Voth, Skole among 10 top prospect performers Tuesday
Nationals No. 10 prospect scatters three hits in seven scoreless, No. 22 prospect homers twice
A pair of Nationals prospects stole the show Tuesday night as Austin Voth dominated on the mound for Double-A Harrisburg while Matt Skole paced Triple-A Syracuse's offense with two home runs.
Voth, the Nationals' No. 10 prospect, scattered three hits over seven scoreless innings in Harrisburg's 5-0 victory over Richmond, marking his sixth scoreless outing in 26 starts this season. He walked two and struck out four, throwing 64 of 97 pitches for strikes.
The 23-year-old right-hander has flown under the radar this season in his first taste of the Double-A level, posting a 3.03 ERA and 1.14 WHIP to go along with an Eastern League-leading 141 strikeouts in 151 1/3 innings.
Voth's command has regressed down the stretch after he walked just 22 batters in 103 first-half innings, but he's still managed to post a 2.98 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 48 1/3 innings spanning his last nine starts.
Meanwhile, Nationals No. 22 prospect Matt Skole was the guiding force in Triple-A Syracuse's 7-1 win over Buffalo on Tuesday, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs.
The 26-year-old corner infielder now has 19 home runs in 126 games this season, and he's hit seven in 36 games since moving up to the International League.
Overall, Skole is batting .231/.333/.413 with 22 doubles, 80 RBIs and a 121/66 strikeout-to-walk ratio this season between the Double- and Triple-A levels.
The rest of the 10 best performances from top Minor Leagues
• Athletics No. 10 prospect Dillon Overton matched his season-high with seven strikeouts and threw up zeroes for a third straight start in Double-A Midland's 4-2 win over San Antonio. The 24-year-old southpaw scattered four hits and one walk but departed the game in the fifth inning, falling one out shy of earning his seventh win. The Oklahoma product hasn't allowed an earned run in his last 16 frames. In his first full season back from Tommy John surgery, Overton has pitched to a 3.57 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 101/27 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 121 innings (26 appearances/24 starts) between Class A Advanced Stockton and Midland.
• Diamondbacks No. 3 prospect (No. 67 overall) Aaron Blair logged a career-high eight innings on Tuesday in Triple-A Reno's win over Sacramento. The 23-year-old right-hander allowed one run on four hits and two walks while striking out five, throwing 62 of 91 pitches for strikes. Blair has been a model of consistency over his last 11 starts, completing at least six innings in each outing with a 2.44 ERA and 52/25 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 70 innings in that span. The 2013 first-rounder has made a strong case for a look in September, posting a 13-5 record, 2.97 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 120/50 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 157 1/3 innings (25 starts)this season between Double-A Mobile and Reno.
• Orioles No. 7 prospect Mike Wright was sharp once again in a rehab outing for Triple-A Norfolk, scattering two hits and a walk over six innings while striking out three. The 25-year-old right-hander has dominated in the International League this season, going 9-1 with a 2.22 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 63/25 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 81 innings (15 appearances/14 starts). Wright didn't fare well during his time in the Majors, posting a 4.99 ERA and 1.37 WHIP across 30 2/3 innings, though he could still rejoin the Orioles' staff at some point this month.
• Padres No. 10 prospect Rymer Liriano went 2-for-3 with two solo homers and a walk for Triple-A El Paso, though it wasn't enough to keep them from losing to Las Vegas. The 24-year-old has enjoyed a solid campaign in the Pacific Coast League, posting an .823 OPS with 13 home runs, 44 extra-base hits and 17 stolen bases in 125 games. Liriano wasn't among the Padres' callups on Sept. 1 but he's made a strong case for a promotion with his performance down the stretch, batting .333 with four home runs, 10 doubles and 10 RBIs in his last 28 games for the Chihuahuas. The toolsy outfielder is looking to return to the Major Leagues after he batted just .220/.289/.266 with 39 strikeouts in 38 games for the Padres in 2014.
• Padres No. 26 prospect Franmil Reyes also blasted a pair of solo home runs on Tuesday as part of a 4-for-4 effort in Class A Fort Wayne's 6-4 win over Lansing. It was the first career multi-homer game for the 20-year-old outfielder -- who has eight dingers in 119 games for the TinCaps -- and he's collected hits in four straight contests. After posting a .669 OPS with 11 home runs, 24 doubles and 59 RBIs last season at Fort Wayne, the 6-foot-5, 240-pounder has returned to the Midwest League this season to bat .247/.312/.381 with 21 doubles, seven triples, 10 steals, 54 RBIs and vastly improved strikeout and walk rates.
• Phillies No. 21 prospect Cord Sandberg went 3-for-5 with a home run, double and four RBIs in Class A Lakewood's 9-0 win over Greensboro, improving his season batting line to .256/.304/.340 through 123 games. The home run -- a two-run shot in the third inning -- was just his fourth of the season, though he does have 26 doubles to go along with one triple. The 20-year-old outfielder is quietly putting together a solid second half for Lakewood, batting .295/.335/.397 with 17 extra-base hits and 40 RBIs in 62 games.
• Tigers No. 5 prospect Spencer Turnbull enjoyed the best start of his career Tuesday, striking out 12 batters over 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a win for Class A West Michigan. The 22-year-old right-hander carried a no-hit bid into the fifth inning before surrendering a leadoff double to Jimmy Allen -- which would turn out to be the only hit he allowed -- and he also walked a pair and hit two batters. Turnbull is 11-3 with a 3.01 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 106/52 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 116 2/3 innings (22 starts) on the season.
• Twins No. 10 prospect Adam Brett Walker II reached a milestone Tuesday with his 30th home run of the season as Double-A Chattanooga dropped Birmingham, 7-1. The 23-year-old slugger finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBIs to improve his season total to 103 -- the second-most in the Minors -- and he also picked up his 13th steal. Walker has shown plenty of power this year in his first Double-A action, posting an .821 OPS (aided by a .505 slugging percentage) with 30 doubles and the aforementioned 30 homers. Unfortunately, the 2012 third-rounder's uptick in power frequency has come with a Minor League-worst 188 strikeouts as well as a 34.9 percent strikeout rate.