MLB Notebook: Angels crush Rockies, add infield depth, Ivan Melendez achieves milestone and the Reds are white hot
The Los Angeles Angels have made two moves to improve their infield depth with the MLB trade deadline looming just five weeks away.
On Friday, the Halos acquired infielder Eduardo Escobar from the Mets for two minor league pitchers.
Right-handed pitchers Coleman Crow and Landon Marceaux, who are ranked No. 19 and No.20 according to MLB.com, will head to the Mets.
The 34-year-old switch-hitting Escobar is batting .236/.286/.409 with four home runs in 120 plate appearances this season. He lost playing time to top prospect Brett Baty, allowing the veteran to become available.
The Angels also acquired veteran infielder Mike Moustakas from the Rockies for right-handed minor leaguer Connor Van Scoyoc.
Moustakas is having a bounce back season after a handful of injury-plagued years. He’s appeared in 47 games this season batting .270 with 31 hits, seven doubles, four homers, 17 RBI with a .795 OPS.
Los Angeles was in need of infield depth after a rash of injuries has torn through the roster. Escobar is expected to take the place of Gio Urshela is expected to miss the rest of the season due to a fractured pelvis. Anthony Rendon is back on the IL with a wrist contusion and shortstop Zach Neto has an oblique strain.
Angels Embarrass Rockies on Saturday Night
The Angels added players off the field which in turn helped the product on the field. On Saturday night, the Halos hammered the Rockies 25-1 after a 13-run third inning.
The high-scoring inning started after the Angels hit back-to-back-to-back homers on three consecutive pitches. You might want to commit that to memory in case that is a future trivia question.
The three straight homers sparked the Angels offense to 21 runs over the two innings. Mike Trout started off the epic third-inning outburst with a solo blast on a 1-0 fastball from right-hander Chase Anderson, Brandon Drury followed with a shot of his own on a first-pitch cutter. Then Matt Thaiss demolished a curveball into the right field seats to add in on the fun.
“We were aggressive, we attacked pitches in the zone and hitting gets contagious sometimes,” said manager Phil Nevin. “To be honest, we found some holes, but then the big blows helped us add on.”
Former No. 1 overall pick Mickey Moniak and Hunter Renfroe both went 5-for-5, which is impressive in it’s own right.
DBacks Prospect Hits for the Cycle
Diamondbacks No. 7 prospect Ivan Melendez, who has been one of the hottest hitters in Minor League Baseball - hit for the cycle on Friday night.
The High-A Hillsboro Hops star technically learned of his cycle on Saturday after a stat correction changed one of his doubles to a triple.
Melendez’s first triple this season was a one-hopper to the fence in right-center field.
The cycle was the first in Hops team history, and in the process, Melendez finished the game 4-for-45 with three runs scored and two RBI.
The former No. 43 overall pick out of Texas last year is hitting .279 with 14 home runs, 35 RBI, three stolen bases and owns a .978 OPS.
First Place Reds are White Hot
Who would have thought that the Reds would be one of the best teams in the National League and the division leaders in the NL Central?
One month ago, the Reds were eight games under .500 and dead last in the division, then their fortunes changed after calling up top infield prospect Elly De La Cruz back on June 6.
Cruz has helped pace the Reds to 12 wins in the last 13 games. The 21-yeqr-old prospect has been mashing pitching since his promotion to the big leagues. He’s had 64 at-bats and is hitting .359 with three homers, 10 RBI, eight stolen bases with a 1.064 OPS. Similar to Melendez, he also has hit for the cycle on Friday night.
The stellar play of the Reds has caught the eye of Pete Rose who thinks they’ll make the playoffs this season. Rose is impressed with the current mix of young players infused within the Reds roster.
"These kids are really talented (De La Cruz, infielders Matt McLain and Spencer Steer and starting pitcher Andrew Abbott), and they’ve started off playing really good. You usually don’t start playing that well, and clicking at the same time, like they are,” said Rose to USA Today.
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