It was an uninspiring night for Dodger minor league teams on Monday as only one club recorded a win, and all the offenses were very quiet.
Minor League Player of the Day – Blake Smith - 2 for 3, 1 HR, 2 RBI's, 1 Run, 1 BB. Smith didn't overwhelm on Monday, but he had the best performance on a very quiet day for Dodger prospects. Smith has at least 1 hit in each of his 5 games since returned to the Quakes, and his California League OPS is now up to .890.
AAA – The Isotopes started off their final roadtrip of 2011 on a sour note as they were quieted by the Redbirds (Cardinals) 3 to 1. The Albuquerque offense managed just 3 singles in this game, and Jamie Hoffmann's hit drove in the only run. Jerry Sands also had one of the hits, and walked twice to finish the night 1 for 2. Starter Francisco Felix actually threw pretty well as he allowed just 1 run on 5 hits through 6 innings and struck out 6, leaving with the game tied. Ramon Troncoso picked up the loss in relief even though he did not give up an earned run as he was victimized by a couple of fielding errors.
AA – The Lookouts lost to the BayBears (Dbacks) 4 to 2 on Monday, but Chattanooga is all but assured of a playoff spot as their magic number is down to 1 with 6 to play. The after several big games, the offense was stymied for the 2nd night in a row as the good guys had just 6 hits. Alfredo Silverio and Alex Castellanos both doubled, but the other 4 base knocks were singles and there was not a multi-hit game to be found. Started Will Savage took the loss as the allowed 8 hits and 4 runs over 6 frames, giving up 2 bombs in the process. Steve Ames had another nice game in relief, however, as he struck out 2 in his inning of work to increase his K/9 to 12.8 for the season.
HiA – Chris Reed collected his first professional loss on Monday as the Quakes were defeated by the Giants 7 to 4. Reed recorded 5 of his 6 outs via the K, but allowed 2 runs on 4 hits while walking 1. Andy Suiter and Steve Smith also struggled in relief to put the game out of reach for good. Unlike the other Dodger minor league affiliates, the Rancho offense actually made a little noise as Blake Smith and JT Wise both homered and had two hits on the night, but the other 7 players in the lineup did absolutely nothing. That includes rehabbing shortstop Dee Gordon who went 0 for 4 while playing 7 innings in the field.
LoA – The Loons had probably their worst game of the season on Monday as they were shutout by the Hot Rods (Rays) 10 to 0 on just 1 hit. The loss moved Great Lakes under .500 in the 2nd half, and into a tie for 6th place with 7 games to play. I don't believe they've been officially eliminated from the playoffs as they are somehow still just 4 games out of 2nd place, but things are not looking good. Getting back to the game, Angel Sanchez had a rough outing as he gave up 8 hits, 3 walks, and 6 runs over 4.1 innings while striking out 3. A couple of relievers also gave up runs, but middle infielder David Iden highlighted the night as pitched a hitless final frame (although he did walk 2). Leon Landry had the only hit for the Loons and also picked up an outfield assist.
Rookie Ogden – Off day
Rookie Arizona – The Arizona Dodgers have already clinched the division title in Central League, but they didn't take the day off in their regular season finale as they defeated the Reds 5 to 4 in 10 innings. Alex Santana delivered the walk-off hit, scoring Jesus Valdez who led off the final frame with a single. Joey Winker continued his quest for the league batting title with 2 more hits, but his .374 average finished 5 points behind the leader. Chris O'Brien also had a solid game as he went 2 for 3 with a double and drove in 3 runs. Francisco Villa started this game and was perfect over 3 frames, striking out 3. Five relievers followed in relief, and 2011 49th round pick JJ Ethel got the win even though he was signed and has played all season as a catcher.
DSL – Season over
Coming up - Full schedule tomorrow, with the highlight being a AA matchup between Allen Webster and the Dbacks 2011 #3 overall pick Trevor Bauer as the Lookouts try and clinch a playoff spot. Red Patterson, coming off a complete game shutout, will be making the start for the Quakes, and Greg Wilborn will try to best the 11 K's he had in his last outing for the Loons. Finally, the Arizona Dodgers start their playoffs with a sudden death game against the Rangers. The winner of that contest will play in the one game championship on Wednesday against either the Reds or the Giants.
Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)
Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)
Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)