Salt Lake Bees
Sunday's Box Score
The Good: Terry Evans (.286) clubbed two home runs on Saturday, his second and third on the season, while Nick Gorneault clubbed two of his own, going 3-5 with 5 RBI's. Mark Trumbo drove in four runs, going 3-5 with two doubles, a day after hitting his 9th home run of the season. Hank Conger also joined the hitting spree on Saturday with three hits of his own. The Bees scored 14 runs on Saturday, but just one a piece on Friday and Sunday, losing them both. On the pitching side, Sean O'Sullivan went seven innings, giving up three runs on Saturday and though Will Smith lost his second game for the Bees on Sunday, he limited the opposition to two runs over 6.1 innings, while striking out six. Michael Kohn made his Triple-A debut on Saturday with a scoreless frame. Angels fans are already clamoring for his major league debut to help a struggling bullpen.
The Bad: Trevor Reckling is really struggling of late. On Friday, Recks gave up five runs on nine hits in six innings of work. Reckling also walked five vs. four strikeouts. The Bees managed just two hits and one run on Sunday. Peter Bourjos continues to struggle at the bottom of the order, hitting just .257 now after going 0-6 over the weekend with two strikeouts and no walks. Bourjos in fact has just walked five times this season.
Sunday's Box Score
The Good: Terry Evans (.286) clubbed two home runs on Saturday, his second and third on the season, while Nick Gorneault clubbed two of his own, going 3-5 with 5 RBI's. Mark Trumbo drove in four runs, going 3-5 with two doubles, a day after hitting his 9th home run of the season. Hank Conger also joined the hitting spree on Saturday with three hits of his own. The Bees scored 14 runs on Saturday, but just one a piece on Friday and Sunday, losing them both. On the pitching side, Sean O'Sullivan went seven innings, giving up three runs on Saturday and though Will Smith lost his second game for the Bees on Sunday, he limited the opposition to two runs over 6.1 innings, while striking out six. Michael Kohn made his Triple-A debut on Saturday with a scoreless frame. Angels fans are already clamoring for his major league debut to help a struggling bullpen.
The Bad: Trevor Reckling is really struggling of late. On Friday, Recks gave up five runs on nine hits in six innings of work. Reckling also walked five vs. four strikeouts. The Bees managed just two hits and one run on Sunday. Peter Bourjos continues to struggle at the bottom of the order, hitting just .257 now after going 0-6 over the weekend with two strikeouts and no walks. Bourjos in fact has just walked five times this season.
Noteworthy: Salt Lake is in first place by a .5 game over the Mariners Triple-A affiliate Tacoma Rainers. The Bees travel to Iowa on Monday to being a four-game series.
Arkansas Travelers
Sunday's Box Score
The Good: Ryan Mount clubbed two home runs (5) on Sunday, driving in four. One of Mount's home runs was part of a back-to-back-to-back home run attack started by Andrew Romine (his first of the season), followed by the Travelers leader in home runs Paul McAnulty (12) and then Ryan Mount again for his second of the game. Walden (5.82) faced one batter on Sunday and earned the save, his third of the season.
The Bad: The Travelers ran into three of the better prospects in the minors this weekend facing the Northwest Arkansas club (KC Royals) in Mike Moustakas, Mike Montgomery and Derrick Robinson, losing two out of three, including a 19-4 loss on Saturday. Ryan Braiser gave up eight runs, seven earned, including two home runs in just 3.1 innings of work. Taylor Wilding and Jayson Miller were both shelled, giving up 11 runs between them in just 2.1 innings combined.
Noteworthy: Jeremy Haynes (2.33) was promoted from High-A Rancho Cucamonga to the Arkansas Travelers and promptly picked up where he left off with the Quakes with a scoreless frame on Saturday, striking out two.
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Sunday's Box Score
The Good: Roberto Lopez (.344) had a great weekend notching at least two hits in all three games (7-15, 1 BB), while clubbing his fifth home run of the season, while driving in four runs. Alexi Amarista (.348) went 4-4 on Sunday with a double and triple, while stealing his 10th base. Tyson Auer went 3-3 on Saturday and 2-3 with a walk on Sunday, stealing two bases on the weekend to bring his total to 21 on the season, trailing Mike Trout by two for the organization lead in that department. Eddie McKiernan saved his sixth game of the season with a scoreless frame on Sunday. Steven Geltz (1.69) had a solid game on Saturday, going three innings without giving up a run with just one hit against, striking out five.
The Bad: Quakes Starting pitcher Ariel Pena posted one of the worst lines you'll see on Saturday, getting just two batters out, while giving up nine runs on six hits and four walks. Reliever Jose Perez didn't help his cause by coming in to give up home runs to Kyle Russell and Travis Denker. Ryan Chaffee was bad again on Friday, giving up five runs on eight hits in five innings of work.
Noteworthy: Roberto Lopez played RF, 1B and C in three games over the weekend. Kyle Hurst (2.70) was promoted from Low-A Cedar Rapids to Rancho Cucamonga this weekend and threw a scoreless inning on Friday. Hurst had a solid .203 BAA and fanned 20 batters in 19 innings when with the Kernels.
Cedar Rapids Kernels
Sunday's Box Score
The Good: It was a great weekend for the Kernels as they swept the Twins affiliate Low-A Beloit club, with great pitching performances by southpaw Pat Corbin (3.86) on Sunday who moved to 8-0 on the season with six solid innings (6 IP, 1 ER, 6 K) and Garrett Richards (3.54) on Friday who went six innings giving up no earned runs, striking out two and walking none. Jon Hellweg (3.27) pitched two scoreless innings of relief and fanned three. Mike Trout had one hit in each contest, but he walked three times, drove in four runs and stole three bases (23) over the weekend. Jean Segura clubbed a triple and a home run on Sunday, going 3-4 with four RBI's. 3B Luis Jimenez went 6-10 with two walks, two doubles, a home run and four RBI's. Matt Long had six hits over the weekend along with five RBI's and two stolen bases (8). Catcher Jose Jimenez (.235) went 4-5 with an RBI on Friday and 2-3 with a home run and three RBI's on Sunday.
The Bad: Fabio Martinez Mesa struck out five on Saturday, but walked six and gave up five runs, three earned, to raise his ERA to 4.68. If Martinez Mesa can improve his control he's going to be one electric pitcher in the big leagues someday. Carlos Ramirez went 0-5 on Saturday with three strikeouts to lower his batting average to .188.
Noteworthy: Luis Jimenez is tied for the Midwest League lead in doubles with 15. While Jimenez hit his first home run over the weekend his 15 doubles and 4 triples indicate the power is there. Jimenez led the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League with 11 homers in 2007 and added his second straight home run crown by hitting 15 with Orem in his U.S. debut. in 2008. Jimenez also led the Pioneer league in doubles (28) and extra-base hits (49) in '08 before he missed the entire 2009 season with a shoulder injury which required surgery.
Prospect of the Weekend: Luis Jimenez, 3B Cedar Rapids Kernels and Roberto Lopez, OF Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
