Cubs Minor League News: Mesa’s hot streak snapped as Peoria blanks Solar Sox |
Dustin Riese
· · 9 hours ago
PEORIA - It's amazing how one game can suddenly flip the script of what a team looks like. After watching their offense come to life for the better part of the week, the Mesa Solar Sox (12-14) cooled off on Thursday as they were never able to get into the groove they were hoping for.
That was only the start of what was to come as the Solar Sox were back on the road for the first time in nearly a week as they faced off against the Peoria Javelinas (11-14). In what wound up being a rare, and I mean rare, pitchers' duel, both teams combined for just 10 hits and three runs on the offensive side, as it was the pitching that dominated this one. Unfortunately for Mesa, it was their offense that failed to show up, as the Javelinas not only picked up the victory but also did so in shutout fashion, topping the Solar Sox 3-0. This was an extremely painful game to watch as five of the Cubs' seven prospects saw action in this one, including three pitchers. It's not often that we talk about the pitchers, but given how they threw the ball, they deserve the most recognition, as Luis Martinez-Gomez was back on the mound for Mesa, making his first start of the season. Used as a relief-only arm all season, it was nice to see him get the start, even if he lasted just two innings. From a results side, Martinez-Gomez was touched up for one run on two hits in his two innings, but also managed to strike out two as he took the tough luck loss. Following Martinez-Gomez in the pen was a plethora of arms, including JP Wheat and Matthew Peters, who went on to throw the next three innings. Wheat has now had back-to-back outings where he looked like a serviceable arm, as he walked two in his inning of work, but didn't allow a run, which is all you can ask for from him at this point. Peters was next out of the pen for the Solar Sox, tossing two innings of his own to keep his team in the game. He was another guy who looked much better this time out than in his previous outings, as he allowed just one hit in two innings, striking out one for the Solar Sox. Offensively speaking, there wasn't much to get excited about for either side, as both teams had just five hits. When it comes to the Mesa offense, Owen Ayers continued to produce at the plate, as he picked up one of the team's five hits with a single to move his average to .365 for the season. Cole Mathis, on the other hand, is in free-fall mode as his late-season struggles continue. Despite his average still sitting at .271 for the season, Mathis hasn't gotten a hit over his last four starts, and that continued with a 0-2 showing on Friday. He did, however, take a pair of walks with a strikeout as he, at the very least, displayed a good eye at the plate.
