It was a good week for former Utah hitter C.J. Cron in Triple-A Salt Lake. The red-hot Cron racked up 11 RBIs and scored five more himself while hitting .307 in six games in the week.
However, it was his clutch at-bat in the eighth inning of Salt Lake’s 5-4 win over Las Vegas that highlighted his strong week. The Bees trailed Las Vegas 4-2 heading into the frame when Cron blasted a three-run home run to left field to lead his team to victory.
“Thankfully I saw (the pitch) out of his hand early, and I was able to put a good swing on it,” Cron said following the game. Cron went on to hit another go-ahead home run for Salt Lake on Saturday. He’s batting .323 in 23 games for the Bees and currently rides a five-game streak of collecting at least one RBI.
Cron wasn’t the only player with ties to Utah to hit a clutch late-inning home run in the minors on Wednesday, however. BYU alum Jaycob Brugman launched a homer to right field to lead off the ninth inning and break a 9-9 tie for Double-A Midland, which went on to beat Frisco 10-9.
Brugman collected three hits in the game, including the game-winning home run. He’s batting .276, with three home runs, 33 RBIs and 32 runs scored this season for the Oakland Athletics affiliate.
Meanwhile, it’s All-Star game season in the minor leagues. On Tuesday, Tyler Wagner (Utah) and Adam Miller (BYU) each pitched in the Southern League All-Star game. Wagner allowed just two hits in a scoreless frame for the South Division, which lost 9-0. Miller struck out the only batter he faced, also pitching for the South Division.
Salt Lake College alum and former Olympian Eddy Alvarez participated in the South Atlantic League All-Star game on Tuesday. The infielder came in as a second baseman replacement and collected a single in two at-bats for the North Division, which won 7-5.
Check out that batting stance. Who else but @eddyalvarez90 at the 56th Annual SAL All-Star Game. #SALASG pic.twitter.com/mJj4lN1Ehj
— Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (@Kcannonballers) June 24, 2015
Double-A Texas League’s All-Star game is slated for this Tuesday, with no Utah connections on the roster. The rosters for the Eastern League (Double-A) and the Triple-A All-Star games have yet to be released.
Finally, former Utah pitcher Tanner Banks started his first career game on a professional scale on Monday. He was sent back to the Chicago White Sox’s rookie league affiliate in Great Falls, where he was converted into a starter.
Banks fared well in two starts over the week, allowing two runs in nine innings and picking up a win against Helena on Saturday. He previously had a 4.09 ERA in eight appearances with Single-A Kannapolis this season.
MLB
Christian Colon (Taylorsville H.S.), Kansas City Royals: Zero hits in one at-bat against Oakland on Sunday. Colon, who came in as a defensive replacement in the game, is batting .253 in 27 games this season.
Jeremy Guthrie (BYU), Kansas City Royals: 1-1, 6.55 ERA in two starts over the week. Guthrie allowed six runs on nine hits and two walks in five innings in Kansas City’s 7-0 loss to Seattle on Tuesday. The one-time BYU pitcher followed that up with a win against Oakland on Sunday, allowing two runs on seven hits in six innings. He also struck out a season-best seven batters on his way to improving to 6-5 on the season.
Brandon Kintzler (Dixie State), Milwaukee Brewers: Remains on the 15-day disabled list with left knee tendinitis. Kintzler has a 6.43 ERA in seven games with the Brewers this season. He last pitched on May 25.
Triple-A
C.J. Cron (Utah), Salt Lake (Los Angeles Angels): Eight hits, 11 RBIs and five runs scored in 26 at-bats over the week. Cron hit two homers over the week, both go-ahead blasts to help Salt Lake to wins over Las Vegas on Wednesday and Albuquerque on Saturday. Cron also extended his streak to five-straight games with an RBI on Sunday, hitting a sacrifice fly in the first inning.
The former Ute is batting .323 in 23 games with the Bees this season, with six home runs, 23 RBIs and 15 runs scored.
Matt Spring (Dixie State), Pawtucket (Boston Red Sox): Three hits, two RBIs and one run scored in six at-bats over the week. Spring collected a pair of hits and two RBIs in Pawtucket’s 7-3 win over Gwinnett on Saturday. With four hits over the span of his last three games, he’s batting .192 with 13 RBIs in 35 games this season.
Double-A
Jaycob Brugman (BYU), Midland (Oakland Athletics): Six hits, four RBIs and four runs scored in 24 at-bats over the week. Brugman collected three hits in Midland’s 10-9 victory over Frisco on Wednesday, but none was bigger than a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning to give the RockHounds the lead.
Brugman is batting .276 in 72 games this season, with 33 RBIs and 32 runs scored.
Taylor Cole (BYU), New Hampshire (Toronto Blue Jays): Allowed seven runs (six earned) on six hits and four walks, as New Hampshire fell to Portland 7-2 on Tuesday. Cole, who struck out seven batters in the loss, dropped to 2-7 this season with a 5.15 ERA in 73 1/3 innings.
Jacob Hannemann (BYU), Tennessee (Chicago Cubs): Four hits, one RBI and one run scored in 17 at-bats over the week. The BYU alum is batting .219 in 68 games with the Smokies.
Brady Lail (Bingham H.S.), Trenton (New York Yankees): Allowed one run on three hits in seven innings, helping the Thunder to a 7-3 win over Richmond on Thursday. Lail posted back-to-back starts of allowing just one run in seven innings. He improved to 4-3 while lowering his ERA down to 2.48 in 65 1/3 innings in Trenton this season.
Adam Law (BYU), Tulsa (Los Angeles Dodgers): Six hits, one RBI and one run scored in 18 at-bats over the week. Law is batting .244 in 36 games with the Drillers.
Marcus Littlewood (Pine View H.S.), Jackson (Seattle Mariners): Two hits, one RBI and two run scored in seven at-bats over the week. Littlewood hit his first career Double-A home run on Saturday, knocking in a solo home run in Jackson’s 4-2 win over Birmingham. He’s batting .197 with one home run and seven RBIs in 19 games with the Generals.
Adam Miller (BYU), Mobile (Arizona Diamondbacks): Scattered one hit and two walks over two innings of relief in Mobile’s 5-4 loss to Tennessee on Sunday. Miller dropped his ERA down to 2.83 in 28 2/3 innings this season.
Parker Morin (Utah), Northwest Arkansas (Kansas City Royals): Four hits in nine at-bats over the week. Morin hit a three-run home run in the Naturals’ 7-4 loss to Arkansas on Tuesday. He has at least one hit in six of his last seven games played.
The Naturals also placed Morin, who is hitting .410 in 14 games with the team, on the temporary inactive list on Friday for undisclosed reasons.
Braeden Schlehuber (Viewmont H.S.), Mississippi (Atlanta Braves): Two hits and a run scored in six at-bats over the week. The Viewmont High product scored the lone run in Mississippi’s 1-0 win over Pensacola on Friday. He led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a single and scored on a two-out single.
The catcher is batting .154 in nine games with Mississippi.
Tyler Wagner (Utah), Biloxi (Milwaukee Brewers): Allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and one walk in seven innings, as Biloxi defeated Jacksonville 7-3 on Friday. Wagner improved to 6-2 on the year with a 2.44 ERA in 12 starts. It was his first win since May 12.
Keenyn Walker (Judge Memorial H.S.), Birmingham (Chicago White Sox): One hit, three RBIs and one run scored in 14 at-bats over the week. Walker drove in a pair of runs in an eight-run sixth inning in Birmingham’s 13-0 win over Jackson on Thursday. He’s batting .129 in 20 games since moving up to Double-A.
Single-A
Eddy Alvarez (Salt Lake C.C.), Kannapolis (Chicago White Sox): Two hits and three runs scored in 14 at-bats over the week. Alvarez is batting .284 in 71 games with the Intimidators.
Tanner Banks (Utah), Great Falls (Chicago White Sox): 1-0, 2.00 ERA in two starts over the week. Banks allowed one run on one hit and one walk in his first start of his professional career on Monday. He followed it up with just two runs (one earned) allowed in five innings, as Great Falls defeated Helena 11-5 on Saturday.
Banks was moved down to Great Falls after starting the season in Kannapolis. He switched from being a relief pitcher to starter in the process.
Bubba Blau (Dixie State), Helena (Milwaukee Brewers): 0-1, 4.50 ERA in two appearances over the week. Blau allowed one run in one inning in Helena’s 11-10 defeat at Great Falls on Friday. He pitched a perfect inning against Great Falls on Sunday. Blau is 0-3 with a 21.21 ERA in four appearances this season.
Porter Clayton (Dixie State), Princeton (Tampa Bay Rays): 0-0, 0.00 ERA in two appearances over the week. Clayton allowed just two hits in 1 2/3 shutout innings on Thursday, opening his professional career on a high note. He allowed a walk-off double in Princeton’s 4-3 loss to Bristol on Sunday, however. Clayton was not charged with a loss since he was not responsible for the game-winning run.
Nick Green (Utah), Idaho Falls (Kansas City Royals): Allowed one walk in one scoreless inning as Idaho Falls thrashed Grand Junction 25-2 on Sunday. Green was moved back down to Idaho Falls after posting a 6.66 ERA in 24 1/3 innings with Wilmington this season.
Bret Helton (Utah), West Virginia (Pittsburgh Pirates): Allowed two runs on five hits and a walk in three innings as West Virginia fell to Williamsport 3-1 on Tuesday.
Kolton Mahoney (BYU), Staten Island (New York Yankees): 0-0, 6.00 ERA in two appearances over the week. Mahoney struggled in his pro debut, allowing three hits, one walk and four runs (two earned) in 2/3 innings during Staten Island’s 7-4 win over Connecticut on Wednesday. He allowed no runs on one hit and three walks in 2 1/3 innings against State College on Sunday.
Makay Nelson (Maple Mountain H.S.), Greeneville (Houston Astros): Allowed one run on four hits in two innings during his pro debut against Bristol on Thursday. Nelson also struck out two batters for the Astros in their 2-1 victory.
Trey Nielsen (Utah), Palm Beach (St. Louis Cardinals): Allowed just one run on six hits in seven innings as Palm Beach defeated Jupiter 3-1 on Friday. Nielsen, who has won four-straight games and has won in five of his last six outings, improved to 8-4 on the season with a 1.85 ERA in 13 starts. He has allowed one earned run or less in nine of his last 10 starts, totaling 63 innings.
Dominique Taylor (Northridge H.S.), Wilmington (Kansas City Royals): Three hits and three runs scored in eight at-bats over the week. Taylor is batting .214 in 65 games with the Blue Rocks.
Mitch Watrous (Utah), Fort Wayne (San Diego Padres): Remains on the disabled list after undergoing shoulder surgery earlier this season.