D-backs minor-league report: Lower-level teams continue dominance
The Diamondbacks minor-league affiliates continue to have impressive success at the lower levels, with all three of their Class A teams and their Rookie League team sitting in first place after Monday's play.
The most impressive performance of late has been from the Midwest League's Kane County team, which had won seven consecutive games and given up a total of nine runs in the seven wins before suffering a 3-2 loss on Monday to Wisconsin. Even after the loss, the Cougars are 21-4 in the season's second half and 57-36 overall.
Visalia continues to dominate the California League. The Rawhide are 18-6 in the second half and 60-34 overall. Hillsboro (19-13, Northwest League) and Missoula (18-12, Pioneer League) also are atop their league standings.
TRIPLE-A RENO
Jamie Romak hit his 19th home run and drove in five runs in Reno's 6-5 win over Albuquerque on Monday night. The Aces trailed 5-0 after seven innings but rallied for three in the eighth on Romak's 3-run blast and three more in the ninth on two-out run-scoring singles by Romak and Mike Freeman. Romak's 74 RBI are tops in Triple-A and the D-backs organization.
DOUBLE-A MOBILE
Blayne Weller and three relievers combined on a four-hitter in Mobile's 4-0 win over Biloxi on Monday night. Shortstop Jack Reinheimer, acquired in the Mark Trumbo trade, had three hits, and outfielder Zach Borenstein had two more hits to raise his average to .327. The Bay Bears are a half-game out of first place in the second-half standings with a 19-14 mark.
HIGH-A VISALIA
Brandon Sinnery pitched a nine-inning complete game, giving up five hits without walking a batter, to lead Visalia to a 4-0 win over Rancho Cucamonga on Monday night. Sinnery (2-0, 3.18) has three walks in 34 innings pitched for the Rawhide since being sent down from Mobile, where he was 5-6 with a 5.15 ERA. Visalia improved to 60-34 on the season.
It was the second consecutive shutout for the Rawhide, which won 1-0 on Sunday, getting seven scoreless innings from starter Ryan Doran and a game-winning single from catcher Stryker Trahan in the top of the ninth.
LOW-A KANE COUNTY
Markus Solbach improved to 9-2 and lowered his ERA to 2.32 in Sunday night's 1-0 win over Wisconsin, giving up four hits and no walks over seven innings. Zac Curtis pitched the ninth for his 21st save.
SHORT-SEASON HILLSBORO
Second baseman Fernery Ozuna led off the bottom of the 12th with a home run to give Hillsboro a 4-3 win over Everett on Monday.
Jeferson Mejia, acquired in the Miguel Montero trade, was roughed up for seven runs in less than two innings Sunday's 14-7 loss to Everett. His ERA soared from 3.52 to 5.92.
ROOKIE LEAGUE MISSOULA
Anfernee Benitez struck out 11 and gave up one unearned run in 5.2 innings in Missoula's 10-6 win over Ogden on Monday. First baseman Austin Byler had three hits, including his fourth home run, and drove in three runs to raise his average to .349, and DH Luke Lowery was 2 for 2 with two walks and a home run. Lowery scored three runs and drove in three.
Lowery, drafted in the 14th round out of East Carolina, is hitting .367 with seven home runs in 90 at-bats. He has reached base safely in his last nine plate appearances -- six hits and three walks.
Cameron Smith worked 3.2 scoreless innings in relief in Sunday's 7-1 win over Ogden. Smith, a 36th-round pick out of Texas Tech, is 5-0 on the season with an 0.81 ERA, with 30 strikeouts in 22.1 innings.
