CALIFORNIA LEAGUE (High-A)
Bakersfield Blaze 2
Stockton Ports 3
WP – Bracewell 3-1 / 3.08
HR – Chapman (11)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Third Baseman Matt Chapman
(Home Run / GWRBI)
With the game tied in the bottom of the 8th, third baseman Matt Chapman smacked his 11th home run of the season, his 3rd in the last 3 days, to enable the Ports to win their ninth straight on Sunday. And Chapman’s 11th round-tripper also made him the A’s minor league home run leader, passing Beloit’s Sandber Pimentel with 10. Second baseman Branden Cogswell singled in the tying run in the 5th and walked twice, while center fielder Brett Vertigan doubled and drove in a run, and shortstop Melvin Mercedes had a pair of hits for the Ports. RHP Joel Seddon turned in another strong start for Stockton, allowing 2 runs on just 4 hits while walking none and striking out 6 over 6 innings of work, but he left with the game tied. RHPs Corey Walter, Ben Bracewell and Brendan McCurry each tossed 1 scoreless inning in relief, with Bracewell picking up his 3rd win and McCurry posting his 12th save for the Ports.
Click here for more on Nashville, Midland, Beloit & Vermont…
PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE (Triple-A)
Omaha Storm Chasers 7
Nashville Sounds 1
LP – Nolin 1-1 / 2.89
HR – Gentry (2)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Outfielder Craig Gentry
(Home Run / Double / Walk)
Center fielder Craig Gentry homered to lead off the 1st inning, but that was all the scoring Nashville would do as the Sounds lost their fifth straight on Sunday. Gentry also doubled and walked in the game, while left fielder Jason Pridie tripled but was left stranded in the 9th, and designated hitter Dayan Viciedo went 0 for 3 with a walk in his second game since joining the Sounds. After tossing 5 1/3 scoreless innings his last time out, starter Sean Nolin struggled on Sunday, allowing 6 runs, 5 earned, in just 2 1/3 innings of work to take his 1st loss. Meanwhile, RHP A.J. Griffin was placed on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder and the A’s claimed outfielder Jake Smolinski off waivers from Texas and optioned him to Nashville.
TEXAS LEAGUE (Double-A)
Midland RockHounds 4
Frisco RoughRiders 5
LP – Kirkland 0-1 / 0.00
HR – Whitaker (7), Blair (6)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Outfielder Josh Whitaker
(Home Run / 3 RBIs)
Outfielder Josh Whitaker slugged a 3-run homer to give the RockHounds the lead in the top of the 7th on Sunday, while catcher Carson Blair hit a 3-run homer to tie the game in the 3rd. Outfielder Chad Oberacker collected 3 hits, and first baseman Renato Nunez had a pair of doubles for the Hounds. Starter Jake Sanchez allowed 2 runs over 6 innings of work, while RHP Seth Frankoff gave up 2 runs in the 8th to tie the game, which ultimately went to extra innings. RHP Andres Avila struck out 6 in 3 innings of relief, and the game remained tied until infielder Wade Kirkland took the mound in the bottom of the 15th and allowed the winning run to score with the help of a throwing error by third baseman Ryon Healy.
Check out everything you need to know about RockHounds all-stars Matt Olson, Chad Pinder, Ryon Healy, Colin Walsh, Carson Blair, Chad Oberacker, Ryan Dull and Nate Long, courtesy of KOSA-TV in Texas…
MIDWEST LEAGUE (Class-A)
GAME #1
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 4
Beloit Snappers 2
LP – Fillmyer 0-8 / 8.24
HR – Higley (2)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Outfielder Justin Higley
(Home Run / 2 RBIs)
RHP Heath Fillmyer had another rough start for the Snappers, allowing 3 runs, 2 earned, on 5 hits and 2 walks in just 3 1/3 innings of work to take his 8th loss in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader. Outfielder Justin Higley homered and drove in both the Snappers’ runs, and first baseman Sandber Pimentel had a pair of hits as Beloit dropped its eighth straight.
GAME #2
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 2
Beloit Snappers 3
WP – Gauna 1-0 / 2.63
Farmhand Of The Game:
Second Baseman Trent Gilbert
(2 for 4 / GWRBI)
Second baseman Trent Gilbert had a pair of hits and drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 7th as the Snappers won the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader and snapped their eight-game losing streak. Outfielder Joe Bennie had 3 hits, including a pair of doubles, and third baseman Jose Brizuela doubled in a run for Beloit. Starter Junior Mendez was solid, allowing just 1 run while striking out 5 over 5 innings of work, and RHP Koby Gauna picked up his 1st win despite giving up the tying run in the top of the 7th.
NEW YORK-PENN LEAGUE (Class-A Short-Season)
Lowell Spinners 5
Vermont Lake Monsters 0
LP – Ferreras 0-1 / 9.00
Farmhand Of The Game:
Outfielder Steven Pallares
(1 for 2 / Walk)
Vermont was shut out on just 2 hits on Sunday. 10th-round draft pick, left fielder Steven Pallares, reached base twice, on a single and a walk, while 4th-round pick, center fielder Skye Bolt, singled in his fourth and final at-bat in the 8th, and 2nd-round pick, shortstop Mikey White, went 0 for 3 in the loss. 21-year-old Dominican LHP Kevin Ferreras allowed 4 runs in 4 innings of work to take his 1st loss, while RHP Lee Sosa gave up 1 run in 2 2/3 innings of relief, and RHP Dominique Vattuone tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings for the Lake Monsters.
In Other News…
On Sunday night, Athletics Farm editor Bill Moriarity guested on the Gold Jersey Dynasty podcast to talk about the A’s 2015 draft class as well as some of the team’s top prospects. You can listen here – prospect and draft talk starts approximately 1:00:00 into the show.
Monday’s Games:
Midland @ Frisco – 5:05pm PT / 7:05pm CT
Aberdeen @ Vermont – 4:05pm PT / 7:05pm ET
AZL Giants @ AZL A’s – 7:00pm PT
Be sure to like A’s Farm’s page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @AthleticsFarm. You can also get our exclusive A’s minor league newsletter e-mailed to you free by signing up here.