No preface, just recaps. Get caught up with the Colorado Rockies minor league affiliates here!
Affiliate Recaps
Albuquerque Isotopes
Series Record: 3-3 | Season Record: 56-82
Notable Performers
Zac Veen: 27 PAs, .259/.259/.667 (.926 OPS), 7 H, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 6 K, 3 SB
Yanquiel Fernandez: 23 PAs, .095/.174/.238 (.412 OPS), 2 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K
Greg Jones: 27 PAs, .360/.407/.480 (.887 OPS), 9 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 8 K, 4 SB
Grant Lavigne: 26 PAs, .273/.385/.455 (.840 OPS), 6 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 9 K
Elehuris Montero: 26 PAs, .273/.385/.455 (.840 OPS), 6 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 4 BB, 5 K, 1 SB
Riley Pint: 3.0 IP, 3.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 2 BB, 4 K
Tanner Gordon: 8.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 0 BB, 3 K
Peyton Battenfield: 5.0 IP, 3.60 ERA, 2.40 WHIP, 2 BB, 2 K
Carson Palmquist: 6.2 IP, 5.40 ERA, 1.95 WHIP, 6 BB, 6 K
Recap
The series against the Tacoma Rainers got off to a great start, with the squad winning 9-3. The Topes would score 6 runs in the final two innings to walk away with the win. Zac Veen led the squad, collecting 3 hits and 1 home run. Grant Lavigne and Greg Jones each collected two hits, with Jones adding a homer as well. Carson Palmquist got the start, tossing 4.2 innings while giving up 3 runs. The bullpen wouldn’t give up a run the rest of the way, with Jaden Hill getting the win.
The Isotopes would win Wednesday’s match 3-0. Elehuris Montero would provide all the RBI of the game, also collecting 3 hits and a home run. Tanner Gordon delivered a great start, not giving up a run while striking out 3 in 8 innings. Geoff Hartlieb got the save delivering a scoreless inning.
The squad would drop the next game, 3-4. Greg Jones and Jimmy Herron each collected 2 hits, while Herron also added a home run. Josh Rogers got the start, tossing 5 innings while giving up 2 runs. Ryan Rolison got the loss, giving up a run in two innings.
The losing streak would continue the next night, with the Isotopes losing 1-6. The lineup managed as many hits (9) as the Rainers did, but still managed only 1 run. Willie MacIver had two hits, while Zac Veen added his second home run of the series. Karl Kauffmann got the loss, giving up 4 runs in 4 innings. Andrew Quezada made his Isotope debut, giving up 1 run in 2 innings.
The Isotopes scored 3 runs in the second inning, and they never gave up the lead. Greg Jones and Willie MacIver each had two hits, while Jimmy Herron collected three walks. Outfielder Yanquiel Fernandez hit his 1st homer in an Isotopes uniform in the 2nd inning. Peyton Battenfield got the win, giving up only 2 runs in 5 innings despite giving up 10 hits. Matt Koch collected his 5th save of the season thanks to a scoreless inning.
The series would close out with a 3-13 loss. Zac Veen and Grant Lavigne each added homers in the contest, with Veen hitting his third homer of the series. Carson Palmquist got the loss, giving up a run in two innings. The bullpen would struggle the rest of the way, with Peter Lambert and Ryan Rolison combining to give up 11 runs.
Looking Ahead
This week the Isotopes will take on the Las Vegas Aviators. The Aviators are the affiliate of the Oakland Athletics and have a 68-69 record this season.
Hartford Yard Goats
Series Record: 3-3 | Season Record: 73-57
Notable Performers
Zach Kokoska: 14 PAs, .231/.286/.692 (.978 OPS), 3 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 SB
Adael Amador: 28 PAs, .280/.357/.440 (.797 OPS), 7 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K
Kyle Datres: 20 PAs, .400/.550/.667 (1.217 OPS), 6 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 3 K
Ryan Ritter: 14 PAs, .385/.429/.615 (1.044 OPS), 5 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Sterlin Thompson: 22 PAs, .333/.364/.381 (.745 OPS), 7 H, 2 RBI, 5 BB
Warming Bernabel: .381/.381/.429 (.810 OPS), 8 H, 1 SB
Blake Adams: 5.0 IP, 3.60 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 0 BB, 7 K
Chase Dollander: 6.0 IP, 3.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 1 BB, 7 K
Carson Skipper: 4.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.25 WHIP, 0 BB, 6 K
Mason Albright: 5.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.40 WHIP, 0 BB, 3 K
Sean Sullivan: 4.0 IP, 2.25 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, 2 BB, 3 K
Connor Van Scoyoc: 5.0 IP, 3.60 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 0 BB, 3 K
Recap
The series against the Altoona Curve got off to a great start, with the Goats winning 5-0. Ryan Ritter and Warming Bernabel each collected two hits, while Zach Kokoska hit his 18th homer of the season. Antonio Senzatela put together a great rehab start, tossing 4 scoreless innings. Mason Albright closed out the game, tossing 5 scoreless innings while striking out 3.
Thanks to a walk-off hit from Sterlin Thompson, the Goats won 6-5. Thompson had 3 hits, while Braxton Fulford and Warming Bernabel each had 2 hits. Adael Amador and Juan Guerrero added a homerun apiece. Blake Admas put together a solid start, striking out 7 while giving up 2 runs in 5 innings. Zach Agnos got his 4th win of the season, thanks to a scoreless inning.
The Goats would lose 2-3 the next game, thanks to a late rally by the Curve. Adael Amador and Kyle Datres added two hits, with Datres also hitting a home run. Chase Dollander gave up 2 runs in 6 innings while striking out 7.
The Goats would win the next game 6-1. Warming Bernabel and Nic Kent added two hits, with the lineup adding nine hits as a whole. Sean Sullivan tossed 4 innings of 1 run ball while striking out 3. Evan Shawver got the win, tossing a scoreless inning. The bullpen would hold the Curve scoreless the rest of the way.
The Altoona Curve scored early and wouldn’t give up a run the rest of the way, with the Goats losing 2-4. The Goats would struggle to get the offense going, with Ryan Ritter being the lone offensive stalwart. Ritter collected two hits while adding a homer. Connor Van Scoyoc gave up 2 runs in 5 innings.
The series would close out with a Goats loss, 5-9. Adael Amador collected three hits, while Kyle Datres, Zach Kokoska, , Bladimir Restituyo, and Braiden Ward each had two hits. Antonio Senzatela got the loss, giving up 5 runs in 3.2 innings.
Looking Ahead
This week the Goats will face off against the Akron Rubberducks. The Rubberducks are the affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians and have a 77-55 record this season.
Spokane Indians
Series Record : 3-3 | Season Record: 79-51
Notable Performers (Series Stats):
EJ Andrews Jr. – 14 PA, .455/.500/.636 (1.136), 5 H, 6 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 SO, 2 SB
Cole Carrigg – 25 PA, .391/.440/.696 (1.136), 9 H, 5 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 6 SO, 5 SB
GJ Hill – 15 PA, .286/.333/.714 (1.048), 4 H, 3 R, 5 RBI, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0 SB
Andy Perez – 27 PA, .346/.370/.500 (0.870), 9 H, 5 R, 6 RBI, 0 BB, 5 SO, 3 SB
Konner Eaton – 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Connor Staine – 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Sam Weatherly – SV (5), 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Series Recap
With the postseason around the corner and offseason renovations already beginning at Avista Stadium, the Spokane Indians had one more series to play before the Northwest League Championship. Spokane went down to Funko Field to take on the Everett AquaSox one last time. They dropped the first game 6-5 on Monday, but picked up a 8-4 win on Wednesday after a day off on Tuesday, before they lost Thursday’s affair by a score of 4-2. Spokane lost Friday’s shootout 14-12 but were able to rebound for a 7-5 win on Saturday and capped off their regular season with a 9-2 victory.
Spokane took an early 4-0 lead when the series opened on Monday thanks to GJ Hill, as the outfielder continued to stay red hot with a three-run home run in the second inning in what would end up being a two-hit, 3 RBI game for Hill. Victor Juarez kept Everett in check, allowing just one run off of 5 H through 5.1 IP. The Indians held their lead until the eighth inning where Everett began their rally, scoring three runs before a two-run ninth inning pushed the game to extras. After failing to score the ghost runner, Spokane’s Davison Palermo was tasked with shutting down the AquaSox, but failed to do so as he loaded the bases and allowed the winning run to score on a HBP.
After a much-needed day off, Spokane returned to the field on Wednesday but found themselves down by three runs in the fourth inning. Jack Mahoney opened the game and worked through three frames, only allowing one run before Carlos Torres took over. Although Torres allowed three runs himself, he’d pick up his fifth win of the season after the Indians woke up in the fifth inning, scoring three runs thanks to Andy Perez, Dyan Jorge, and Kyle Karros. Perez played a major role in Spokane’s comeback victory. The shortstop ended his night 3-4, 3 R, 3 RBI, with a 2B and his first High-A home run, a two-run jack in the sixth inning to give Spokane the lead. Cole Carrigg tacked on a two-run home run of his own in the eighth inning, while Sam Weatherly continued his stretch of pure domination as he continued his impressive scoreless streak since being promoted to Spokane, leading the Indians to double up the AquaSox by a final of 8-4.
After a rough start to Thursday’s game, allowing three straight hits and two runs to score, Connor Staine settled down and found his groove once again. Staine would go on to finish his five-inning-night with 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, and 7 K. Down by two runs the Indians responded quickly thanks to Skyler Messinger who belted a ball out to center field to even the score. However, Spokane couldn’t generate any offense throughout the rest of the game as Everett took the lead in the seventh inning and doubled up the score in the eighth. Braxton Hyde allowed the game-winning run and picked up his second loss of the season, although he allowed just 2 H and 1 ER while striking out three through 1.2 innings.
Friday night was no time to be a pitcher as Everett and Spokane gave fans at Funko Field a fireworks show at the plate. The AquaSox opened up the game with a four-run first inning against Yunjanyer Herrera whose 4 ER allowed through two innings is the highest total he’s allowed in a start since joining Spokane. The Indians were able to chip away at the lead and were within one run by the fifth inning before tying the game up in the sixth thanks to EJ Andrews Jr. and Cole Carrigg. Andrews Jr. had a night to remember, finishing 3-4 with 3 R, 2 RBI, and a SB, while Carrigg ended his night 3-5 with 2 R, an RBI, and 2 SB. The game got out of hand not long after the Indians tied things up as Everett took a 12-6 lead after rough outings from Davison Palermo and Felix Ramires. Spokane made things interesting in the ninth by adding four more runs thanks to Dyan Jorge, who finished the game with 4-5, with a R and 3 RBI, as well as Jesus Bugarin, who belted a two-run home run, his seventh of the season. The Indians fell a two-point conversion short, losing 14-12.
After Friday’s display of firepower, neither team showed signs of slowing down as they traded runs through the first three innings. The Indians got on the board quickly with a pair of solo home runs from Cole Carrigg and GJ Hill, while Jean Perez’s sac fly gave Spokane a 3-0 lead. Everett answered back against starting pitcher Michael Prosecky to bring the game within one run. Prosecky ended his night after just 2.2 innings, allowing 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, with 4 K. Kyle Karros broke his quiet streak and pumped a two-run home run out to left center field in the fifth inning, but by the seventh, Everett had managed to knot things at five. GJ Hill came through in the clutch with a RBI-single to bring in the game-winning run before a wild pitch brought home Jose Cordova, adding some much needed insurance. Bryson Hammer picked up his third victory of the season while Sam Weatherly earned his fifth save and still managed to not allow a single run.
Before their Northwest League Championship series against the Vancouver Canadians, Spokane had one last game to play against Everett and won in deciding fashion. Charlie Condon’s first RBIs of the series helped the Indians get on the board first while Skyler Messinger and Dyan Jorge helped grow Spokane’s lead to 4-0 by the end of the second inning. Alberto Pacheco weaved his way through five innings of baseball and managed to only give up an ER off of 6 H. Andy Perez helped secure the lead with 3 RBI through the fifth and seventh innings in what ended as a 3-5 night at the plate, joining the 13 total hits Spokane had on the evening. Konner Eaton struck out four batters through the two innings he worked in relief of Pacheco while Welinton Herrera closed out the 9-2 victory for the Indians.
What’s Up Next Preview
With the regular season wrapped up, the Spokane Indians are set to take on the Vancouver Canadians in a best-of-five series to crown the champion of the Northwest League. With renovations taking place at Avista Stadium, the series will begin North of the border at Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium before coming back to Patterson Baseball Complex, home of the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Vancouver recently handed Spokane a 2-4 series loss four weeks ago, but the Indians still lead the season series 17-8.
Fresno Grizzlies
Series Record : 3-3 | Season Record: 67-64
Notable Performers (Series Stats)
Aidan Longwell – 30 PA, .333/.500/.381 (0.881), 7 H, 4 R, 2 RBI, 7 BB, 4 SO, 0 SB
Felix Tena – 23 PA, .529/.579/.824 (1.402), 9 H, 3 R, 9 RBI, 2 BB, 5 SO, 0 SB
Caleb Hobson – 21 PA, .357/.571/.786 (1.357), 5 H, 6 R, 2 RBI, 7 BB, 5 SO, 4 SB
Stu Flesland III – W (3-3), 7.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
Fidel Ulloa – SV (1), 5.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 9 K
Kannon Handy – 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
Series Recap
With no postseason on the horizon, Fresno’s season was set to wrap up with one final series against the San Jose Giants at Chukchansi Park. Fresno shocked the Giants and stole the first game of the series on Monday 5-1, but dropped Wednesday’s game 10-5 before bouncing back with a 5-4 victory on Thursday. Fresno lost a hard-fought battle on Friday as they couldn’t pick up the win in extras, but secured a 7-3 win on Saturday. The Grizzlies concluded their season with an 11-5 loss, giving the club a final record of 67-64 for the 2024 season.
Ismael Luciano was lights out in the series opener as the 21-year-old right-hander pushed his record with Fresno to 4-0 after a 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, and 7 K performance. Aidan Longwell was responsible for a pair of runs and gave the Grizzlies an early 3-0 lead by the end of the fourth inning. San Jose drove in a run in the fifth inning, but Fresno’s Ben McCabe quickly responded with a 2 RBI-single. Furthering Fresno’s domination on the mound, Fidel Ulloa and Konner Eaton both pitched scoreless outings as Ulloa worked through two frames while earning 4 K, and Eaton ended the game with 2 K in the ninth inning to give Fresno a 5-1 win.
San Jose got the jump on the Grizzlies after their day off on Tuesday. It was a back-and-forth affair through the first four innings as both teams traded runs. By the end of the fourth inning, the Giants had a 6-4 lead. The Grizzlies got some offensive help from Felix Tena as well as Caleb Hobson who smashed his sixth home run of the season and newcomer Tommy Hopfe sent a two-run shot over the fence in right center field for his first professional home run. Hopfe is a local product having played in college at Fresno State. The 21-year-old was a ninth-round draft pick of the Rockies this year and is surely making Bulldogs and Grizzlies fans proud as he takes the field in Fresno once again. Hopfe finished his night 3-3 with a R and 2 RBI. Things weren’t very pretty for Fresno’s pitching staff on Wednesday. McCade Brown picked up his second loss of the season after allowing 4 ER through three innings of work. Jake Madden also got tagged for 4 ER off of 7 H through three innings as well. Isaiah Coupet also made his first appearance on the mound in a little over a month, but the lefty stayed for 1.2 innings and allowed 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, while adding 3 K. The Giants doubled up the Grizzlies by a final score of 10-5.
Fresno bounced back after Wednesday night’s beatdown and held off a late-inning rally by San Jose to steal the game in extras. Both teams trade runs in the first inning as Felix Tena knocked in his first of three runs that he would bring in on the night. The game remained locked at one until the seventh inning thanks to a solid outing from Bryan Mena who worked through 6.2 frames and allowed just 1 ER off of 4 H and added 6 K. San Jose’s starting pitcher Cale Lansville pitched six hitless innings and added 6 K of his own. Braylen Wimmer scored on a wild pitch in the seventh to break the tie, but San Jose mashed a three-run home run the next inning to give the Giants a two-run lead. Felix Tena came in clutch not soon after with a two-out, 2 RBI-single to tie the game. Nathan Blasick shut down San Jose in extras while Aidan Longwell reached on a fielder’s choice that allowed Jason Hinchman to score and get the walk off victory.
Home runs were the name of the game on Friday as the Grizzlies opened up the match with a Caleb Hobson solo shot to left field, his seventh homer of the season. Bryan Perez navigated a difficult game through six innings and allowed 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, with 7 K, the three runs allowed coming off of a San Jose three-run home run in the third inning. Felix Tena got things tied up in the sixth as he brought himself and Braylen Wimmer home with his sixth home run of the year. The game remained quiet and trudged on into extra innings. After pitching a scoreless tenth inning, Hunter Omlid gave up the eventual game-winning run off of another three-run home run for San Jose, this time off the bat of Zander Darby. Jason Hinchman’s double in the 11th inning allowed Blake Wright to score and brought the Grizzlies within one, but the comeback stopped there. Omlid was credited with his first professional loss but only gave up 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, while adding 3 K.
The Grizzlies found their groove during their second-to-last game of the season on Saturday. Stu Flesland III was back to dominating once again en route to earning his third win of the season. Flesland III pitched three scoreless frames and ended his night with a line of 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, with 7 K all through seven innings. The Grizzlies offense woke up in the fourth thanks to a pair of doubles from Braylen Wimmer and Felix Tena, followed by an RBI-single from Caleb Hobson to give Fresno a 3-0 lead. Some runs in the sixth inning would push Fresno’s lead to 5-2, but Fresno’s Fidel Ulloa shut down San Jose’s hopes of a comeback as he worked through two innings, allowing only 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, with 3 K. A wild pitch allowed Hobson to score in the eighth while Ben McCabe put the cherry on top to give the Grizzlies the 7-3 victory.
While Sunday marked the last day of the season for Fresno, San Jose still had something to play for as they set their sights on a 2024 postseason berth. The Giants came out swinging with eight runs through the first three innings, quickly putting an end to Ismale Luciano’s night who finished with 6 H and 7 ER through 1.2 IP. The score was an insurmountable 9-1 by the seventh inning until Felix Tena took a chunk out of San Jose’s lead with a two-RBI single, followed by a wild forceout by Brad Cumbest in the eighth inning that ended up scoring Caleb Hobson and Tevin Tucker thanks to a throwing error by Giants shortstop Walker Martin. Unfortunately San Jose would add two more runs in the ninth off of Jake Madden to push the score to 11-5, ending Fresno’s season on a less-than-high note.
What’s Up Next Preview
The Fresno Grizzlies concluded their 2024 season with a 3-3 series split against the San Jose Giants and finished third in the California League North standings with a 67-64 record. Unfortunately, there’s no more Fresno Grizzlies baseball until the 2025 season. Personally, I would like to thank Stephen Rice and all of those within the Fresno organization for their help creating these recaps over the course of the 2024 season. The future isn’t certain, but Grizzlies fans know that there will be baseball played once again at Chukchansi Park in the near future.
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