A note on Luis Valbuena's presence in Tacoma: Ryan Divish from TNT was kind enough to give me a heads-up, along with J from Mariner Minors, that Yung Chi Chen is out for the season with a knee injury, with J confirming that he's had surgery. Chen has had some poor luck with injuries the last couple years, though this latest ill fate will give Luis Valbuena an extended chance with the Rainiers.

Now for some more impressive news: the entire minor league system got swept on Sunday! Well, those who were active anyway.

On to the wrap-up!

VENEZUELA~! The VSLMs and the rest of the VSL always take Sunday off.

Top bats this season:
CF Mario Yepez: 338/401/478
SS Roberto Velasquez: 325/440/402
LF Rigoberto Rangel: 313/392/393
3B Jorge Agudelo: 296/418/360

Top pitchers:
Gerardo Esparza: 8 GS +1, 1.02 ERA, 44 IP, 27 H, 1 HR, 14/33 BB/K
Nolan Diaz: 9 app, 2.33 ERA, 27 IP, 25 H, 1/25 BB/K
Yoervis Medina: 10 app, 2.28 ERA, 23.2 IP, 23 H, 1 HR, 4/15 BB/K

I usually do ¡MUY CALIENTE! and ¡QUE LASTIMA! but, just about halfway through the VSL season, I figured the cumulative totals were worth a look.

Dominican: DSL AthleticsUno 3, DSL Mariners 1, 7 innings (rain)
DSLMs: 17-6... DSLA1s: 9-5
(League: 234/339/323... 3.79 ERA)

Francisco Garcia: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 2 walks, 2 K, hit batter
Gregorio Aquino: 1.2 IP, 2 walks, K, 3 wild pitches, hit batter
Anthony Fernandez: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, K (5 GS +1, 4.50 ERA, 26 IP, 12/21 BB/K)
Hassiel Jimenez: RBI single, walk (377/477/453)
rest of DSLMs lineup: 3-23, 2 walks, 6 K

Francisco Garcia's early struggles under overcast skies were enough to ultimately doom the DSLMs in a game where the weather just would not cooperate. The only other DSL game scheduled yesterday was rained out entirely. I'd give a pass on any performances from the DSLMs today given the conditions.

Rk-AZL: Athletics 10, Mariners 7
(League: 265/350/392... 4.89 ERA)

Colin Buckborough: 3 IP, 4 H, 6 ER (HR), 2 walks, 2 K, wild pitch, hit batter
Kenta Suda: 3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, walk, 3 K
Yao Wen Chang: 1 IP, walk, K
Chris Kirkland: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER
Jarrett Burgess: 2-4, 2 doubles, 2 R, 2 RBI, K, SB
Fernando Encarnacion: 2-3, double, R, 2 RBI (scrap heap pickup)

Aside from the 10 errors between both teams in this game, this game is notable for the arrival of Kenta Suda in Peoria. Kenta was clearly struggling in Everett (J from Mariner Minors, who has attended games in Everett, also noted that Kenta was having issues with getting the feel for his pitches), and probably needs work on some of the finer mechanical points of pitching. J noted that Kenta would probably be better suited pitching at a lower level for the time being, and so here he is in Peoria until he gets it together. He's got a lot of talent, so it will likely only be a matter of time.

Rk+: Pulaski's game in Bristol was postponed due to rain.

A-: Salem-Keizer 8, Everett 6
EVE: 5-8... S-K: 7-6
(League: 248/335/349... 3.84 ERA)

Doug Salinas: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 walks, K, hit batter
Michael Renfree: one out, 2 H, walk
Philip Hann: two outs, 3 H, 4 ER, walk, 2 K
Eddy Fernandez: 1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER (HR), K, hit batter
Christian Staehely: 1 IP
Kevin Reynolds: 3-4, R, walk
Fleming Baez: 1-5, GRAND SLAM, K
Bennett Billingsley: 3-4, double, K
Tyson Gillies: 2-4, 2 R, 2 SB

Tied at 1 in the 7th, Fleming "The Flaming" Baez cranked a suck pitch with the bases loaded over the LF fence for a GRAND SLAM to make it 5-1 Aquasox.

But then Philip Hann had some poor fortune with groundballs, allowing a run and loading the bases for reliever Eddy Fernandez, who watched another grounder get into right to knock in another run, before Trent Kline responded with HIS own grand slam to make it 7-5 Volcanoes.

Everett loaded the bases again in the 8th, but could only get a run off a Manny Pimentel GIDP. The Volcanoes squeezed home a run of their own in the 8th, and the Aquasox could only manage a seeing eye single from Bennett Billingsley in the 9th before going quietly.

A: Burlington Bees 4, Wisconsin 3
WIS: 3-8... BUR: 7-4
(League: 249/321/369... 3.61 ERA)

Edward Paredes: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER (HR), 2 walks, K (15 GS +1, 4.60 ERA, 72.1 IP, 8 HR, 32/50 BB/K)
Johnny DuRocher: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 wild pitches, hit batter
Jose Escalona: no outs recorded, walk, wild pitch (16 app, 5.30 ERA, 18.2 IP, 3 HR, 11/23 BB/K)
Justin Souza: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 walks (both intentional) (27 app, 3.93 ERA, 34.1 IP, 3 HR, 12/35 BB/K)
Edilio Colina: 2-4, R, K, SB (291/361/373)
Denny Almonte: 1-3, RBI, walk, K, SB (257/311/432)
Ronald Garth: 2-4, double, R, RBI (264/319/406)
Alex Liddi: 2-4, RBI, K, SB #10 (251/319/353)
Alex Meneses: 2-4, R (202/303/226)

Both teams got a couple runs in the 1st, and the T-Rats took the lead in the 5th on smallball, but Jason Taylor walked with one out in the 6th, stole his 27th base and eventually came around to score on a Nick Van Stratten single. Edward Paredes had another shaky but useful outing.

Groundballs: 7
Flyballs: 7 (1 HR)
Line Drives: 3
Pop Ups: 3
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 1

Doom came in the bottom 9th, as Jamar Walton led off with a double. The next two batters flew out, but Souza intentionally walked the dangerous Adrian Ortiz to get to Johnny Giavotella... who lined a single to right to cash in Walton for the walkoff win.

A+: Rancho Cucamonga 6, High Desert 4
Mavs: 5-5... Quakes: 6-4
(League: 269/340/402... 4.49 ERA)

Ricky Orta: 3 IP, 5 K, wild pitch (8 GS +3, 3.96 ERA, 36.1 IP, 4 HR, 11/31 BB/K)
Julio Santiago: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 walks, K (24 app, 5.19 ERA, 34.2 IP, 1 HR, 23/30 BB/K)
Bradley Reid: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER (HR), walk, 2 K
Austin Bibens-Dirkx: 1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, walk, wild pitch (26 app, 7.32 ERA, 35.2 IP, 8 HR, 12/23 BB/K)
Steve Uhlmansiek: 1 IP, 1 H, (1 R) 0 ER, K, hit batter (18 app, 2.79 ERA, 19.1 IP, 1 HR, 11/14 BB/K)
Kuo Hui Lo: 1-4, triple, RBI, K (254/310/402)
Carlos Triunfel: 1-4, RBI (230/282/304)
Leury Bonilla: 2-4, double, R, RBI, K (297/377/411)
Ogui Diaz: 1-4, double, R, RBI, K (248/289/306)

Ricky Orta took a big step forward by throwing three hitless rehab innings to start, and maybe manager Jim Horner should have left him in because the other Mavs pitchers got beat up. Okay, fine, Orta is still getting his legs back after injury rehab, but this wasn't a good day for the Mavs bullpen. Also, Renton native Bradley Reid got a nice welcome to the Cal League, coming in to pitch the 6th and immediately getting taken deep by Mark Trumbo.

AA: Tennessee 4, West Tenn 1
WTN: 4-8... TEN: 9-3
(League: 262/341/395... 4.19 ERA)

Doug FISTER: 6.1 IP, 9 H, (4 R) 3 ER (HR), K, hit batter (17 GS, 4.47 ERA, 94.2 IP, 9 HR, 35/68 BB/K)
Nick Hill: one out
Marwin Vega: 1.1 IP, 2 H, walk, K, wild pitch (27 app, 4.43 ERA, 42.2 IP, 2 HR, 30/26 BB/K)
Nelson Payano: 1 IP, K, wild pitch (29 app, 3.80 ERA, 47.1 IP, 1 HR, 23/42 BB/K)
Johan Limonta (LF): 2-4, double (302/395/484)
Jose Yepez: 1-3, double, walk
Jeff Dominguez: 1-3, sac fly RBI, SB #13 (226/290/280)

THE FIST actually fared well through 6 despite only recording one strikeout. With the game tied at 1, the DIAMOND JAXX were in easy reach of the lead (if their offense could wake up long enough to score anotehr run or two). But Mark Reed led off the 7th with his 1st AA HR of the season, Sam Fuld singled with one out, then came around to score on Nate Spears' double, and FISTER got the unfortunate hook.

Groundballs: 14
Flyballs: 4 (1 HR)
Line Drives: 5
Pop Ups: 2 (plus 1 laughable bunt attempt)
Walks: 0 (but 1 hit batter)
Strikeouts: 1

That was all the Smokies needed to seal the deal, as despite the DIAMOND JAXX starting 1B Johan Limonta in LF to get Marshall Hubbard in the lineup at 1B and put the productive Jon Nelson at DH... the DIAMOND JAXX only managed 6 hits.

AAA: Salt Lake 7, Tacoma 3
TAC: 42-40... SLK: 50-32
(League: 274/345/436... 4.75 ERA)

Joe Woerman: 7 IP, 4 H, 4 ER (HR), 4 walks, 3 K
Jon Huber: 2 IP, 4 H, (3 R) 2 ER, 2 K
Tug Hulett: 1-3, sac fly RBI, K
Victor Diaz: 1-4, solo HR, K
Bryan LaHair: 1-4, solo HR
WLAD: 1-4, double
Rob Johnson: 1-3, double

Most of Joe Woerman's damage came in the 4th inning, and this was actually one of his better outings.

Groundballs: 6
Flyballs: 8 (1 HR)
Line Drives: 3
Pop Ups: 3
Walks: 4
Strikeouts: 3

Unfortunately, a Tui error set the table for a 3 run 9th inning off Jon Huber to extend the Bees' lead out of reach.