Diamondbacks Affilliates Swept as Pitching Woes Surface Once More

The Diamondbacks' minor league affiliates were swept on Wednsday. I take a dive into what happened, and what player performances stood out at each minor league level.

Minor League Action:

Triple-A: Reno Aces 7, Round Rock Express 8

The Aces were lead onto the field by left-handed Tommy Henry. The 27 year old has spent stints of his career up with the major league club, but has never been able to pitch his way into a spot. His struggles continued in this ballgame.

The Express struck Henry for six earned runs in 5.2 innings of action. This came on a pair of home runs, but the southpaw also struggled with command. His two walks to only three strikeouts opened the door enough for Round Rock to take a lead which they never surrendered.

On the offensive front Rene Pinto stayed hot, belting his fourth home run of the young season. While the backstop has a tough journey to make the major league roster, he is a great depth option for the club, now hitting to a 1.118 OPS.

Third baseman Tristin English also enjoyed a nice game, going two for five with an RBI and a run scored, nearly helping the Aces to a comeback victory.

Double-A: Amarillo Sod Poodles 4, Frisco Rough Riders 9

Dylan Ray, one of the Diamondbacks' top pitching prospects, took the mound for the Sod Poodles on Wendsday. While he only allowed one earned run, the righty only went four innings deep, leaving the bullpen with a lot of work to do.

While Conor Grammes and Zane Russell worked two scoreless innings in relief, other members of the bullpen weren't as fortunate. A tough day for Landon Sims saw the former 34th overall pick allow four earned runs in only two-thirds of an inning pitched. Logan Clayton was also knocked around for two runs, with the defecit eventually becoming overpowering.

The Amarillo offense fought back, with top prospect Tommy Troy staying impressively hot, driving in a run and bringing his OPS to a 1.095 mark. Shortstop Andy Webber and right fielder Gavin Conticello drove in the remaining runs, leaving a tough loss with some exciting upside.

High-A: Hillsboro Hops 2, Spokane Indians 8

The Hops began the season hot but have now landed in a three game skid after dropping back to back matchups with the Indians.

Eli Saul took the loss for Hillsboro, even while allowing only one run in his two frames of work. Over that span he struck out three batters, but was beaten by the long ball. The bullpen also struggled behind him, with Sam Knowlton and Jorge Minyety combining for six earned runs in only an inning and two thirds pitched.

Druw Jones continues to look like a changed player, finally finding his stride at a professional level. He knocked two more hits, driving in a run and raising his average to .367.

Fellow top prospect Demitrio Crisantes, who climbed so high in 2024, is facing some early-season struggles, going 0 for five and sitting at just a .171 average on the year.

Class-A: Visalia Rawhide 3, Stockton Ports 10

The Rawhide continue to struggle, dropping their eighth straight ballgame. This matchup was started by 2024 draftee and highly regarded pitching talent Connor Foley. In only his second career minor league appearance he was tagged for four runs in an inning of work. Still, he managed to strike out three hitters in the frame.

21 year old Braden Quinn was also knocked around in three innings of work. He allowed four runs, due to a lack of command, walking four batters during his second outing of the year.

While he had no RBIs to show for it, Slade Caldwell continues to hit at an incredibly high level. In thirty at-bats with the Rawhide, he has a .333 average, a .556 OBP, and an incredible 1.189 OPS. His mature approach and ability to drive the ball make him a candidate to continue to rise quickly through the Diamondbacks' system. Alongside Caldwell, other key hitters Yerald Nin and Adrian Rodriguez drove in the club's only runs.