Cannonballs coming: Mitchell, Valerio key wins with three-run HRs

Indianapolis was off.

— Altoona (7-5) beat Akron in ten innings, 2-1. The Curve got seven shutout innings from Dario Agrazal. It was a representative Agrazal start; he didn’t dominate, striking out only three, but he walked just one, allowed four hits and needed just 79 pitches. He left with the score 1-0, but Geoff Hartlieb gave up the tying run in the eighth. Cole Tucker, who went 1-4 with a walk, drove in the faux run in the tenth with an infield hit off Jordan Milbrath. Yeudy Garcia then got a one-out strikeout with the tying run on third in the bottom half of the inning and earned the save. Will Craig left the game for no obvious reason in the middle of the sixth; he’d been on base for the last out in the top half, but nothing happened that would explain his exit.

Stephen Alemais: 1-5
Craig: 0-2, BB (batting .189)
Logan Hill: 0-2, 2 BB (batting .140)
Jason Martin: 1-3, 3B, BB
Ke’Bryan Hayes: 0-4

— Bradenton (9-5) beat Palm Beach, 4-2. Starter Oddy Nunez had to deal with a lot of baserunners early, but managed to get through five and two-thirds innings with just two runs, one unearned. He gave up six hits and two walks, and struck out two. The Marauders trailed 2-0 in the sixth, but Adrian Valerio (pictured) put them up with a three-run HR, his second big fly of the season. He finished 2-4. Catcher Arden Pabst went 2-3 and is batting .440.

Jared Oliva: 1-2, 2 BB
Bligh Madris: 0-4 (hitless in last 15 ABs)
Hunter Owen: 1-4, 2B, 3 K

— West Virginia (8-6) also won with a three-run HR, this one by Cal Mitchell, as the Power blanked Asheville, 3-0. Mitchell backed up a strong start by Travis MacGregor, who threw six shutout innings, allowing three hits and two walks, and fanning six. Mitchell’s blast was his third longball of the season; he finished 2-4 in the game and is now batting 321/397/604, playing in a full season league just a few weeks after his 19th birthday. Mason Martin’s debut last year was exciting, but in my opinion Mitchell, along with Lolo Sanchez, is the position player to watch on this team.

Sanchez: 0-2, BB
Deon Stafford: 0-3, BB
Martin: 0-4
Rodolfo Castro: 0-4
Oneil Cruz: 0-2
Chris Sharpe: 2-3
Ike Schlabach: IP, H, 2 K