Tuesday's top prospect performers

July 7th, 2021

Here's a look at Tuesday's top Minor League performers from each team's Top 30 Prospects list:

Braves: Spencer Strider, RHP (No. 20), Double-A Mississippi
In his third start for Double-A Mississippi, Strider dominated over 5 1/3 frames, allowing a run on three hits and three walks while fanning 11. The 22-year-old retired the first six batters he faced -- whiffing five, including the side in the second inning. Strider also struck out the side in the fourth and after back-to-back walks to start the sixth, the 2020 fourth-round Draft pick fanned Jerar Encarnacion on eight pitches before being pulled. He threw 84 pitches -- 54 were strikes. Strider lowered his ERA to 3.95 and has 80 strikeouts over 43 2/3 frames this year. Braves prospect stats»

Pirates: Nick Gonzales, SS (MLB No. 29), High-A Greensboro
Mason Martin, 1B, (No. 14), Double-A Altoona
The top ranked Pirates prospect homered and tripled in his sixth multihit game of the season. Gonzales opened the scoring with a solo shot to right in the first inning. He led off the third with a three-bagger to right and came around to score later in the frame when he scampered home on a wild pitch. The 22-year-old also reached base a third time when he worked a six-pitch walk with two outs in the fifth. Gonzales has five hits in his last four games with two extra-base hits, a pair of RBIs and two runs scored.

Martin, the No. 14 Pirates prospect, found the seats twice to notch his sixth homer in his last four games. It’s the third multihomer game of the year for the 22-year-old, who also drove in a season-high five runs. Martin launched a three-run shot to right-center in the third, led off the seventh with a blast to the same spot and found some grass in center for an RBI knock in the eighth. Martin extended his hitting streak to seven games with 10 knocks over that span. Pirates prospect stats»

Rockies: Ryan Vilade, LF (No. 4), Triple-A Albuquerque
In the opener of the Isotopes’ Tuesday doubleheader, Vilade was an on-base machine. The outfielder reached six times with three hits, including a double, and three walks. Vilade earned a free pass in the first inning before singling to center in the third and fourth, the second knock driving in a run. After doubling to right in the sixth, Vilade walked again later in that frame and added his final base on balls in the eighth. Rockies prospect stats»

Dodgers: Landon Knack, RHP (No. 14), High-A Great Lakes
Making just his second start of the season, Knack was dominant over his longest outing of 2021. The right-hander went six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and no walks while striking out a season-high eight. Knack had only made one previous start this year and allowed a run on four hits over 3 1/3 innings on June 18 at Lansing. Tuesday’s rain-shortened win came at home and at the expense of that same Lansing team. The 2020 second-round pick dropped his High-A ERA to 2.82 with the victory. Dodgers prospect stats»

Brewers: Freddy Zamora, SS (No. 8), Low-A Carolina
It was a memorable night for the 2020 second-round Draft selection, who mashed his first professional dinger and then notched his first career multihomer game. Zamora clubbed a solo shot to right with one out in the sixth before doubling down with a walk-off dinger to lead off the ninth. The 22-year-old fell behind quickly 0-2 before working his way back to a full count. The 3-2 pitch was a fastball low in the zone that Zamora deposited beyond the wall in right-center. Brewers prospect stats»

Reds: Nick Lodolo, LHP (MLB No. 43), Double-A Chattanooga
The top Reds prospect made his first appearance since June 2, but there were hardly any signs of rust. The left-hander was perfect over two frames with a strikeout. He was pulled after tossing 17 pitches -- 13 were strikes. Lodolo’s effort was balanced, needing only eight pitches to navigate through the opening frame and nine to get through the second. The 23-year-old is now sporting a 0.84 ERA over 32 innings pitched this year. Reds prospect stats»

Orioles: Gunnar Henderson, SS (MLB No. 91), High-A Aberdeen
The fifth-ranked Orioles prospect posted his eighth three-knock game of the season. Henderson clubbed a two-run shot to left-center in the second, found a hole through the right side of the infield in the fourth and laced a double to left in the eighth. The 20-year-old has nine dingers and 43 RBIs this season. Orioles prospect stats»

Cubs: Brennen Davis, OF (MLB No. 45), Double-A Tennessee
The second-ranked Cubs prospect extended his hitting streak to five straight games while posting his second straight multihit effort. Davis recorded three extra-base hits in a single game for the first time this season. He ripped a double to center in the fifth, lined an RBI double to center in the seventh and laced another RBI two-bagger -- this time to left -- in the ninth. The 21-year-old has amassed 17 extra-base hits and 15 RBIs this year. Cubs prospect stats»

Giants: Jairo Pomares, OF (No. 14), Low-A San Jose
The 20-year-old notched his second four-hit performance of the season and was perfect at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a homer, double and a pair of RBIs. The 14th-ranked Giants prospect opened the scoring with a two-run shot to left-center in the first inning. He led off the third with a single into left, laced a two-bagger to right in the fifth and added another leadoff base knock in the eighth. Pomares is sporting a .348/.411/.712 slash line over 17 games. Giants prospect stats»

Rangers: Luisangel Acuña, DH (No. 6), Low-A Down East
Justin Slaten, RHP (No. 25), High-A Hickory
Acuña had never posted more than three hits in a professional game prior to Tuesday, when he went off in a 5-for-5 performance. The 19-year-old singled to center and left in the first and third innings before bouncing an RBI double to left in the fourth. After driving in another run with a single to center in the fifth, Acuña belted his fifth homer of the season to right field in the seventh inning.

Slaten, the 25th-ranked Rangers prospect, entered his game in the fourth inning and earned the victory after tossing six scoreless frames -- working around four hits and a walk -- to fan a career-best 10. The righty retired the side in order in the fourth and set down the final 12 batters he faced -- whiffing eight, including the side in the ninth. It’s the second straight scoreless outing for the 23-year-old. Rangers prospect stats»

Angels: Brandon Marsh, OF (MLB No. 38), ACL Angels
In his third rehab game with the ACL Angels, Marsh appeared to be back to form with three knocks and four RBIs. The top Angels prospect fell a homer shy of a cycle and reached base four times as he worked a four-pitch walk and ripped a bases-clearing triple in the first inning, laced an RBI double to center in the third and singled to left in the fifth. Marsh is 6-for-10 with seven RBIs and five runs scored during his rehab assignment. Angels prospect stats»