D-backs Outfield Prospect Connects for 10th Homer for Reno

The Diamondbacks' minor league affiliates combined for a 2-2 record. Here's all the action from Sunday's slate of games.

AAA: Reno Aces 6, Sugar Land Space Cowboys 12

With the Diamondbacks' pitching injuries and roster moves affecting the Aces, Avery Short made the spot start for Reno, but got hammered. Short surrendered six runs on seven hits, three of them leaving the ballpark in 3.2 innings. He walked two and struck out three.

That dug too deep a hole for Reno to climb out of. A.J. Vukovich and Andy Weber connected for home runs, but the Aces were always fighting an uphill battle with their pitching ineffective. Jake McCarthy had two hits, including a double. Adrian Del Castillo added an RBI single and a walk.

Yilber Díaz struggled with control in this game, walking five hitters in 1.2 innings and watching both his bequeathed runners score in the eighth.

AA: Amarillo Sod Poodles 5, San Antonio Missions 8

With Short up in Reno, the Sod Poodles went with a bullpen game. Alec Baker pitched the first 2.2 innings, allowing two runs. Jhosmer Alvarez allowed just one run in 3.1 innings.

Ivan Melendez started the scoring for Amarillo, launching a ball to the parking lot behind the center field wall. Tommy Troy tied the game in the next inning, on a double to right center and a throwing error that scored Kristian Robinson from first.

Alvarez got himself into trouble in the fourth, allowing his only run of the day, but got help from Caleb Roberts, who threw out a runner at home to keep it a 3-2 game. Roberts then tied the game with an RBI triple in the bottom half of the inning. LuJames Groover plated home a run to give Amarillo a 4-3 lead.

Philip Abner couldn't hold the lead, surrendering a two-run home run to Brandon Valenzuela. However, Robinson answered right back in the bottom of the seventh with a solo blast that tied the game 5-5. That was a good sign for the slumping outfield prospect, who has been hitting .163 with a 36% strikeout rate since May 20.

In a tie game, Landon Sims got rocked for three runs. Sims failed to punch out a hitter, walked two, and surrendered two hits. Two of the three runs were unearned, thanks to a Roberts fielding error.

A+: Hillsboro Hops 4, Eugene Emeralds 2

This game featured just two hits, both singles, for both clubs. Hillsboro took advantage of 11 walks, as three of their four runs scored without the ball leaving the infield. Their lone hit with runners in scoring position was a Ben McLaughlin RBI single, but three times they plated a runner at third with less than two outs.

Yordin Chalas turned in his best outing of the year, throwing four perfect innings with three strikeouts to open the game. It's been a rough season for Chalas, as the organization tries to accelerate his development as a starter, but the work seems to be paying off.

Hillsboro took a shutout into the ninth inning. Ricardo Yan struck out four in two innings, followed by scoreless innings by Joangel Gonzalez and Edgar Isea. Sam Knowlton walked four the five hitters he faced, ruining the shutout bid and being lifted for Eli Saul. Saul stranded two of the three inherited runners to preserve the win.

A: Visalia Rawhide 10, Lake Elsinore Storm 6 (F/10)

This game started as a slug fest, as Visalia quickly took a 5-1 lead. Erick Reynoso held the Storm to just a solo home run over four innings.

A walk, a double, and a sacrifice fly tied the game. Three Storm errors opened the floodgates for the Rawhide to score four in the third. Ruben Santana singled home a run, and two errors allowed two more runs to score. Jakey Josepha's second double of the day led to another run in the fifth.

However, the inning after he left the game disaster struck. Eric Dominguez failed to retire any of the three batters he faced, walking two and surrendering a three-run home run. Grayson Hitt didn't fare much better, as he walked three more and gave up two hits to blow the lead and put the Storm ahead.

For the rest of the game, the Visalia bullpen got stubborn. Dawson Brown got the final out of the fifth, then completed a scoreless sixth. Sandro Santana added two scoreless innings to set the stage for the comeback in the ninth.

Josepha picked up his third hit of the day to put the tying run on base with good speed. A walk put him in scoring position for Yerald Nin. Nin hit into what should have been a game-ending double play, but the ground ball got through both the second baseman and right fielder to score the tying run. The game went into extra innings, with the potential tying run cut down at home.

With Soler starting the inning at second, a walk and a single loaded the bases with one out. The Rawhide failed to get Soler home, but a bases-loaded walk and two singles with two outs built up a four-run lead.

Ryan Bruno closed it out with two scoreless innings to pick up his first professional win. Bruno is an interesting arm, as the only left-hander in the organization who can consistently throw harder than 95 MPH. He's battled injuries since getting selected in the seventh round of the 2023 draft.