TWitM: Jac gets ejected

Can you strike out after getting thrown out of a game? Jac can.

This Week in the Minors is our weekly look at notable performances from all over the system, from big-name prospects and less-heralded guys alike. The mission is to answer this simple question: “Who had a good week?”

Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers (16-21, 6 games back)

The Storm Chasers split their six-game series against Louisville, including an impressive 9-0 win on Saturday. Luinder Avila gave the team seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts and just two hits with no walks to earn his second win of the year. Thomas Hatch earned his first win of the year with one run over six innings on Thursday. Noah Cameron gave up four runs in 10 ¹⁄₃ innings over two starts, earning a loss on Tuesday and a no-decision on Sunday. Jonathan Bowlan struck out five of the seven hitters he faced in two games, earning his third save of the year.

John Rave had quite a week, going 10-for-26 (.385) with three home runs, giving him six for the year to lead the team. Nick Loftin hit .286 (6-for-21) with a home run and four more walks to give a league-high 30. After a slow start, Nelson Velázquez enjoyed a good week, hitting 4-for-13 (.308) with three walks and his third home run of the year.

The Storm Chasers also signed veteran MLB pitchers Stephen Nogosek and Trevor Richards, and placed pitcher Anthony Simonelli on the full-season injured list.

Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals (18-15, 1 game back)

The Naturals dropped four out of six to Wichita, falling out of first place and switching positions with the Wind Surge in the standings. Jac Caglianone went 8-for-23 (.348) with three more home runs, giving him nine for the year, second-most in the Texas League. His .970 OPS is third-highest, and his 37 RBI are the most in all of the minors. He was also ejected after a pitch clock violation and managed to strike out after the ejection (Justin Johnson finished the at-bat, but Caglianone gets credit for the strikeout).

Gavin Cross hit two home runs this week, although he still has his batting average below the Mendoza Line with a strikeout rate of 34 percent. Brett Squires went 7-for-22 (.318) with a home run.

Hunter Owen provided six shutout innings with no walks and seven strikeouts on Saturday. Henry Williams had another strong outing with three runs allowed in 6 2/3 innings with five strikeouts and no walks in a no-decision on Friday. Reliever Caden Monke had three appearances, retiring 14 of the 15 batters he faced, four by strikeout. Ryan Ramsey pitched five shutout innings with five strikeouts in a relief appearance, lowering his ERA to 2.66.

Kyle Wright lasted just two innings in a rehab start on Wednesday before being recalled after a setback. The Naturals signed 29-year-old outfielder Rudy Martin, who originally began his career with the Royals organization in 2015 and was playing in the Mexican League.

High-A Quad Cities River Bandits (21-11, first place)

The River Bandits went 3-3 for the week against Lake County. Frank Mozzicato pitched six more shutout innings with seven strikeouts to lower his ERA to a minuscule 1.15. He has the seventh-lowest ERA by any pitcher in the minors with at least 30 innings and seems overdue for a promotion at this point. Hunter Patteson is now 3-0 after six shutout innings with seven strikeouts to lower his ERA to 1.54. Drew Beam tossed six shutout innings with just one walk to earn his third win with an ERA of 2.59. Lefty Nate Ackenhausen tossed three shutout innings of relief with three strikeouts. Shane Panzini struck out nine in four innings of relief in a 2-1 extra-inning win.

Sam Kulasingam enjoyed a three-hit day on Thursday and hit .417 (7-for-17) for the week with three walks. Carson Roccaforte went 3-for-15 with a double, triple, three steals, and four walks. Carter Frederick smacked his first home run of the year and drew six walks with a steal.

Low-A Columbia Fireflies (19-14, first place)

The Fireflies had their first tough week, dropping five of six to Charleston, but maintaining their hold on first. The offense struggled, scoring just 15 games in the six-game series. Ramon Ramirez has been the steadiest hitter for the Fireflies, hitting 7-for-23 (.304) for the week with two doubles and two steals. Stone Russell went 6-for-20 (.300) with two doubles. Infielder Angel Acosta enjoyed a three-hit day on Thursday. Jorge Hernandez was 3-for-11 (.273) with two walks.

Yunior Marte earned his second win with five shutout innings and nine strikeouts on Friday. He is third overall in the Carolina League with 31 strikeouts. Tanner Jones made two starts and pitched eight innings and allowed just four hits and three runs, although just one was earned. Hiro Wyatt pitched four innings with just one run allowed on Thursday. Dash Albus had a pair of scoreless relief outings with three strikeouts in two innings.