Riley Martin – Picture by Todd Johnson

This might have been the worst night of the season. Every affiliate lost in part because the starting pitching did not have their best stuff. From Myrtle Beach all the way up to Iowa, you might have been better off just clicking the X button the computer. I did.

News of the Day

Well, the Cubs did make a trade today. They sent pitcher Chris Martin to the Dodgers in exchange for utility player Zach McKinstry. If you are wondering why North Side Bound didn’t cover it, it is because we just cover the minors. So, if prospects would have been involved, we would have been all over it.

One Pitcher of the Day

Frankie Scalzo, Jr. was the man today. He came on in the third inning and then kept Myrtle Beach in the game as he threw three scoreless frames. Along the way, he struck out five Green Jackets and did not allow a single hit.

Stat of the Day

Alcantara is second behind Matt Mervis in the system. Not too shabby for a 19-year-old.

A Second Reliever of the Day

Riley Martin of South Bend continued his excellent season tonight as he tossed three scoreless frames as well. He struck out four. Since coming off the Development List on July 10, he’s tossed 12.2 innings and has an ERA of 1.42 in that span. In addition, he’s struck out 18 batters. What Martin did on the Development List was work on some grips and using the same arm slot for all of his pitches. He will make his third All-Star Team of the Year on Monday. Pretty good!

One More Reliever of the Day

Why not. Samuel Reyes has been going through some rough times on the mound lately. Tonight, he was on. He pitched two innings and struck out 6 for the Smokies.

Dinger of the Day

Originally tweeted by Brad (@ballskwok) on July 30, 2022.

Hitter of the Day

Bryce Ball gets the honors today as he went 3-for-5 with 2 RBI in a losing cause. Jake Slaughter is today’s runner-up as he went 3-for-5 but did not drive in a run. Josue Huma also gets an honorable mention as he went 2-for-5 with 2 RBI.

I will be back in the morning with “The Weekly.” The DSL and ACL All=Star Team will be around noon an d let’s hope for some better results in tomorrow’s game.