Blach, Stratton, Duvall among 10 top prospect performers on Monday
Giants No. 7 prospect throws shutout, No. 10 picks up first win for RiverCats, No. 16 homers in both games of twin bill
San Francisco Triple-A affiliate Sacramento took both games of a doubleheader from Albuquerque in blowout fashion, winning by a combined 20-1 score.
While the RiverCats got plenty of offense, it was the pitching that was truly dominant on Monday. Giants No. 7 prospect Ty Blach led the way with a seven-inning shutout in the opener, allowing four hits against no walks while striking out one to push his season record to 9-8.
In the second game, No. 10 prospect Chris Stratton was nearly as good. In his 10th start for Sacramento, the right-hander finally picked up his first win, allowing three hits and one earned run while striking out four in a complete seven-inning game.
He stands at 1-3 with a 3.02 ERA since being promoted from Double-A Richmond in early June.
Monday's victories included plenty of offense, too, and No. 16 prospect Adam Duvall showed off his power in both contests.
Sacramento's slugger popped one homer in each game, finishing 4-for-8 with a double, two dingers and seven RBIs. Those homers were No. 24 and No. 25 on the year, good for third in the Minors behind only Double-A Chattanooga's Adam Brett Walker (26) and Double-A Corpus Christi's A.J. Reed (27).
Duvall is hitting .279/.322/.542 with 24 doubles and 78 RBIs on the year.
The rest of the 10 best performances from top Minor Leaguers
• Astros No. 2 prospect (No. 56 overall) Domingo Santana finished 3-for-4 with a solo homer for Triple-A Fresno. The designated hitter is 5-for-9 with a double, homer and three RBIs over the past two nights and is hitting .321/.429/.583 with 16 homers and 57 RBIs for the Grizzlies, who fell 11-10 to Tacoma on Monday. Santana has eight multi-hit games in his past 13 outings, a run that's included five roundtrippers.
• Astros No. 10 prospect A.J. Reed took sole possession of the Minor League home run lead with his 27th blast of the season. The Double-A Corpus Christi star homered for the second game in a row and the third time in four games as the Hooks fell to San Antonio, 13-7. Reed previously shared the Minor League lead with Double-A Chattanooga's Adam Brett Walker, but he's now all alone in first for the first time this year. The first baseman is on a four-game hitting streak and sports a .314/.422/.647 line with 15 RBIs in 14 games since a promotion on July 12.
• Astros No. 11 prospect J.D. Davis helped Class A Advanced Lancaster squeak out a 6-5 win over Rancho Cucamonga by providing almost all of the JetHawks' offense. Davis finished 2-for-4 with a double, three-run homer and five RBIs (a season-high), continuing a hot streak that's included four straight games with a hit, two homers and eight RBIs. The third baseman is hitting .275/.352/.458 with 14 jacks and 68 RBIs on the year.
• Athletics No. 1 prospect (No. 58 overall) Matt Olson made his first two at-bats count on Monday, cracking two home runs while racking up five RBIs. That provided a necessary cushion for Double-A Midland, which took down Frisco in a 12-9 shootout. Olson finished 2-for-5 and is 4-for-9 with three homers and six RBIs over the past two nights. The 6-foot-5 first baseman has 12 homers on the season for Midland, as well as 25 doubles and 52 RBIs. He's a big reason why the RockHounds have won three in a row and stand at 20-11 in the second half, the best mark in the Texas League.
• Braves No. 10 prospect Tyrell Jenkins led Triple-A Gwinnett to a 5-0 win over Durham with an eight-inning gem for the G-Braves. The 6-foot-4 righty allowed just two hits and recorded five strikeouts while blanking the Bulls through eight. The win was his second in four starts for Gwinnett and he stands at 2-1 with a 2.16 ERA. He didn't need much help on Monday, but he got some from No. 29 overall prospect Jose Peraza, who delivered a 3-for-4 day with a double, triple and two runs. The highly touted infielder is hitting .296/.320/.380 with 19 extra-base hits, 37 RBIs and 25 stolen bases.
• Mariners No. 3 prospect Ketel Marte went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, three runs and a stolen base for Triple-A Tacoma, his first game all season with three extra-base hits. The shortstop has been a steady presence all season, hitting .324/.365/.423 in 63 games for the Rainiers. He's been hot recently with a seven-game hitting streak and stolen bases in his past three contests. A native of the Dominican Republic, Marte has swiped exactly 100 bases since the Mariners signed him in 2010.