Monday's best: Baez whiffs 14 in stellar start

August 1st, 2017

Michel Baez's impressive season continued as he maintained his perfect record and stockpiled strikeouts in Class A Fort Wayne's 4-3 win over Dayton on Monday.
The Padres No. 7 prospect set the tone early as he struck out the first two batters he faced in what turned out to be a dominant 14-strikeout performance. When it was all said and done, Baez gave up one run on five hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Baez has now struck out 54 hitters in 34 2/3 innings this season and notched multiple strikeouts in each of his first six innings on the mound. The 21-year-old struck out the side in the third, all swinging, and in total, 10 of his career-high 14 strikeouts were of the swing-and-miss variety.
Other top prospect performances from Monday's action:
No. 13 overall prospect Walker Buehler (Dodgers No. 1) threw five scoreless innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City. Buehler, who struck out six and gave up three hits, has been impressive in each of his past two outings. After getting roughed up in his Triple-A debut, Buehler has given up just one run over his past two starts.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Buehler notches strikeout - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=1674124383

No. 22 overall prospect Mitch Keller (Pirates No. 2) put together another strong start for Class A Advanced Bradenton. Keller has given up two earned runs or less in each of his past three outings after spinning six innings of one-run ball. The 21-year-old threw 101 pitches, 65 strikes, and struck out four in the 2-1 extra-inning win over Palm Beach.
No. 29 overall prospect MacKenzie Gore (Padres No. 1) kept his ERA at 0.00 with four scoreless innings for the AZL Padres. Gore, the Padres' first-round selection, struck out five and gave up one hit in the outing. Gore has made three starts as a pro and has struck out 13 in 8 2/3 scoreless innings.
No. 30 overall prospect Bo Bichette (Blue Jays No. 2) did it all for Class A Advanced Dunedin in a win over Florida. Not only was Bichette a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, but he also doubled, scored four runs and stole two bases. The 19-year-old has continued to hit despite facing advanced competition. His average now sits at an even .400 through 19 games for Dunedin. Max Pentecost (No. 9) also came up big for Dunedin as he matched his season-high with five RBIs in a 2-for-5 performance.
"I just try to trust my abilities," Bichette told MiLB.com. "I just try to battle the pitcher and see the ball as long as I can and still trust my ability to be late and still square it up."
No. 95 overall prospect Keston Hiura (Brewers No. 5) extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a 2-for-4 performance for Class A Wisconsin. The first-round pick is off to a fast start in his professional career, hitting .423 through 27 games.
No. 100 overall prospect (Cardinals No. 5) homered for the second time in as many days for Triple-A Memphis. O'Neill, who finished 3-for-6 with four RBIs, has hit 22 homers this season -- including three in nine games since he was traded.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: O'Neill launches homer - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=1675288683

Angels No. 23 prospect Jake Jewell threw his first complete game of the season as he led Double-A Mobile to a win over Mississippi in Game 1 of a twin bill. Jewell threw 48 of his 87 pitches for strikes, struck out five and yielded four hits across seven scoreless innings.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Jewell finishes shutout - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=1675419783

Blue Jays No. 10 prospect Hagen Danner hit his second professional homer and drove in a career-best four runs for the GCL Blue Jays in a win over the GCL Phillies. The second-round pick drove in two with a single in the fifth and then capped his 2-for-4 day with a two-run homer in the seventh.
Braves No. 17 prospectTouki Toussaint was a tough-luck loser in his Double-A debut. Toussaint's defense let him down as he gave up two unearned runs across six innings. The 21-year-old, who struck out four and gave up four hits, posted a 5.04 ERA through 19 starts with Class A Advanced Florida prior to his promotion, but had thrown better lately, giving up two earned runs or less in three straight starts.
White Sox No. 11 prospect notched double-digit strikeouts for the second time this season for Class A Advanced Winston-Salem. Dunning struck out 11 and gave up one run on three hits in seven innings. The 23-year-old has now given up just one run over his past two starts, a span of 14 innings.
Yankees No. 15 prospect did not earn a decision despite putting together one of his best starts with Class A Advanced Tampa. Tate, 23, threw 76 of his 109 pitches for strikes as he worked a season-high 7 2/3 scoreless innings. Tate struck out nine, walked one and gave up five hits.