Down on the Farm: April 23 (MacKenzie Gore strikes out nine JetHawks, Gabriel Arias hits walk-off home run)

With the El Paso Chihuahuas not playing today, only three minor league affiliates played today, with MacKenzie Gore posting excellent numbers in his start for the Storm.

The minor league teams went a perfect 3-0 in today’s games.

Here is a quick summary of what happened.

El Paso Chihuahuas

The Chihuahuas were off today. They will play the Las Vegas Aviators tomorrow.

Amarillo Sod Poodles Won 9-6 (11-6 on the season)

Despite a rough outing from Jesse Scholtens, the Amarillo Sod Poodles brought the lumber to today’s game against the Cardinals, exploding for seven runs from the third inning to the fifth inning in the victory. Scholtens mainly ran into trouble in the fourth inning, where he allowed two home runs, two doubles, and a single en route to five runs and a temporary Springfield lead. Scholtens was done after the inning, with Scholtens pitching four innings and allowing six runs on six hits, walking two and punching out six.

Said lead evaporated the following inning with an RBI single hit by Chris Baker that scored Jorge Ona from third base and, after a Nate Easley walk loaded the bases, Edward Olivares drove two runners home with a double to left field. The Storm scored runs in the third inning on a two-run homer by Hudson Potts, his second of the year, and the fourth on an error and an RBI single by Olivares.

Scoreless innings of relief from Kyle McGrath, Andres Munoz, and David Bednar slammed the door on the Cardinals while an insurance run provided by another Springfield fielding error to earn the Poodles their third victory in five games.

Edward Olivares: 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, BB

Jorge Ona: 2-3 2 Runs scored, 2B, 2 BB, CS

Chris Baker: 2-3, RBI, 2 Runs scored,2 BB, K

Jesse Scholtens: 4 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (90 pitches-55 strikes) No Decision

Hudson Potts: 1-5, HR, RBI, Run Scored

Lake Elsinore Storm Won 3-1 (9-9 on the season)

Starter MacKenzie Gore, free of the blister issues that plagued him last year, has continued to look like the dominating force at Lake Elsinore this season. Despite a rocky start to the game, allowing two straight singles and a sac fly to lead to a Lancaster run, the lefty settled down for the rest of the game and proceeded to pitch six innings of one-run ball. He didn’t allow another hit until the fifth inning and cut down nine JetHawks in the game, even striking out the side in the third inning.

It was a pitcher’s duel throughout the game as Lancaster starter Ryan Rolison matched Gore pitch-for-pitch by throwing six shutout innings against the Storm. Lake Elsinore jumped on Salvador Justo, who came on in relief of Rolison, in the seventh inning as Luis Campusano stroked a double to center field to score Tirso Ornelas and tie the game.

Neither team could push a run across, and the game went into extras, but there would be little free baseball at The Diamond in Lake Elsinore. With two out and with Braxton Lorenzini on the mound, Gabriel Arias clubbed a two-run dinger to right-center field to nab the walk-off victory.

MacKenzie Gore: 6 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 9 K (77 pitches-48 strikes)

Gabriel Arias: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 Runs scored, SB

Luis Campusano: 1-4, RBI, 2B, K

Jean Cosme: 2 IP, 5 K (24 pitches-16 strikes) Win

Taylor Kohlwey: 1-3

Fort Wayne TinCaps Won 8-7 (10-8 on the season)

It was a game where pitching was thrown to the wayside as big offensive innings dominated the game and set the tone for the day. Every Fort Wayne position player collected at least one hit and four of them enjoyed multi-hit games.

After three scoreless innings pitched by Ramon Perez, the Hot Rods got to him the fourth inning by scoring three runs on a triple and two doubles in the inning. Perez would finish the game with a stat line of five hits and four runs allowed in four innings while striking out two and walking two. Fort Wayne immediately hit back by scoring five times in the bottom of the inning. Juan Fernandez had a two-run single and, two batters later, Tucupita Marcano cracked a bases-clearing double to take the lead. RBIs by Grant Little, Agustin Ruiz, and Blake Hunt padded the TinCaps lead for the win.

Fort Wayne had 14 hits as a team with Little and Ruiz collecting two and three respectively. Their batting averages now sit at .344 and .345 on the young season.

Agustin Ruiz: 3-5, RBI, K

Juan Fernandez: 3-3, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB

Ramon Perez: 4 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (75 pitches-43 strikes) No Decision

Grant Little: 2-5, RBI, K

Tucupita Marcano: 1-5, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 K

Probable Starters for Wednesday’s Games

El Paso: Jerry Keel vs. Tyler Alexander (Las Vegas)

Amarillo: Lake Bachar vs. TBD (Springfield)

Lake Elsinore: Mason Thompson vs. TBD (Lancaster)

Fort Wayne: TBD vs. TBD (Bowling Green)

Jason Freund

I am currently attending San Diego State University while working on achieving a major in journalism. At SDSU, I write for The Daily Aztec while also hosting the sports radio show “Picked Off”, for KCR Radio. A loyal fan of San Diego sports, I hope to bring content that you will enjoy reading.