Dodgers 7/3/12 Minor League Report - Nunez Knocks in Eight

Minor League Player of the Day – Luis Nunez - 3 for 4, 1 HR, 1 2B, 8 RBI's, 2 Runs. When somebody records 8 RBI's in one game, that usually means that they are going to get the player of the day award. That's what happened to Luis who put his .650 OPS aside and drove in 8 runs on Tuesday night. The interesting thing was that Nunez was playing 1st base for just the second time this season, but he seemed to use that as motivation as the regular 2nd baseman hit like a corner infielder in this contest.

AAA – Derrick Loop and the Isotopes were down 6 runs after just one inning of play, but they clawed their way back and eventually caught the Storm Chasers (Royals) 11 to 7. After his rough 1st inning Loop settled down nicely as he didn't allow another run, and he even picked up the win despite the fact that he didn't strike out a batter in the game. Blake Johnson gave up a run in relief, but Wil Ledezma, Ramon Troncoso, and Angel Guzman held Omaha hitless over the final 2.2 frames. Most of the Albuquerque offense was generated with a pair of 3-run homers, the first one coming off the bat of Josh Bard. Alex Castellanos also crushed a 3-run bomb in the 9th to provide some insurance, and he walked twice as well. Matt Angle had a perfect day at the plate as he went 4 for 4, while Brian Cavazos-Galvez had a pair of hits to increase his average to .354.

AA – Zach Lee had a little bit of trouble in his second AA start as the right hander allowed 6 runs in 3 innings, but the Lookouts backed their top prospect with 15 hits in a 11 to 6 win over the Smokies (Cubs). The good news is that Lee did not walk a batter while striking out 3, but 3 of the 7 hits he gave up went for extra bases which resulted in the 6 runs. His bullpen was great in relief as Javier Solano provided 3 innings of hitless relief and Steve Ames picked up his first win of the year with a scoreless 8th. On offense Luis Cruz had the game of his life as he collected 8 RBI's thanks to a grand slam, a sac fly, and two RBI's hits. His performance alone would have won the game, but it should also be noted that Nick Buss went 4 for 6 with a triple while Brahiam Maldonado fell a homer shy of the cycle. Blake Smith had a good game as well as he boosted his average to .300 with 3 hits in 5 at bats.

HiA – The Dodgers, I mean Quakes, beat the Mavericks (Mariners) 4 to 2 on Tuesday. A trio of rehabbing players from Los Angeles started in this game, with the big name being Matt Kemp who went 2 for 3 as the DH with a walk. Mark Ellis also had a pair of hits while playing 2nd base, and starting pitcher Javy Guerra only allowed one batter to reach base during his inning of work, and that was due to a fielding error. Getting to the regular Rancho players, Andres Santiago took over in the 2nd and was great over 7 inning of work. Santiago stuck out 9 and allowed just 2 runs without issuing a walk. Eric Eadington closed out the game with a perfect 9th, collecting his 12th save of the year. All four of the Quakes' scores came in the 1st inning, with Jonathan Garcia driving in 2 of the runs. Joc Pederson also plated a run and doubled, while Leon Landry and Austin Gallagher both went 2 for 3.

LoA – The Loons hit a trio of homers on Tuesday but it wasn't enough as Great Lakes lost to the Whitecaps (Tigers) 8 to 5. All three of the bombs were solo shots, starting with Angelo Songco who connected on his 6th tater this year. O'Koyea Dickson broke an 0 for 18 skid with a homer of his own, while Jesse Bosnik took one deep in the 9th in what turned out to be a meaningless run. Bosnik also singled twice on the night, while James Baldwin had the only other notable game with a double and 2 RBI's. On the mound Ralston Cash lasted just 3 innings as he allowed 6 hits and 4 runs (3 earned), and after he left the game Joel Lima matched Cash by giving up 3 earned runs of his own over 3 frames. Daniel Coulombe make his Midwest League debut and permitted one runner to score over 2 innings of work while striking out 3, and the hard throwing Jose Dominguez allowed just one hit and nothing else in the 9th.

Rookie Ogden – The Raptors used a big 6 run inning to down the Chukars (Royals) 9 to 5. Alex Santana only had one hit in this game, but it was a big one as he cleared the bases with a triple in the 5th. Justin Boudreaux drove in a pair with a double and two singles, while Jesus Valdez also plated two runs and increased his average to .424 by going 2 for 5. Pitcher Ross Stripling was solid in his first professional start as he stuck out 5 in just 3 innings and gave up just one unearned run. Derek Cone came in as the long reliever in this game and he was also good as he threw 4.1 shutout innings. Closer Scott Griggs was used in the 9th because he needed some work, but unfortunately he got lit up in the non-save situation and allowed 3 hits, 2 walks, and 4 runs.

Rookie Arizona – The Arizona Dodgers made 4 costly errors in turned out to be a 13 - 8 loss to the Royals. Starter Victor Araujo didn't need the assistance of any defensive miscues to allow the first 4 runs of the game, but when Lindsay Caughel came in all 3 of the runs he allowed were unearned. The 2 runs that Jordan Hershiser gave up were also unearned, but when Sean O'Connell came in he allowed 7 hits in just one inning so all 4 scores he gave up were earned. At the plate, 2012 10th round pick Zachary Babitt finally had a good game as he went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI's and 2 walks. Greg Pena also drove in 2 with a pair of singles, while Tyler Ogle and Cory Embree both went 2 for 4 with a double and a RBI.

DSL – After a rough start last time out, Jhosue Bermudez returned to form as he threw 6 innings of 2-hit ball in a Dodgers 6 - 0 shutout of the Cardinals. Bermudez not only lowered his ERA to 1.99, but he also tied a season low with just 1 walk and struck out 4. The recently turned 18 year old Wascar Teodo continued the 2-hitter with a pair of hitless innings as he saw his ERA fall to 1.13, then Ricardo De La Rosa gave up a hit in the 9th but finished off the shutout with a scoreless frame. At the plate Josmar Cordero went hitless for the first time in 25 games, but his teammates picked him up as Jose Luis Javier drove in 2 with a double and Jorky Infante recorded an RBI with a single and a two-bagger. Yensys Capellan also singled and doubled to increase his average to .348.

Coming up – Everyone will be in action on the 4th of July, although Fernando Nieve and the Isotopes will be the only full season club to please the home crowd with a firework show as the rest of the teams are on the road. For the rest of the teams, as of now only Garrett Gould (Quakes) and Matt Laney (Raptors) have announced their starters for Wednesday.

Minor League Transactions – AAA: Shawn Tolleson was recalled by the Dodgers. Rookie Ogden: Corey Seager was assigned to the Raptors.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

Ogden Raptors Box Score (Rookie)

Arizona Dodgers Box Score (Rookie)

Dominican Dodgers Box Score (DSL)

Minor League Central - Daily Dodger Recap