Mazza Pitches a Gem, Nelson Hits Three Doubles

The Marlins traded the Pittsburgh Pirates some cash for LF Eury Perez and signed free agent 3B Bubba Hollins to a minor league deal. They sent Hollins to the Muckdogs.

The Grasshoppers assigned RHP Kolton Mahoney to the Batavia Muckdogs.

RHP Max Duval was sent from the GCL Marlins to Greensboro. OF Brayan Hernandez was promoted from Batavia to the Grasshoppers.

Triple-A

Pacific Coast League

New Orleans Baby Cakes (40-69)

The Baby Cakes and the El Paso Chihuahuas (53-57) were rained out of game one of their four-game series.

Double-A

Southern League

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 3, Biloxi Shuckers 0

Chris Mazza (2-7, 2.97) pitched a gem, allowing just two hits in 8 ¹⁄₃ innings, walking three and striking out two as Jacksonville (49-61) defeated the Shuckers (54-55) with 1,915 in attendance at MGM Park. Tyler Kinley earned his fifth save by nailing down the final two outs despite allowing a walk and a hit.

Jacksonville did their damage in the sixth, scoring on consecutive two-out RBI sacrifice flies from Austin Dean and David Vidal. Dustin Geiger (2) went deep with one out in the bottom of the ninth with a solo shot to provide the Shrimp with a little insurance.

Braxton Lee collected a pair of singles, and Rodrigo Vigil hit a double as the Shrimp outhit the Shuckers, 5-to-3.

High-A

Florida State League

Jupiter Hammerheads 3, Fort Myers Miracle 4

The Hammerheads (57-50) had their nine-game win-streak snapped by the Miracle (57-51), 4-3 in front of 1,377 fans at CenturyLink Sports Complex.

Merandy Gonzalez started and earned no-decision, allowing three hits and two walks for one unearned run in five innings. He struck out one batter. Felipe Gonzalez (8-8, 4.84) lost in relief, allowing the only batter he faced, Nelson Molina (4) to hit a solo walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth.

The game was scorless until the fifth, when the Miracle put one in the bank on a Gunner Pollman passed ball. Jupiter struck back in the next half inning, on a Colby Lusignan sacrifice fly to score Mason Davis, who was on base courtesy of a one-out triple.

The Miracle took a 3-1 lead in the seventh on a Mitchell Kranson sacrifice fly and another Pollman passed ball. The Hammerheads again came back to tie it in the next half inning, on a consecutive RBI-groundouts by Davis and Colby Lusignan.

John Silviano hit a pair of singles to lead the Hammerheads, who were outhit by an 8-to-7 margin.

Single-A

South Atlantic League

Greensboro Grasshoppers 5, Kannapolis Intimidators 7

Max Duval started and earned no decision, allowing five earned runs on six hits and a walk over six innings. He allowed three home runs and struck out five. Kyle Keller struck out three in as many perfect inning of relief, and Nestor Bautista (0-2, 3.24) absorbed the loss on three hits for two earned runs in ²⁄₃ of an inning.

With 5,606 in attendance at First National Bank Field, the Grasshoppers (56-50) struck first, with a James Nelson RBI-double in the opening frame. Micker Adolfo (13) homered to lead off the second and tie the game for the Intimidators (58-50), and they took the lead on a Zach Remillard RBI-single. Casey Schroeder (2) followed him with a two-run shot for a 4-1 Kannapolis lead.

The Grasshoppers got two back in the bottom of the second, with a J.C. Millan RBI-double and a Brian Miller RBI-groundout, but the Intimidators made it 5-3 in the third on Adolfo’s (14) second homer of the game. Greensboro also scored in the third, with a Trenton Hill RBI-single.

The Grasshoppers tied it at five in the seventh inning on another Nelson RBI-double before before Remillard hit an RBI-groundout for the eventual winning run in the top of the ninth. Alex Call hit an RBI-single for Kannapolis’ insurance run.

Nelson totaled three doubles and a single with two RBI, and Walker Olis hit a double and a triple in a losing effort.

Short-A

New York-Penn League

Batavia Muckdogs 1, Williamsport Crosscutters 2

The Crosscutters (23-18) downed the Muckdogs (15-27) by a 2-1 count with 396 present at Dwyer Stadium.

Ryan Lillie (0-3, 3.20) took the loss, striking out five in five innings. He allowed a pair of earned runs on three hits and two walks. R.J. Peace gave up just a single in three relief innings, also collecting a strikeout.

The Crosscutters scored in the top of the first on an Adam Haseley RBI-groundout, and would never trail. They added a run in the fifth when Malvin Matos hit another RBI-groundout. The Muckdogs scored their run in the sixth when new acquisition Bubba Hollins hit an RBI-groundout.

Ben Fisher and Samuel Castro each hit a pair of singles as the Muckdogs outhit the Crosscutters, 7-to-5. Neither team collected an extra-base hit, and neither team committed an error.

Rookie

Gulf Coast League

GCL Marlins (15-16)

GCL had the day off.

Dominican Summer League

DSL Marlins (25-25)

DSL also had the day off.

Marlin of the Day

Pitcher - Chris Mazza earned a win and dropped his ERA below three after 8 ¹⁄₃ two-hit innings for Jacksonville against Biloxi.

Hitter - James Nelson hit a single and three doubles for two RBI in Greensboro’s loss to Kannapolis.

Fish Stripes Top 30 Prospect Watch

#1 Trevor Rogers

#2 Braxton Garrett

#3 Brian Anderson

#4 Dillon Peters

#5 Tyler Kolek

#6 Merandy Gonzalez

#7 Brian Miller went 0-for-5 with an RBI batting leadoff for the Hoppers, dropping to .306.

#8 Brayan Hernandez

#9 James Nelson batted third for the Grasshoppers, and went 4-for-5 with three doubles, two RBI, a run and a strikeout to improve his average to .308.

#10 Drew Steckenrider

#11 Jeff Brigham

#12 Cody Poteet

#13 Colton Hock

#14 Thomas Jones was used as a pinch runner in the ninth inning of the Muckdogs loss to Williamsport.

#15 Joe Dunand

#16 Riley Mahan

#17 Ryan Lillie lost for Batavia, allowing two earned runs on three hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out five.

#18 Sam Perez

#19 Trevor Richards

#20 Brandon Miller

#21 Edward Cabrera

#22 Sean Reynolds

#23 Pablo Lopez

#24 Ricardo Cespedes batted second for the Muckdogs and went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, dropping to .226.

#25 Isael Soto

#26 John Norwood batted cleanup for Jacksonville and went 0-for-4 with two whiffs to drop to .272.

#27 Austin Dean batted second for the Shrimp and went 1-for-3 with a strikeout and an RBI to improve to .298.

#28 Ynmanol Marinez

#29 Albert Guaimaro

#30 Stone Garrett hit fifth for the Hammerheads and went 1-for-4 with a strikeout, improving to .209.

Fish Stripes 10

The top 10 players (by user vote) not already represented in the “official” Top 30 prospects:

#1 Bryce Howe

#2 Ben Meyer

#3 Braxton Lee led off for Jacksonville and went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run to improve to .316.

#4 Ethan Clark

#5 Michael King

#6 Mike Kickham

#7 Boo Vazquez batted sixth for Jupiter and went 1-for-4 to drop to .309.

#8 Cameron Baranek

#9 Shao-pin Ho

#10 Jeff Kinley

Later Today

10:30AM DSL Marlins (25-25) host DSL Red Sox (33-17).

Noon GCL Cardinals (15-16) host the GCL Marlins (15-16).

6:00PM The Baby Cakes (40-69) host the first game of a doubleheader with the El Paso Chihuahuas (53-57). Scott Copeland (7-10, 5.45) will start the first game, and Tom Koehler (1-1, 2.18) will start the second.

7:00PM Greensboro (56-50) will host Kannapolis (58-50). Michael King (86-, 3.14) will take the mound for the Grasshoppers.

7:05PM Matt Tomshaw (9-6, 3.85) will start against the Birmingham Barons (43-66) for the Jumbo Shrimp (49-61).

7:05PM Ben Meyer (3-2, 0.97) will take his tiny ERA and make a start for the Hammerheads (57-50) against the Miracle (57-51).

7:05PM Sam Perez (2-1, 1.98) starts for the Muckdogs (15-27) against the Crosscutters (23-18).

Birthdays

Brian Ellington, pitcher for the Baby Cakes, turns 27 today. He’s 6-3 for the Marlins at the major league level, with a 4.01 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP.

Hammerheads pitcher James Buckelew turns 26 today. The lefty out of Suwanee, GA was a 45th round selection of the Minnesota Twins back in 2010. He’s 1-3 with an encouraging 1.94 ERA this season, with a career 1.21 WHIP across five levels of minor league ball.

Jumbo Shrimp left fielder Kyle Barrett turns 24 today. He’s slashing .276/.331/.329 between Jacksonville and Jupiter this season.

Minor League History

Tom Walker, with the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs (BAL) in the Dixie Association, threw a 15-inning no-hitter against the Albuquerque Dodgers (LAD).

(courtesy of milb.com)

Vote in the poll below if you think a player is too low or too high. It currently runs 240 Marlins deep, and is updated at least daily as players enter or leave the system. Players who are no longer considered “prospects” are not included.