Thursday's top prospect performers

July 6th, 2018

Here's MLB Pipeline's roundup of the top prospect performances in the Minor Leagues on Thursday.
DL Hall did not allow a hit in the best performance of his career as Class A Delmarva carried a combined no-hit bid into extras before falling to Hagerstown, 1-0, in 10 innings.
Hall, the Orioles' No. 4 prospect, continued his recent string of dominance by setting a career high with seven strikeouts over 5 2/3 hitless frames, matching his longest outing as a pro. He issued two walks, hit one batter and faced four over the minimum, ultimately throwing 57 of a career-high 90 pitches for strikes in the outing.
With the stellar performance, Hall now owns a 0.44 ERA across his past five starts, during which he's allowed one earned run on 12 hits with 18 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings. In his five turns prior to that, the 19-year-old left-hander had been 0-4 with a 5.48 ERA in 23 innings.
His early struggles aside, Hall, whom the Orioles selected with the No. 21 pick in the 2017 Draft, has put together an impressive first full season in the South Atlantic League, posting a 2.82 ERA with 49 strikeouts and a .213 opponents' average across 54 1/3 innings (14 appearances/12 starts).
Entering in relief of Hall, Alex Katz delivered 3 1/3 hitless innings with four strikeouts to extend the Shorebirds' combined no-hit bid through regulation. It was the third straight scoreless appearance by the 23-year-old southpaw, who owns a 4.14 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 37 innings (21 appearances) on the season.
Hagerstown would finally enter the hit column in the 10th inning, courtesy of a bunt single that also advanced the Suns' placement runner, Branden Boggetto, to third base. He scored the game-winning run one batter later on a wild pitch.
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The rest of the best performances from top prospects Thursday
D-backs No. 23 prospect Brian Shaffer racked up nine strikeouts over six scoreless innings in Class A Kane County's 4-1 win over Clinton. The 21-year-old right-hander allowed just two hits, issued one walk and threw 57 of his 80 pitches for strikes. Shaffer owns a 0.47 ERA across his past three turns and a 2.78 ERA in 16 starts this season, during which he's compiled 95 strikeouts, second most in the Midwest League, and 19 walks in 90 2/3 innings.
Dodgers No. 6 prospect DJ Peters and Will Smith (No. 9) both hit solo homers in the seventh inning as Double-A Tulsa edged Midland, 7-6, in the first game of a doubleheader. Peters has now homered in three of his past four games, six times in his past 11 and has a total of 18 homers through 80 games. Smith, meanwhile, went deep for the fifth time in 10 games, giving him 12 homers in 50 games this season.
• The nightcap saw Dodgers No. 29 prospect Dean Kremer fire a seven-inning shutout in his Double-A debut. It was the first career complete game and shutout for the 22-year-old right-hander, who permitted three hits and three walks and struck out 11 batters for a second time in three starts to match his career high. The Dodgers promoted Kremer to the Texas League after he logged a 3.30 ERA with 114 strikeouts in 79 innings (16 starts) with Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga.

MILB Video - Title: Kremer spins complete game - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2237427783

A's No. 23 prospect Wyatt Marks took a no-decision despite throwing six hitless innings in Class A Beloit's 2-1 win over Quad Cities. He issued a season-high five walks in the outing, four in the first three innings, but also struck out five and threw 51 of his 89 pitches for strikes. The scoreless performance was Mark's second in four starts, and the 23-year-old righty has lowered his ERA from 4.66 to 3.89 in that span.

MILB Video - Title: Marks throws six hitless frames - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2236846983

Padres No. 24 prospect Luis Patino allowed an unearned run but zero hits as he dominated over 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision for Class A Fort Wayne. He walked three and matched his career high with eight strikeouts before departing with a career-high 84 pitches (48 strikes). Through nine starts in the Midwest League, the fast-rising 18-year-old righty has pitched to a 2.55 ERA with 49 strikeouts and 12 walks in 42 1/3 innings.
Rays No. 14 prospect Brandon Lowe stayed red-hot at the dish by going 3-for-4 with a double and another home run in Triple-A Durham's 6-3 win over Charlotte. Lowe's homer, a two-run shot in the ninth, was his ninth in 25 games at the Triple-A level, and he's now connected on a career-best 17 homers this season across two levels. Altogether, the 24-year-old has produced a .308/.408/.575 batting line with 45 extra-base hits and 66 RBIs in 79 games.
Red Sox No. 12 prospect Bobby Dalbec's 4-for-5 night at the plate proved the difference as Class A Advanced Salem survived a late comeback to defeat Potomac, 10-9. He tallied three extra-base hits in the contest, sandwiching a fifth-inning solo shot with a pair of RBI doubles to finish with three RBIs and two runs scored. The 23-year-old third baseman arguably has been the Carolina League's top slugger so far this season, as he paces the circuit in slugging (.517), home runs (17), doubles (24) and RBIs (64).
• Blue Jays first-rounder (No. 12 overall pick) Jordan Groshans extended his career-opening hitting streak to 11 games with a 2-for-4, four-RBI performance in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. One of Groshans' hits was a double, his fourth, and he's now recorded two four-RBI games as a pro. Altogether, the 18-year-old shortstop sports a .400/.500/.650 batting line with six extra-base hits and as many walks as strikeouts (seven).
• Cardinals first-rounder (No. 19 overall pick) Nolan Gorman connected on his fifth home run in as many games, hitting an eighth-inning solo shot to cap a 2-for-4 showing for Rookie-level Johnson City. The 18-year-old slugger has now gone deep six times in his first 46 pro at-bats and sports a .304/.429/.717 batting line through 13 games in the Appalachian League.