Relief pitcher Jimmie Sherfy, promoted to Triple-A Reno on July 2, continued his nearly untouchable season Wednesday by striking out the side in the ninth inning to save the Aces 3-2 win over Tacoma.
Sherfy has pitched four innings for the Aces and given up one hit, two walks and no runs while striking out seven. Combined with his previous efforts at Double-A Mobile and Advanced-A Visalia, the 24-year-old right-hander has given up one run all season in a total of 36 innings pitched. That's an 0.25 ERA. He's surrendered 12 hits, walked 13, struck out 59 and recorded 19 saves in 19 opportunities.
It's been a remarkable turnaround for the 10th-round draft pick out of Oregon in 2013. He pitched all of 2015 at Mobile and had a 1-6 record and 6.52 ERA.
--First baseman Kyle Jensen hit his 17th home run in Wednesday's victory and upped his league-leading RBI total to 75. Mitch Haniger doubled in the go-ahead run and had two hits overall to raise his batting average to .347. Haniger has 9 homers and a .673 slugging percentage in 27 games for Reno after starting the season at Mobile.
Left-hander Anthony Banda, selected for the MLB Futures Game at Petco Park in San Diego, made his third start for the Aces, and it was his most effective. He gave up 8 hits, 2 walks and 2 runs while striking out 7 in 6 innings of work.
--Braden Shipley posted another strong start for Reno on Monday, giving up 8 hits and 2 runs over 8 innings in a 6-3 win over Tacoma. Shipley is 7-4 for the season with a 3.69 ERA and leads the PCL with 107 1/3 innings pitched. Shipley and Jensen will represent the Aces in next week's Triple-A All-Star Game in Charlotte.
DOUBLE-A MOBILE
Josh Taylor, a 23-year-old left-hander, pitched a 3-hit complete-game shutout for the Bay Bears on Tuesday, striking out 5 and not issuing a walk in a 10-0 victory over Pensacola. It was Taylor's first start for Mobile after his promotion from Visalia. He was only 2-7 with a 5.65 ERA for the Rawhide but had an impressive 77-24 strikeout-walk ratio.
ADVANCED-A VISALIA
Third baseman Dawel Lugo, acquired from Toronto last year in a trade for Cliff Pennington, hit for the cycle in the Rawhide's 10-6 win over Lancaster on Tuesday. Lugo, who was a single shy of the cycle in a game on June 29, is hitting .309 on the season with 13 home runs. He's 27 for 59 (.455) over his last 14 games, raising his batting average 35 points.
--Left fielder Grant Heyman and second baseman Domingo Leyba are also swinging hot bats for the Rawhide. Heyman, an 8th-round draft pick in 2014, is 17 for 39 during a 9-game hitting streak, lifting is average from .232 to .305. Leyba has an 11-game hitting streak (20 for 47) and is at .294 for the season.
--Left-hander Cody Reed, who was so impressive at Kane County to start the season, has struggled since being promoted to the hitter-friendly California League. He gave up 6 hits, 4 walks and 7 earned runs in 1 1/3 innings in Wednesday's 9-7 loss to Lancaster. The second-round pick from 2014 is 0-4 with a 5.87 ERA in 7 starts for the Rawhide after going 5-2 with a 1.82 ERA at Kane County.
SHORT-SEASON HILLSBORO
Anfernee Grier, the D-backs top pick in the 2016 draft, is off to a slow start in his professional career. He's 8 for 39 -- all singles -- in 10 games for Hillsboro, with 2 walks and 11 strikeouts. His first minor-league assignment was Rookie League Missoula. In 4 games with the Osprey, he was 3 for 14 with a home run and a double.
