Minor League Recap: Games of August 3, 2014

AAA Oklahoma City RedHawks: 8-1 win over Colorado Springs (COL)

-> Ronald Torreyes: 4-for-5, SB, R, 2 RBI
-> Joe Sclafani: 3-for-5, SB, RBI, R
-> Preston Tucker: 2-for-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI
-> Jiovanni Mier: 1-for-2, R, 2 BB
-> Jonathan Villar: 1-for-4, BB, RBI, 2 SB, 2 R
-> Andrew Aplin: 1-for-4, BB
-> Ruben Sosa: 1-for-4
-> Matthew Duffy: 0-for-4, BB
-> Ryan McCurdy: 0-for-4, R

SP Brady Rodgers: 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 4 K (win)
RP Richard Rodriguez: 2.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 0 K
RP Kevin Chapman: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 3 K

Rodgers has apparently been promoted, must have missed that. His time in AA was better than it looks; a low strand rate and low strike out rate were two factors that contributed to him struggling, but he finished his time there this year with a 3.84 FIP and 1.56 BB/9 as well. Obviously, things went well tonight for him, and he was at just 78 pitches when the sixth inning came to a close. He also got 11 outs on the ground, against just two in the air.

Three straight multi-hit games for Torreyes, who is hitting .350/.395/.400 in his last ten games. He's sitting at a solid .297/.350/.376 on the season in 99 games, with 14 doubles, four triples and a pair of jacks.

Tucker did manage to post a big jump in SLG during July, but it was thanks to eight extra doubles, as he hit just two homers during the month. He now has that many through just three games in August. He's a guy who could find his way to MLB Spring Training if he has a strong last month in AAA, and then perhaps a strong campaign in the AFL as well.

AA Corpus Christi Hooks: 6-3 loss to Midland (OAK)

-> Colin Moran: 2-for-3, BB, R
-> Tony Kemp: 2-for-4, 3B, R
-> Delino DeShields: 1-for-2, RBI, 2 BB
-> Carlos Perdomo: 1-for-3, RBI, R
-> Jonathan Meyer: 1-for-4
-> Conrad Gregor: 0-for-3, BB
-> Leonardo Heras: 0-for-4, BB, RBI

SP Colton Cain: 3.2 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 1 K (loss)
RP Ruben Alaniz: 2.1 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 K
RP David Rollins: 1.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 2 K
RP Kyle Weiland: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 K

Kemp has cooled off in a big way; he was down to just .279 for July (though still with a rock-solid .807 OPS). He's 3-for-12 in August so far, so let's hope that's the beginning of another good run. The walks have oddly vanished; he hasn't drawn a free pass since July 26, nine games ago.

Unlike Kemp, DeShields has kept himself afloat through some struggles with a nice walk rate. In fact, he's worked 16 walks in his last 22 games. And for those wondering, yes, now that Aplin moved up to AAA, DeShields has resumed playing in CF exclusively; the reports of the death of his career in center were exaggerated.

Early returns on the shiny new toy are positive; he's 3-for-11 with a couple of walks in his first three games in AA, for a solid .385 OBP.

A+ Lancaster JetHawks: 2-1 win over Lake Elsinore (SDP)

-> Austin Elkins: 2-for-2, BB, 2 R
-> Tanner Mathis: 1-for-2, 2B, RBI
-> Rio Ruiz: 1-for-3
-> Chan Moon: 1-for-4, RBI

SP Vincent Velasquez: 3.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 4 K
RP Zach Morton: 2.1 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K
RP Daniel Minor: 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 K (win)
RP Jamaine Cotton: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 K (save)

Ruiz is on a six-game hitting streak, and he has a streak of 13 games with a hit or walk going. He's hitting .316/.409/.500 over his last ten games, and he's sitting at .302/.393/.461 with 30 doubles, two triples and 11 homers on the season, in 106 games.

This was Velasquez's second start since returning from his lengthy stay on the DL (first was July 28). Control wasn't too sharp here, but nice to see some good run prevention. He's allowed two or fewer runs in his last four games each.

A- Quad Cities River Bandits: 9-5 loss to Kane County (CHC)

-> A.J. Reed: 2-for-4, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 R
-> J.D. Davis: 2-for-4
-> Brett Booth: 1-for-2, BB, HR, R, 2 RBI
-> Ryan Bottger: 1-for-3, R
-> Chase McDonald: 1-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI
-> Marc Wik: 1-for-4
-> Alexander Melendez: 1-for-1 (defensive replacement)

SP Andrew Thurman: 5.0 IP, 7 ER, 10 H, 3 BB, 2 K (loss)
RP Albert Minnis: 2.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 1 K
RP Frederick Tiburcio: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 K

I know it was a weak class, but man, that Thurman pick isn't looking so hot right now. Of course, it's too early to judge it completely, but if you've been disappointed with Appel, you have to be big-time with Thurman, don't you? Not that he has the same upside, but this was our second round pick, the 40th overall pick in the draft, and he has a 5.44 ERA down in Low-A ball. The good news is that, much like Appel, just about every stat under the surface scream positive regression is on the way (BAbip, walk rate, strike out rate, strand rate, ground ball rate, FIP, SIERA, you name it). But as of right now, it's a bummer. I figured he'd be in AA by now, and I imagine the Astros did as well. But what do you do? You just have to keep working with him and running him out there until it turns around. You certainly don't want to give him a change of scenery to the slaughterhouse in Lancaster.

On the positive side down there, Davis is on fire; in 16 games post-promotion, he's hit .386/.438/.491. He has an OPS of 1.015 and just seven strike outs in his last ten games.

And this was Reed's first multi-hit game since his promotion. Despite a low average, three homers already has given him a spiffy .905 OPS for his first seven games in full-season ball.

SS Tri-City ValleyCats: 7-5 win over Batavia (MIA)

-> Terrell Joyce: 2-for-4, 2B, HR, R, 4 RBI
-> Nick Tanielu: 2-for-4, RBI, R
-> Alfredo Gonzalez: 2-for-4, SB, RBI, R
-> Jamie Ritchie: 1-for-3, BB, 2 R
-> Jose Solano: 1-for-4, SB, R
-> Alex Hernandez: 0-for-3, BB, RBI, R
-> Mott Hyde: 0-for-4 BB

SP Francis Ramirez: 4.0 IP, 4 R (2 ER), 6 H, 3 BB, 1 K
RP Vince Wheeland: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 K (win)
RP Randall Fant: 2.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 3 K (hold)
RP Derick Velazquez: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 K (hold)
RP Ryan Thompson: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 K (save)

This is the third straight game that Derek Fisher has missed, and that's a big worry. At least so far, he isn't listed as being on the DL, so that's something at least. A bunch of you are better connected to people on Twitter than I am, so if anyone has seen or heard anything, by all means, drop some knowledge on us in the comments.

In the meantime, Tanielu continues to help carry the offense along. He has 13 hits and a pair of walks in his last nine games, and he's up to .324/.378/.459 on the season in 40 games.

Joyce has been the other half of the combo that's really fortified the lineup recently. His last three games, with Fisher missing, have been stellar; five hits, of which two were doubles and two were homers. He's hitting .303/.385/.667 over his last ten games.

Velazquez, our seventh-round pick this year, is off to a nice start for himself; in 11.1 innings, he owns a 2.38 ERA, 1.59 BB/9 and 8.74 K/9.

RK Greeneville Astros: 4-2 loss to Bristol (PIT)

-> Edwin Medina: 2-for-4, R, 2 SB
-> Jason Martin: 2-for-5
-> Kristian Trompiz: 1-for-3, BB, R, 2 SB
-> Antonio Nunez: 1-for-3, RBI
-> Cesar Carrasco: 1-for-4
-> Hector Roa: 1-for-4
-> Ydarqui Marte: 1-for-4

SP Dean Deetz: 2.0 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 1 H, 2 BB, 3 K (loss)
RP Jorge Perez: 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 2 BB, 2 K
RP Brock Dykxhoorn: 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K
RP Eric Peterson: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K

Martin may be waking up from his little slump; he has a five-game hitting streak working now. He's sitting at .276/.370/.423 on the season. Still looking for his first professional homer.

Trompiz has put together a pretty nice run; he's batting .321/.457/.357 over his last ten games. The massive OBP is thanks in part to seven walks during that time.

Dykxhoorn's ERA is ugly at 5.75, but that's mostly due to a six earned run, 1.1 innings outing that's blowing it up in a small sample size. Outside of that, he owns a 3.32 ERA, and on the year he has a nice 2.66 BB/9 and 8.85 K/9 as well.

Today's Scheduled Starters

AAA: Asher Wojciechowski vs. TBD
AA: Off Day
A+: TBD vs. Ben Alsup
A-: Chris Lee vs. TBD
SS: Austin Chrismon vs. Ben Holmes
RK: Agapito Barrios vs. TBD