Mariners minor league daily wrap up: June 8th & 9th, 2024
By Berlin Kofoed, edited by Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - For this edition of the Seattle Mariners Minor League daily wrap up, Circling Seattle Sports MiLB correspondent Berlin Kofoed has placed the days of June 8th and 9th together for a sort of two-day recap as opposed to an individual recap. There’s plenty to go over with these two days within the Mariners farm system, from some interesting transactions made up and down the organization that include what should lead to the eventual MLB debut of first baseman Tyler Locklear and much more.
Mariners minor-league transactions
Seattle Mariners selected the contract of RHP Matt Bowman from Tacoma Rainiers
Seattle Mariners optioned RHP Collin Snider to Tacoma Rainiers
Seattle Mariners selected the contract of INF Tyler Locklear from the Tacoma Rainiers
Seattle Mariners recalled SS Leo Rivas from Tacoma Rainiers
Everett AquaSox sent LHP Brandon Schaeffer on a rehab assignment to ACL Mariners
June 8, 2024
DSL Mariners (1-3) - DSL Braves (0-2)
15 - 4
W: Anderson Jimenez (1-0)
L: Jose Pineda (0-1)
The DSL Mariners came out swinging to defeat the DSL Braves, earning 16-year old Anderson Jimenez his first win after he came into the 5th inning, relieving game starter Ruddy Navarro. Navarro struck out 5 in his 4.0 innings, only allowing 2 runs that weren’t counted as earned runs versus his ERA. A throwing error and wild pitch allowed a runner to advance to 3rd, which would end up being the first run that the DSL Braves earned. Navarro is just 17 years old, and still shows that he has some control to learn and refine going forward.
Navarro’s final line: 4.0IP, 4H, 2R, 0ER, 0BB, 5K, 0HR, 0.00ERA.
Jimenez’s final line: 2.0IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 2BB, 3K, 0HR, 0.00ERA.
The DSL Mariners were able to take advantage of some poor DSL Braves playing to first get some runs going, scoring and advancing on wild pitches, throwing errors, and a balk. The DSL Braves racked up a total of 4 errors throughout the game. By the end of the 5th inning, the DSL Mariners had a 4 run lead versus their opponent, which was a nice change from the first few games of the season. In 34 at bats, the team struck out 11 times, walked 15 times, and hit 8 times. Still isn’t a stat spread that shows team strength, scoring mostly courtesy of either an error or a walk. Walking is good, showing bat control, but hopefully going forward, there will be more actual hits going into play. The DSL Mariners came away with their first season win, taking out the DSL Braves 15-4.
Arizona Complex League
June 8, 2024
ACL Mariners (14-13) - ACL Rangers (15-11)
9 - 3
W: Francisco Pazos (2-2)
L: Luimy Munoz (0-2)
Going up against the ACL Rangers - 1st in the ACL West - was definitely a stressful notion, but the ACL Mariners - 3rd in the same division - showed that they weren’t scared. They put up 4 more hits versus the ACL Rangers, and outscored them 9-3. Starting pitcher Juan Pinto came out for his 6th season appearance, coming away with no decision from the game but pitching a solid couple of innings. Only one player got on base while he was on the mound from a walk. Yes, Francisco Pazos allowed 2 runs and 2 walks when he took over from Pinto, but he kept things locked down enough to earn his 2nd win of the season. With the guys putting up 6 runs in the 1st inning, it was the run support needed to comfort these young pitchers.
Pinto’s final line: 2.0IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 2K, 0HR, 4.26ERA, 32-21.
Pazos’s final line: 2.0IP, 1H, 2R, 0ER, 2BB, 1K, 0HR, 3.21ERA, 30-17.
The bottom of the 1st was a chaotic inning for the ACL Rangers, with the ACL Mariners walking on the first two players at bat. A force out before anyone could get home probably helped to lessen the mounting stress, but then a runner advanced on a wild pitch and another walked. When Junior Gonzalez was hit by pitch, the bases had been loaded. Ricardo Cova advanced to home, giving the ACL Mariners the first run. Two singles and a double ran up the scoreboard even more, putting the team in the lead 6-0 before the final out that saw Cova returning to the plate for the second time that inning. This was an inning that the ACL Rangers just could not come back from, only managing a few runs across the shortened 7-inning game.
Low-A: Modesto Nuts
June 8, 2024
Modesto Nuts (37-17) - Fresno Grizzlies (32-23)
4 - 6
W: Sam Weatherly (3-1)
L: Yeury Tatiz (1-1)
S: Bryson Hammer (4)
Game 05 (2-3)
Modesto Nuts pitcher Ashton Izzi threw an immaculate inning on June 8th, 2024. (Photo by Dan Rogers)
In the 5th game of the series, the Modesto Nuts fall to the Fresno Grizzlies (Colorado Rockies), making it so they can only tie the series at best. Ashton Izzi got things started in his 11th start, going 6.0 innings before being substituted out with Jack White. Izzi allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, leaving the mound while Modesto only had a 1 run lead. Throughout the next 2 innings, first White and then Pedro Da Costa Lemos were able to hold that lead with no additional run support from the batters. Jesse Wainscott, the pitcher in for Lemos, earned a blown save when a run was allowed, with the loss from the game ultimately falling to Yeury Tatiz.
Izzi’s final line: 6.0IP, 5H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 5K, 1HR, 2.54ERA, 73-54.
In his first at bat, Aidan Smith singled on a line drive into right field and, in short order, made it to 2nd on a stolen (15) base and to 3rd on a throwing error. Enter Michael Arroyo. Three balls made it look as if a walk was imminent, but Arroyo knocked it out of the park (8), scoring himself and Smith. The board remained stagnant for a while, with Fresno adding 3 runs and Modesto seeing the same 2 from the 1st inning. A triple from Luis Suisbel (4) into left field brought home both Lazaro Montes (walked) and Connor Charping (singled), instantly doubling Modesto’s runs and giving them the lead once more. However, an eventual sac-fly and center field single would give Fresno the two runs needed to take the lead back, and they would win the game, 6-4, over Modesto.
June 9, 2024
Modesto Nuts (37-18) - Fresno Grizzlies (33-23)
6 - 11 F/10
W: Kannon Handy (1-0)
L: German Fajardo (2-1)
Game 06 (2-4)
In the final game of the series, the Modesto Nuts weren't able to get a lead going against the Fresno Grizzlies (Colorado Rockies), losing 6-11 in extra innings. Brody Hopkins got started on the mound for his 11th game, but did not factor into the decision of the game in the end. He struck out just as many batters as runs he allowed, so not the best showing for Hopkins. The loss would be awarded to German Fajardo after allowing 5 runs (1 earned) in 1.0 innings.
Hopkins’s final line: 6.0IP, 4H, 4R, 2ER, 1BB, 4K, 0HR, 3.21ERA, 77-51.
Fajardo’s final line: 1.0IP, 2H, 5R, 1ER, 2BB, 2K, 0HR, 4.08ERA, 31-17.
Lazaro Montes continues to impress, with a current average of .329 and OPS of .985. In the final game of the series, he earned his 12th homerun in the 6th inning, after earlier earning an RBI when he grounded out to second base, bringing in Michael Arroyo. Modesto was behind for nearly the entire game, only tying it up with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th after Charlie Pagliarini singled and brought in Jacob Sharp. Fresno put up an impressive 5 runs in the 10th, an amount that Modesto just could not get within range of.
High-A: Everett AquaSox
June 8, 2024
Everett AquaSox (26-29) - Vancouver Canadians (25-26)
7 - 8
W: Conor Larkin (1-0)
L: Juan Burgos (1-2)
S: Anders Tolhurst (3)
Game 05 (2-3)
On June 8th, the Everett AquaSox wore special “Marvel” themed jerseys in their loss to the Vancouver Canadians. (Photos by Shari Sommerfield)
The Everett AquaSox just barely lost to the Vancouver Canadians (Toronto Blue Jays) in a high hitting game, no longer able to win the series if they take game 6. Brandyn Garcia did not factor into the final decisions, which keeps him undefeated as far as his win/loss record goes. He went 5.1 innings, striking out 10 and nearly tying his career high of 11. Despite the game loss, Garcia lowered his ERA to 2.50 after his efforts. The loss (and blown save) was given to Juan Burgos after 3 runs were allowed in his 1.1 innings pitched.
Garcia’s final line: 5.1IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 3BB, 10K, 0HR, 2.50ERA, 88-52.
Burgos’s final line: 1.1IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 3K, 1HR, 3.74ERA, 25-18.
Jared Sundstrom started the game off early, doubling (16) on a line drive to center field to score Brock Rodden. After some back and forth playing since his promotion, Caleb Cali knocked his first triple on a fly ball into center field, which scored both Sundstrom and Victor Labrada. Hoping for June to be a big month for Cali, since his slash line is still nothing compared to what it had been back in Modesto.
Sundstrom homered (4) on a fly ball to left field, giving the Frogs a lead of 7-0 in the bottom of the 5th, but unfortunately, things were about to unravel for them in the next few innings. A 3-run homer in the 7th from Vancouver cut the lead nearly in half, and with no extra runs added from Everett, all they could do was watch their win fade away. A triple in the 8th brings in 2, bringing Vancouver within 2 runs. A 3-run home run from Jamari Baylor sealed Everett’s fate, giving Vancouver a winning score of 8-7.
June 9, 2024
Everett AquaSox (26-30) - Vancouver Canadians (26-26)
3 - 8
W: Grayson Thurman (3-2)
L: Ty Cummings (2-4)
Game 06 (2-4)
Photos from the Everett AquaSox loss to the Vancouver Canadians on Sunday, June 9th, 2024 at Funko Field. (Photos by Shari Sommerfield)
Another series lost for the Everett AquaSox after losing 4 to the Vancouver Canadians (Toronto Blue Jays), despite once again racking up hits. The team was 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position, and left 10 on base, which is showing to be a common issue for the team. Ty Cummings started for his 11th game of his career, going 5 innings and allowing 4 runs in that time. He struck out 6, hoping to keep the hit numbers low enough that the team could rally behind him for some run support, but it was not to be.
Cummings’s final line: 5.0IP, 5H, 4R, 3ER, 1BB, 6K, 1HR, 4.64ERA, 76-53.
After scoring early on a Jared Sundstrom single, the Frogs were in a good position to be able to run away with the game, if their bats could agree. Then a 3-run homer from Vancouver’s Estiven Machado (1) dropped Everett back on the losing side of things and they wouldn’t recover. The closest they would get was a 5th inning rally, adding 2 to their total courtesy of a wild pitch and a single. The Canadians hit a total of 3 home runs, which really just sort of felt like the death knell in this final game of the series.
AA: Arkansas Travelers
June 8, 2024
Arkansas Travelers (31-24) - Springfield Cardinals (33-23)
3 - 8
W: Max Rajcic (6-4)
L: Blas Castano (0-3)
Game 05 (2-3)
Blas Castano got things started in game 5 on the Arkansas Travelers versus the Springfield Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals), but the Cardinals came out swinging hard against him, scoring 5 times off of him. Some fielding errors helped seal the fate of the Travs, with the team losing 3-8 to Springfield. There were only 5 total strikeouts for Arkansas in 33 at bats, and they went 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position. While they were playing strong, they just weren’t getting on base enough to really do much damage.
Castano’s final line: 4.0IP, 6H, 5R, 4ER, 2BB, 2K, 0HR, 3.50ERA, 72-46.
Logan Evans worked his second relief pitching appearance, only allowing 1 hit while striking out 2. He’s lowered his ERA to 1.16 and is proving that being a starter and being a relief pitcher are both roles that the young pitcher can step into. With rumors going around about him being pulled up to the Mariners to fill a relief pitching hole that is currently being filled with a rotating list of pitchers, it’s nice to know that he’ll most likely be able to hold his own in the major leagues.
Arkansas fell behind early on, with Springfield racking up 3 runs in the 1st inning, and the Travelers weren’t able to get enough going to ever take the lead from them. Doubles and a sac-fly to put 3 of their own runs up was all that they could manage, and all they could do was watch Springfield put up a total of 8 runs by the end of the game.
June 09, 2024
Arkansas Travelers (32-24) - Springfield Cardinals (33-24)
2 - 1
W: Troy Taylor (1-0)
L: Matt Svanson (1-3)
Game 06 (3-3)
The Arkansas Travelers were up against a strong starting pitcher from the Springfield Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals), being struck out 11 times in 5.1 innings. Danny Wirchansky took the mound for his 8th start of the season and kept the Cardinals at bay, allowing only 2 hits. He didn’t strike out many (just 3), but he didn’t allow a single run. The lead was held from a single run in the 4th inning all the way until the 8th, but relief pitcher Travis Kuhn allowed 3 hits and 1 run. It was up to Troy Taylor in the final inning to keep things locked down, allowing the Travs to back him up with some run support in their final at bats, earning him his first Double-A win.
Wirchansky’s final line: 5.0IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 3K, 0HR, 3.98ERA, 69-45.
Kuhn’s final line: 1.0IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 0K, 0HR, 4.01ERA, 17-11.
Taylor’s final line: 1.0IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 0K, 0HR, 0.00ERA, 10-6.
The game started off slow, with the pitchers trading off 3-4 batter innings with each other. When Cole Young stepped up at the start of the 4th inning, he swung at the first pitch thrown his way and knocked out a homerun (6) into right center field. But then the game fell right back into back and forth pitcher battles. A 1-run RBI single tied things up with 1 out in the 8th inning, and the Travs knew that they needed to pull something together to come out with the win and a split to the series.
Alberto Rodriguez walked in the 9th, being substituted with pinch-runner Jared Oliva, which turned into a perfect plan. Oliva stole (17) 2nd base during the next at bat. When Hogan Windish singled into right field, Oliva pushed forward to 3rd, knowing that he was close to scoring with there only being one out. Grant Witherspoon came up to bat and did exactly what he needed to do to walk off this game: knocked a sacrifice fly into left field, bringing Oliva home and winning the game, 2-1.
AAA: Tacoma Rainiers
June 8, 2024
Tacoma Rainiers (34-28) - Reno Aces (29-33)
9 - 6
W: Joey Krehbiel (3-1)
L: Luis Frias (0-1)
S: Brett de Geus (5)
Game 05 (3-2)
A surprisingly Tyler Locklear-less game in the midst of the series, but this was because he was promoted to the Mariners earlier in the day! This put Jason Vosler in to cover in his absence at first base and, despite losing one of their newest team mates, the Tacoma Rainiers came in ready for a fight against the Reno Aces (Arizona Diamondbacks).
Levi Stoudt first took the mound in game 5, unfortunately allowing each of Reno’s 6 earned runs throughout his 5.0 innings pitched. Tacoma put up 4 runs across 4 innings, but Reno put up 5 in one inning alone, putting Tacoma in a difficult position to really up their bat strength. Upon being substituted out with first Eduard Bazardo and then winning pitcher Joey Krebiel, they were able to keep Reno to their 6 runs earned by the end of the 3rd inning and tacked on more and more runs of their own. Tacoma would take this game, 9-6.
Stoudt’s final line: 5.0IP, 6H, 6R, 6ER, 2BB, 4K, 2HR, 6.92ERA, 65-44.
Krehbiel’s final line: 1.0IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 0K, 0HR, 4.05ERA, 20-13.
Both teams managed multiple home runs throughout the game. Cade Marlowe started that off in the 1st with his 8th, but Michael Perez (1) and Isiah Gilliam (3) would also earn their own. In the bottom of the 7th, a sacrifice-fly from Marlowe would send Jonatan Clase home, tying the game up for the first time in a long time. The 8th proved to be a strong inning for Tacoma, with runners scoring and stealing bases left and right. Before they even had 2 outs, 6 batters had come up to bat and they had gotten into the lead by 3 runs, the 9th run being scored on a balk. Brett de Geus was brought in to the final inning to park it, and he did just that, managing to work Reno into grounding into a double play for the final two outs.
June 9, 2024
Tacoma Rainiers (34-29) - Reno Aces (30-33)
5 - 6
W: Austin Pope (4-2)
L: Trevor Kelley (1-1)
S: Christian Montes De Oca (6)
Game 06 (3-3)
Unfortunately, the Tacoma Rainiers could not manage a win in their final game against the Reno Aces (Arizona Diamondbacks), splitting the series in the end. Starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel got the game going strong, only allowing 1 run, but it wouldn’t stay that way. Blowing the save and earning a loss would be Trevor Kelley, brought into the 7th inning and allowing 3 runs.
Keuchel’s final line: 5.0IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 5BB, 2K, 0HR, 4.58ERA, 71-37.
Kelley’s final line: 1.0IP, 1H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 1K, 1HR, 4.32ERA, 29-16.
This game was so close, with a glimmer of hope in the final inning when Tacoma was pulled within 1 run of tying courtesy of a Samad Taylor single scoring Jake Slaughter, but they couldn’t get enough going. After that one run, batters were retired in short order. They were 3-for-15 for runners left in scoring position, and they left 14 on base throughout. A notable play was Cade Marlowe earning his 31st stolen base, which is such a high number for the league. He still leads the Pacific League, ahead of Ryan Bliss (2nd place at 28 SB) and Samad Taylor (3rd place at 21 SB). While they couldn’t ultimately win this series, Tacoma are still 2nd in the PCL West.
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Cover photo by Dan Rogers.
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