Lefty prospect Carson Palmquist made his Isotopes debut, but gave up 6 runs in 3.2 innings; while striking out 3. Reliever Matt Koch got the loss.
The series closed out in a brutal game for the pitching staff, as the Isotopes lost 5-21. Jordan Beck and Jameson Hannah both collected two hits, with Beck adding his 2nd homer of the series.
Call-Up Power Rankings
- Dugan Darnell: 4.05 ERA | 1.47 WHIP | 33.1 IP | 15 BB | 38 K
- Drew Romo: .293 AVG | .818 OPS | 13 HR | 14 BB | 61 K
- Riley Pint: 3.29 ERA | 1.50 WHIP | 27.1 IP | 24 BB | 48 K
Looking Ahead
This week the Isotopes will take on the Sacremento River Cats. The River Cats are the affiliate of the Giants and have a 58-50 record this season.
Hartford Yard Goats
Series Record: 4-2 | Season Record: 58-42
Notable Performers
Adael Amador: 25 PAs, .273/.360/.545 (.905 OPS), 6 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K,2 SB
Warming Bernabel: 26 PAs, .360/.385/.680 (1.065 OPS), 9 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K
Yanquiel Fernandez: 27 PAs, .385/.407/.615 (1.022 OPS), 10 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 5 K
Braxton Fulford: 13 PAs, .300/.462/.700 (1.162 OPS), 3 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 SB
Zach Kokoska: 20 PAs, .353/.450/.706 (1.156 OPS), 6 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 5 K
Sterlin Thompson: 22 PAs, .190/.182/.333 (.515 OPS), 4 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 K, 1 SB
Chase Dollander: 3.86 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 9.1 IP, 3 BB, 8 K
Zach Agnos: 0.00 ERA, 0.33 WHIP, 3.0 IP, 1 BB, 5 K
Jarrod Cande: 3.00 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 6.0 IP, 3 BB, 4 K
Sean Sullivan: 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 4.0 IP, 1 BB, 2
The series got off to a bad start for the Yard Goats, as the squad lost 4-5. Braxton Fulford and Bladimir Restituyo each had two hits, with Fulford and Adael Amador each hitting a home run. Chase Dollander gave up 3 runs in 4.1 innings, striking out 2. Reliever Seth Halvorsen collected the loss.
Luckily the Yard Goats were able to win the next game 7-4. Yanquiel Fernandez and Warming Bernabel each collected three hits, while Sterlin Thompson and Adael Amador each hit their 9th home run of the season. Mason Albright got the start, giving up 3 runs in 6 innings. Righty Collin Baumgartner got the win, with Zach Agnos getting the save. Both relievers have pitched great for Hartford since being called up.
The Yard Goats were able to win Thursday’s game, 5-4. Yanquiel Fernandez got 2 hits with a homer, while Zach Kokoska went 3-3. Fernandez added a home run, and catcher Ronaiker Palma hit his first homer of the season. Two trade acquisitions made major contributions to the game, with Bradley Blalock striking out 4 in 5 innings of 3-run ball work. Lefty Luis Peralta got the win, tossing a scoreless inning. Righty Zach Agnos got his 4th save of the season.
The Goats lost Friday’s game, largely due to a bullpen implosion in the 8th inning. Yanquiel Fernandez and Bladimir Restituyo each had two hits. Righty Jarrod Cande tossed a solid 6 innings, giving up 2 runs.
The Goats were able to get back to their winning ways the next game, winning 3-0. Warming Bernabel, Sterlin Thompson, and Ronaiker Palma each collected two hits. Bernabel and first baseman Zach Kokoska each added a home run. Sean Sullivan made his first start in a Yard Goats uniform, tossing 4 scoreless innings while striking out 2. Lefty Carson Skipper got the win by tossing 2 scoreless, with Juan Mejia getting the save.
The squad closed out the series with a win, taking the game 7-1. The team was aided by a 5-run 9th inning. Adael Amador and Warming Bernabel each had two hits, with Bernabel also hitting a home run. Chase Dollander put together a terrific start in his second game as a Yard Goat, giving up 1 run in 5 innings while striking out 6. Evan Shawver got the win, tossing a scoreless inning.
Call-Up Power Rankings
- Yanquiel Fernandez: .283 AVG | .778 OPS | 10 HR | 26 BB | 66 K
- Andrew Quezada: 3.18 ERA | 1.23 WHIP | 82.0 IP | 20 BB | 60 K
- Evan Shawver: 2.57 ERA | 1.14 WHIP | 42.0 IP | 22 BB | 39 K
Looking Ahead
This week the Yard Goats will face off against the Richmond Flying Squirrels. The Squirrels are the Double-A affiliate of the Giants and have a 47-55 record this season.
Spokane Indians
Series Record : 3-3 | Season Record: 63-37
Notable Performers (Series Stats)
Bryant Betancourt – 25 PA, .318/.400/.727 (1.127), 7 H, 8 R, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 6 SO, 0 SB
Jean Perez – 12 PA, .600/.583/.700 (1.283), 6 H, 3 R, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0 SB
Jose Cordova – 21 PA, .444/.524/.500 (1.024), 8 H, 5 R, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 3 SO, 0 SB
Kyle Karros – 27 PA, .360/.407/.600 (1.007), 9 H, 3 R, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 8 SO, 0 SB
Brayan Castillo – 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Yujanyer Herrera – W (1-0), 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Series Recap
A new week meant more changes for the Spokane Indians as the Rockies made another slew of promotions throughout all of their minor-league affiliates. Most notably for the Indians, Sean Sullivan’s promotion to Double-A Hartford was officially announced on Wednesday, marking the end of Sullivan’s freakishly impressive run with Spokane. In return, RHP Jack Mahoney was promoted to High-A Spokane from Single-A Fresno. The Indians still had to play baseball and christened their return to Avista Stadium with a series-opening, 5-4 walkoff win on Tuesday night against the Hillsboro Hops. The Indians weren’t so lucky on Wednesday night when they lost 3-2 and dropped Thursday’s game 13-9, followed by a 6-4 loss on Friday as the Indians had their first three-game losing streak since June 2nd. Spokane earned a 9-3 win on Saturday behind Jack Mahoney’s first win at the High-A level. Spokane repeated their performance on Sunday, earning their second straight 9-3 win to assure the series split.
Spokane played their first home game in more than two weeks on Tuesday night with Victor Juarez on the mound for the Indians. Juarez ended his month of July with 7 K over six innings of work, the highest number of strikeouts he’s had across four starts in July that saw the 21-year-old’s ERA rise to 5.24. Hillsboro’s catcher Christian Cerda had Spokane’s number as he tagged two home runs and finished 4-4 on the night with 3 RBI. It was a great night to be a catcher as Bryant Betancourt sent his tenth home run of the season over the fence in the fourth inning, and the Indians tied the game in the seventh thanks to a bases loaded walk that awarded Cole Carrigg the RBI. Kyle Karros played the hero in the ninth after the Hops took the lead. Spokane’s most reliable bat drove a line-drive double into left field to bring in the game-tying and game-winning runs.
Spokane’s bats went quiet on Wednesday night as the Indians finished with just five total hits in the game, providing little help for Blake Adams who went six innings in which he allowed 10 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, while adding just 4 K. The Hops held onto a one-run lead until the sixth inning when they doubled up their score and ended Adams’ night. Spokane responded in the seventh when Jesus Bugarin brought Betancourt home on a sac fly. Betancourt scored both of Spokane’s runs on Wednesday when Jose Cordova’s single allowed him to score, but the rally ended shortly after when EJ Andrews Jr. was thrown out attempting to stretch to third base.
Thursday night didn’t go as planned for Spokane’s Michael Prosecky, who struggled early in his second start at High-A, giving up 3 H and 2 BB all in the first inning, allowing three runs to score. Prosecky would rally back, but his night would end after the fifth inning as he’d go on to finish with a line of 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, with 4 K. Down early, the Indians also rallied back to knot the game at five thanks to 2 RBI from EJ Andrews Jr. in the second inning and a three-run double courtesy of Jean Perez in the fourth. The Hops would add three more runs in the sixth but were met with an immediate response from Andrews Jr., who crushed his fifth home run of the season, followed by a two-run double from Kyle Karros and Juan Guerrero’s RBI single. All seemed to be going well for Spokane as they carried their lead into the seventh, but the Hops tagged Sergio Sanchez for four runs in one inning, three of which came off of home runs, as the Hops took the lead and didn’t look back, finishing with a 13-9 victory.
On Friday, the Hops struck early once again, scoring four runs in the first inning off of Connor Staine. Two defensive errors helped the Hops score, but it was clear that Staine did not have full command of his arsenal through his 4.2 IP, where the righty would go on to allow 5 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, while adding just 3 K. Since Staine’s one-hit, 12 K performance back on July 4th, he’s allowed at least two runs in four straight starts and has not struck out more than five batters in one single start. Bryant Betancourt and Kyle Karros both had solo home runs in the fourth inning to cut Hillsboro’s lead in half, but the Hops responded shortly after as Staine gave up a two-run home run to the second-to-last batter he faced before being replaced by Mason Green. Cole Carrigg kept Spokane’s hopes alive in the eighth with his tenth home run of the season, a two-run shot to right field, but the Indians couldn’t muster any offense up after that.
The Indians looked to snap their three-game skid on Saturday night and received some help from their latest addition, RHP Jack Mahoney. Mahoney’s debut wasn’t a dazzling performance, but Spokane’s newest starting pitcher settled down after a shaky first inning and ended his night with a line of 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, with 3 K as he earned his first win at High-A. Offensively, Jose Cordova drove in Spokane’s first two runs on what would turn out to be a 3-4, 2 RBI game for the catcher. Cordova was one of multiple Indians batters who pushed the offense forward as Cole Carrigg, Dyan Jorge, and Kyle Karros all went 0-4 with 2 K each. Skyler Messinger’s 3 RBI helped Spokane secure the lead from Hillsboro, while Jean Perez’s 4-4, 2 RBI night pushed their lead to six as the Indians finished with a 9-3 victory.
Spokane received help from another new face on Sunday as Yujanyer Herrera made his debut for the Indians. Herrera was one of two prospects acquired from the Brewers in the Nick Mears deal, and Herrera wasted no time making his mark within the Rockies organization. The 20-year-old right-hander out of Caracas, Venezuela, gave up three runs in the third inning, but otherwise allowed five total hits, one walk, and struck out seven. Spokane was led offensively by Bryant Betancourt and GJ Hill. Betancourt smashed his third home run of the series in the third inning, followed by Hill who crushed two solo home runs in the fourth and sixth innings. Kyle Karros also bounced back from a slow series by his standards and ended the day 3-4 with 2 RBI, as the Indians were able to add some insurance late in the game thanks to Skyler Messinger as well, leading to the 9-3 win.
What’s Up Next Preview
The Spokane Indians head back out on the road next week as they are set to take on the Tri-City Dust Devils. With plenty of promotions throughout the organization, questions remain whether or not Spokane will receive any more help than they already have (the inevitable arrival of Charlie Condon?). Or, will we see anyone else move their way up to Hartford? Time will tell.
Fresno Grizzlies
Series Record: 5-1 | Season Record: 52-48
Notable Performers (Series Stats):
Jason Hinchman – 24 PA, .333/.417/.619 (1.036), 4 R, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 9 SO, 1 SB
Braylen Wimmer – 26 PA, .348/.423/.609 (1.032), 6 R, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 4 SO, 1 SB
Caleb Hobson – 22 PA, .286/.318/.381 (.699), 6 H, 3 R, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 4 SO, 3 SB
Alberto Pacheco – W (4-4), 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 9 K
Hunter Mann – 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Isaiah Coupet – W (6-5), 5.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
Stu Flesland III – 2.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Series Recap
While July didn’t go as well as the Grizzlies may have wanted the month to go, the Grizzlies were greeted with some reinforcements as the Rockies made some promotions from the ACL, most notably assigning Robert Calaz to Fresno while Fadriel Cruz and Wuardo Fernandez were both released. Fresno opened up their series against Lake Elsinore and closed out the last two games of the month with a 10-5 win on Tuesday followed by a 5-2 win on Wednesday. The Grizzlies dropped Thursday’s game by a score of 4-1, but rebounded to secure a 6-1 victory on Friday night and were helped by an all-time outing from Isaiah Coupet to quiet the Storm on Saturday by a score of 9-1, before earning their fifth win of the series on Sunday, 6-3.
The Grizzlies welcomed the Lake Elsinore Storm to Chukchansi Park in superb fashion on Tuesday night, scoring eight runs in the second inning. Fresno had some extra help on offense as Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones made his Grizzlies debut as part of his rehab assignment and mashed a two-run home run during his first plate appearance. Brad Cumbest, Darius Perry, Caleb Hobson, and Andy Perez all also added RBIs in the inning. Fresno had some fresh faces on the mound as Bryan Mena and Ismael Luciano made their Single-A debuts after being promoted from the ACL Rockies. Mena threw three shutout innings and struck out four batters, while Luciano struggled through 1.2 IP, allowing 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, and 4 BB, while only adding one strikeout. With their lead cut down to three runs, Adam Becker made his return to the mound for the Grizzlies and picked up the win. Becker appeared in 25 games for the Grizzlies during the 2023 season where he finished with a record of 2-4 and a 5.83 ERA. Felix Tena drove in a run in the seventh and Darius Perry sent a solo shot out to left field in the eighth to end the game 10-5.
Fresno learned the recipe for success on Tuesday and repeated the process on Wednesday, scoring early in the game thanks in part to Braylen Wimmer whose two-run home run and RBI triple along with another Felix Tena RBI gave the Grizzlies an early 4-0 lead. Alberto Pacheco was dominant on the mound as he worked through five innings and finished with a season-high 9 K, all while allowing 3 H and 5 BB. Pacheco’s efforts would earn him his fourth win of the season. Wimmer would end the night 2-2 at the plate with 2R, a 3B and HR, while Nolan Jones would go hitless but score 2 R after earning 3 BB.
Thursday night was a low-scoring affair as Bryan Perez took the mound for the Grizzlies. Perez has looked solid over the tough month of July for Fresno. Since June 26th, Perez has not allowed more than four hits in a start and has not allowed more than 2 ER in a start since the same date. Even as Perez continues to deal from the mound, Fresno’s offensive support seems to stumble in front of him, and it was more of the same story on Thursday as Fresno’s only run of the game was driven in by Nolan Jones in the third inning. Jones would finish 2-4 with and RBI on the night, the only Grizzly batter to finish with more than one hit. The Storm would find their way back into the game during the sixth inning as Perez gave up two runs before escaping. Perez hit four batters and issued two walks. But, again, even as Perez keeps the game manageable, Fresno can’t find any offense in front of him, as the Grizzlies had just one man reach base through the game’s last three innings.
The Grizzlies opened up Friday night’s game with some fireworks of their own as Nolan Jones was able to score off of a throwing error, followed by a Luis Mendez RBI-single that brought Robert Calaz home. Calaz was making his Single-A debut after earning his promotion from the ACL. The 18-year-old finished 1-4 with a R and a SB. Jace Kaminska started the game for the Grizzlies but departed after just 2.1 IP where he allowed no hits, no walks, and dished out 3 K. Kannon Handy took over for Kaminska and worked through 2.1 innings of his own, allowing 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, and also added 3 K to pick up his second win of the season. The Grizzlies opened up the game in the fourth inning thanks to a solo home run from Jason Hinchman followed by a two-run home run from Nolan Jones. Hunter Mann shut down any chance for a comeback by the Storm as the righty threw two nearly perfect innings, allowing no hits, 1 BB, but added 4 K, to secure the 6-1 victory for Fresno.
While the month of July was a significantly tough stretch for Fresno starting pitcher Isaiah Coupet, a month in which he was credited with three losses on three consecutive starts as his ERA for the month reached 10.19, his first start in August was a return to form for the lefty. Coupet threw five no-hit innings for the Grizzlies while striking out eight Storm batters and allowing just one walk. Coupet’s breaking ball was lethal and deceived Lake Elsinore batters en route to the 21-year-old’s sixth win of the season. Luis Mendez opened up the scoring for Fresno in the fourth inning with a solo home run, but the Grizzlies showed out during their five-run fifth inning where Jason Hinchman hit an inside-the-park grand slam (that was sadly credited as a single) after Lake Elsinore center fielder Braeden Karpathios let the ball pass all the way to the wall, allowing Nolan Jones, Robert Calaz, and Braylen Wimmer to score. As if Fresno wasn’t dominating enough, Stu Flesland III took over for Coupet in the sixth inning and earned a career-high 6 K through 2.2 innings of work, allowing just 3 H during that span, as the Grizzlies cruised to a 9-1 win.
Bryan Mena’s second appearance in a Fresno uniform and second outing of the series, didn’t go nearly as well as his first. Mena got stung early and allowed 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, and 2 BB, through three innings while only managing to get one strikeout. Luckily for the Grizzlies, they were able to respond against Joe Musgrove, who was making a scheduled start as part of his rehab assignment, thanks to a Luis Mendez RBI-triple and a RBI-double from Jason Hinchman. From there, the game was all Fresno as Caleb Hobson was able to use his speed and scamper home after stealing his 31st bag of the season due to a throwing error. Grizzlies catcher Juan Castillo was also making his debut for the Grizzlies after being promoted from the ACL. Castillo finished 3-4 and drove in his first RBI at the Single-A level in the sixth inning to make the game 5-3. Fellow newcomer Robert Calaz capped off the game with an RBI-triple, while Ismael Luciano responded from his rough outing earlier in the series with two shutout innings where he struck out five.
What’s Up Next Preview
The Fresno Grizzlies dominated the Lake Elsinore Storm and have their sights set on Rancho Cucamonga next, as they head down south to take on the Quakes. As was the same with Spokane, the movement for Fresno may not be done, as more players are expected to find themselves on new teams within the coming weeks.
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