Summer of SIlver - An MLB the Show 25 Franchise - Presented by BigJDotCom01

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July 4-6: LAS VEGAS (35-54) @ SALT RIVER (37-54)
Stadium: Salt River Fields (Capacity: 9,080)

July 4: Silver Kings 12, Rafters 7
July 5: Rafters 5, Silver Kings 4
July 6: Rafters 7, Silver Kings 6

Scottsdale, AZ (AP) - Welp, Las Vegas once again looked like they could sweep an opponent and they end up losing two of three in walk off fashion to lose the series against the Salt River Rafters.

On Friday night, the Silver Kings ran their winning streak to a season high four games as they pounded out 18 hits in a 12-7 victory over the Rafters. Danny Watt went 5 for 5, hitting for the cycle and driving in three runs, to help pace the offense.

Las Vegas got to work quickly, scoring three times in the top of the first inning. Eric Machado led off the game with a solo home run to right. Vladimir Escalera would add a two-out, two-run single, scoring Danny Watt and David Tejeda.

A Danny Watt solo home run in the top of the third put Las Vegas up 4-0. Salt River would answer back in the bottom half of the third, scoring on a Rickey Cornell ground out, allowing Garrett Lindsay to score.

An Eric Machado RBI double in the fourth, scored Todd Matsumoto. Danny Watt lined a single to center that scored Machado as Las Vegas went up 6-1. But Salt River answered back with three in the bottom half. A Garrett Lindsay two-run triple capped off the inning as the Rafters pulled to within 6-4.

Eric Machado hit his second home run of the game in the sixth. The two-run shot was his 12^th of the season.

Las Vegas went to their bullpen in the seventh with Martin Villegas coming on in relief of Antoine Swanger. Villegas surrendered a solo home run to Rickey Cornell, that cut the Vegas lead to 8-5.

Eric Machado hit his second double of the game in the eighth, and scored on a Danny Watt RBI single. Las Vegas then added three more runs in the top of the ninth with Caden Juarez hitting a two-run home run (15) and Todd Matsumoto doubling home Vladimir Escalera. Salt River scored twice in the bottom of the ninth off of Jeff McArthur, but they could not overcome the huge deficit.

Eric Machado went 4 for 5 in the game with two doubles, two home runs, four RBIs and four runs scored. Caden Juarez went 3 for 5 with a double, home run, and two RBIs. Antoine Swanger (6-5) picked up the win, going six innings and allowing four runs (two earned) on seven hits, striking out four.

On Saturday afternoon, the Silver Kings rallied from a four run deficit to tie the game late, but lost it in walk off fashion as the Rafters pulled out a 5-4 victory to even the series. Archie Cutliff went 2 for 4 with a big three-run home run for the Rafters.

Salt River went up 4-0 in the third inning as they knocked around Jude Vernon. Tino Hidalgo opened the inning with a single to right. Rickey Cornell beat out a double play ball with Hidalgo being erased at second. Kevin Hayashi then doubled home Cornell to put the Rafters up 1-0. Abdul Ewing then grounded one to Danny Watt at second that he booted. Archie Cutliff followed that with a no doubt home run to center to make it 4-0.

But the Silver Kings clawed their way all the way back. Gilberto Cardona tripled and scored on a Stefan Hernandez sacrifice fly in the fifth. Caden Juarez hit an absolute bomb in the seventh. The solo shot was hit 484 feet and was his 16^th on the season. In the eighth, Eric Machado tripled and scored on a Stephen Park sac fly. Junior Maldonado doubled to left and scored on a Caden Juarez double to right. Juarez was thrown out at third to end the inning, but it was tied up at 4-4.

In the bottom of the ninth, Tino Hidalgo reached on a Stephen Park throwing error. Rickey Cornell singled Hidalgo to third. Kevin Hayashi then hit one to Park at second, but instead of going to the inning ending double play, Park went home and threw it wide, allowing Hidalgo to score the winning run.

Danny Watt had to leave the game in the sixth as he turned an ankle trying to reach for a ground ball. X-rays taken after he was removed from the game showed that Watt broke his right foot and will miss 4-8 weeks. The club placed him on the 10-Day Injured List, recalling shortstop Kevin Harris from Triple-A Salt Lake.

Jude Vernon had one lousy inning, but pitched well. He went 7.2 innings, allowing four runs on nine hits, striking out six. Henry Coronado (0-1) took the loss. He finished the eighth and came back out for the ninth. He allowed one run (unearned) on two hits, striking out one.

Sunday afternoon perfectly summed up the Silver Kings season. They get a great pitching performance from their starter, timely hitting, yet lose 7-6 as the Rafters walked it off with two in the bottom of the ninth.

Eric Machado opened the game with a solo home run to right, after a ten pitch at bat, to put the Silver Kings up 1-0. Abdul Ewing did the same thing for Salt River as he led off the bottom of the first with a home run off of Jeremi Dillon.

The Rafters went ahead in the fifth on a Rickey Cornell two-out, RBI double that scored Cameron Napier.

In the seventh, Las Vegas would score three times to take the lead. Russell O'Reilly doubled home Gilberto Cardona. Eric Machado followed up with a two-out RBI single that scored O'Reilly. Stephen Park singled home Machado to make it 4-2. Salt River answered right back as Eloy Leon hit a two-run home run off of Jeremi Dillon to tie the game up at 4-4.

Las Vegas retook the lead in the top of the eighth as Mariano Hidalgo hit a two-run home run, his 12^th on the season as the Silver Kings went back up 6-4. Rob Porter came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth and gave up a solo home run to Kevin Hayashi, his second on the year, to cut the lead to 6-5.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Silver Kings brought in closer Kai Ransom. He got Baum to pop out to second. Eloy Leon then grinded out an eight pitch at bat, singling back up the middle. Cameron Napier then lined a double to left, scoring Eloy to tie the game. Tino Hidalgo then blooped one to right in front of Gilberto Cardona, allowing Napier to score the game winning run. It was Ransom's fourth blown save in 14 opportunities as he dropped to (0-3).

The loss leaves Las Vegas at (35-54) in last place in the Desert League and definitely looking like a seller at the deadline. But this is a young team already, so it may be interesting to see what they do. The Silver Kings now return home for a seven game home stand as we head into the All-Star break, facing San Diego (55-35) for four games and then Boise (47-43) for three games.

Around the League: Red-hot Surprise has won four straight and sent Phoenix to their eighth straight loss on Saturday afternoon with a 5-3 victory. The win moved the Saguaros to just 2.5 games back in the DL Central. Edmund Isaac went 2 for 4 with a triple, home run, RBI and two runs scored to help pace the offense.

Trades: West Texas has traded 29-year-old left fielder Chris Christensen (88 OVR, A POT) to San Diego for 23-year-old starting pitcher Tom Kern (70 OVR, A POT) and 24-year-old third baseman Thomas Chow (65 OVR, C POT). Christensen in the final year of his contract was hitting .257 with 14 home runs and 38 RBIs for the Seals. Kern was (3-2, 3.04) with 36 strikeouts in eight starts for the Seals.

Salt River keeps the fire sale going as they ship 33-year-old first baseman Tommie Turnwall (89 OVR, A POT) to San Antonio for 23-year-old right fielder Jason Planteny (68 OVR, B POT) and 22-year-old catcher Steve Jordan (62 OVR, A POT). Turnwall was hitting .232 with 18 home runs and 47 RBIs in 332 at-bats for the Rafters. The Rafters have unloaded first baseman Tommie Turnwall (89 OVR), right fielder Micah Lange (87 OVR), and third baseman Bo Mitchell (87 OVR) this week for a big return of prospects. Salt River now has five prospects in the top 50.

Scottsdale has traded 25-year-old second baseman Sergio Gomez (86 OVR, B POT) to Chandler for 18-year-old starting pitcher Darrell Bain (68 OVR, B POT) and 19-year-old second baseman Bill Nava (58 OVR, C POT). Gomez was hitting .279 with 16 home runs and 37 RBIs for the Scorpions, who sit in last place in the DL Central.

Denver is sending 27-year-old centerfielder Tommy Coley (84 OVR, B POT) to Albuquerque for 21-year-old shortstop Lonnie Quinones (58 OVR, B POT), 22-year-old centerfielder Felipe Geronimo (61 OVR, C POT), and 23-year-old left fielder Joe Miller (69 OVR, C POT). Coley was hitting .225 with eight home runs and 33 RBIs for the Black Bears.

Denver is also sending 28-year-old second baseman Trevor Castillo (80 OVR, B POT) to Boise for a trio of prospects in 23-year-old left fielder Mike Berry (68 OVR, C POT), 23-year-old right fielder Danny Knapek (63 OVR, C POT) and 24-year-old first baseman Mike Cortez (68 OVR, C POT). Castillo was hitting .237 with two home runs, 19 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. These two trades by Denver clear over $52M from their books over the next three seasons.

Last place Salt River yucking it up after taking two of three from last place Las Vegas.

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Phoenix, AZ (AP) - There are just nine days until the 2025 IBL All-Star Game in Austin. Tahoe centerfielder Cherry Reese is the leading vote getter in the Desert League with 700K votes. Boise first baseman Chad Riley leads the Mountain League with 557K votes.

Here are the vote leaders at each position:

Desert League - Starting Pitcher: Mark Payton (Tahoe) 393K
Desert League - Reliever: Norris Walk (San Diego) 224K
Desert League - Catcher: Andre Wolf (Surprise) 369K
Desert League - First Base: Julio Mendoza (Mesa) 579K
Desert League - Second Base: Earl Shirley (San Diego) 548K
Desert League - Shortstop: Alfonzo Rosales (Chandler) 620K
Desert League - Third Base: Jay Craig (Glendale) 561K
Desert League - Left Field: Phil Chapman (Phoenix) 550K
Desert League - Center Field: Reese Cherry (Tahoe) 700K
Desert League - Right Field: Edmund Isaac (Surprise) 595K
Desert League - Designated Hitter: Caden Juarez (Las Vegas) 549K

Mountain League - Starting Pitcher: Steve Jefferson (Boise) 423K
Mountain League - Reliever: Jeffrey Thomas (Austin) 200K
Mountain League - Catcher: Gene Beasley (Albuquerque) 450K
Mountain League - First Base: Chad Riley (Boise) 557K
Mountain League - Second Base: Kyle Gomez (Salt Lake) 529K
Mountain League - Shortstop: Tomas Velazquez (El Paso) 485K
Mountain League - Third Base: Andres Cabrera (Boise) 488K
Mountain League - Left Field: Jerold Kazarian (El Paso) 441K
Mountain League - Center Field: Jackie Phillips (Salt Lake) 511K
Mountain League - Right Field: Cristian Palbicki (Amarillo) 543K
Mountain League - Designated Hitter: Cesar Santiago (San Antonio) 361K

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July 7-10: SAN DIEGO (57-37) @ LAS VEGAS (37-56)
Stadium: Ballys Ballpark (Capacity: 26,976)

July 7: Seals 7, Silver Kings 1
July 8: Seals 10, Silver Kings 6 (11)
July 9: Silver Kings 2, Seals 1
July 10: Silver Kings 9, Seals 5

Las Vegas, NV (AP) - Las Vegas managed to split a four game series with first place San Diego after dropping the first two games at Ballys Ballpark.

San Diego opened the four game series in Las Vegas with an easy 7-1 victory over the Silver Kings. Clayton Lopez (10-1) tossed seven innings, allowing one run on three hits, striking out three.

Las Vegas scored first in this one with Eric Machado leading off the bottom of the first with a triple. He scored on a Stephen Park RBI ground out, to make it 1-0.

The Seals would score five times in the fourth inning without recording an out. Four consecutive singles from Henry Aguilar, Alvin Metoyer, Chris Christensen and Eugene Griffin, made it 2-0. Nicholas Lawson then lined a two-run double to center. Dave Foxx singled home Lawson to make it 5-0.

Dave Foxx would add a two-run home run in the ninth, his third on the season, to make it 7-1.

Kevin Perez (7-7) took the loss, allowing five runs on ten hits in eight innings of work. All five runs and six of the hits came in that bad fourth inning.

On Tuesday evening, the Seals scored four times in the top of the eleventh inning to pull away for a 10-6 victory, their fourth win in a row. Earl Shirley went 5 for 6 with a double, scoring twice, to lead San Diego to the win.

The Seals got off to a quick start in this one as newcomer Reggie Adamson lined a two-out, two-run double in the top of the second to put the Seals up 2-0.

Las Vegas answered with three in the bottom half. Gilberto Cardona lined a two-run double to center, but was thrown out trying to stretch the play into a triple. Russell O'Reilly followed that with a solo home run to left, his sixth on the year, to put Las Vegas up 3-2.

San Diego would get an unearned run in the third on a Stephen Park throwing error that allowed Earl Shirley to score to tie the game at 3-3.

Julio Chacon led off the fifth with a double, advanced to third on a ground out, and scored on a Junior Maldonado ground out as Las Vegas retook the look 4-3. But San Diego responded right back with a Wiley Blanton RBI single off the glove of second baseman Stephen Park, allowing Henry Aguilar to score to tie the game at 4-4.

San Diego would go in front in the top of the seventh when Henry Aguilar hit a ball back up the middle that hit off of pitcher Henry Coronado, with the bases loaded. Everyone was safe and the Seals went up 5-4. Alvin Metoyer then hit a sacrifice fly to left to make it 6-4.

David Tejeda responded with a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh, his 15^th on the season, as Las Vegas tied the game back up at 6-6.

San Diego had a chance to take the lead in the ninth after back-to-back singles to open the inning, but Jeff McArthur struck out the next three batters to get out of the jam.

Neither team would score in the tenth. San Diego then got a Griffin single to left with one out in the eleventh to take the lead. Shirley and Tejeda singled to load the bases. Henry Aguilar lined a single back up the middle to score two runs. Alvin Metoyer singled to score Tejeda to make it 10-6.

Evan Chick stayed in the game to pitch the eleventh and sent down Las Vegas in order to earn the win, improving to (3-0) on the year. Kai Ransom (0-4) took the loss for the Silver Kings, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits.

On Wednesday evening, the Silver Kings got another great pitching performance from Antoine Swanger as they pulled out a 2-1 victory over the Seals. Swanger (7-5) went eight innings, allowing one run on seven hits, striking out nine without a walk.

San Diego took a 1-0 lead in the second on a solo home run from Rich Edney, his 18^th on the season. Las Vegas tied it up in the sixth on a solo home run from Mariano Hidalgo, his 13^th on the year.

It would stay that way until the eighth. The Seals went to Maynard on the mound and he got the first two batters of the inning out, but gave up a two-out double to Eric Machado. Caden Juarez was intentionally walked. David Tejeda came on to pinch hit for Julio Chacon and lined an RBI single to center with Juarez thrown out at third on the play.

Martin Villegas came on in relief of Antoine Swanger and was able to secure the win to earn his first career save.

Cristian Johnson did not get a decision but pitched well for San Diego, allowing one run on five hits with six strikeouts in six innings of work.

In Thursday evening's finale, the Silver Kings built an 8-0 lead, then held on for a relatively easy 9-5 victory to earn a split of the four game series. Eric Machado went 3 for 5 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBIs.

Vegas jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the third inning. David Tejeda hit a three-run home run, his 16^th to put Vegas on the board. Julio Chacon added an RBI double, scoring Gilberto Cardona to make it 4-0.

In the fourth, Eric Machado hit a two-run home run, his 13^th. Mariano Hidalgo added an RBI single and another run came home as Caden Juarez grounded into a double play.

San Diego got one back in the fifth on a solo home run from Alvin Metoyer, his 20^th on the season. Reggie Adamson hit a three-run home run in the seventh to cut the Vegas lead to 8-4. It was his second of the series and 10^th on the year.

Eric Machado added an RBI double in the eighth to make it 9-4. Reggie Adamson added an RBI double in the ninth for San Diego's fifth run.

Jude Vernon (4-2) picked up the win, tossing 6.1 innings, allowing three runs on two hits, striking out four and walking three. J.J. Willis (7-8) took the loss for the Seals. He went three plus innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on nine hits, striking out four.

The Silver Kings (37-56) will now host Boise (50-44) to close out the first half of the season as we head into the All-Star break.

Around the League: Gilbert's Jimmy Gutierrez (10-5) tossed a complete game one-hitter, striking out three and walking two in a 12-0 blanking of Flagstaff on Tuesday evening.

Trades: Peoria has sent 29-year-old right handed reliever George Guevara (88 OVR, B POT) to Tucson for 18-year-old starting pitcher Dwight O'Leary (69 OVR, C POT) and 25-year-old right fielder Darrin Parks (69 OVR, C POT). Guevara had 19 saves and five holds with an ERA of 2.95 with 49 strikeouts in 39.2 innings of work.

Long Beach is sending 25-year-old catcher Lance Deardorf (85 OVR, B POT) to Phoenix for 21-year-old starting pitcher Rich Novoa (69 OVR, C POT) and 24-year-old shortstop Peter Carver (72 OBVRm C POT). Deardorf was hitting .272 with 13 home runs and 36 RBIs in 82 games for the Surf Dawgs.

Scottsdale has sent 31-year-old catcher Reggie Adamson (86 OVR, B POT) to San Diego for 23-year-old second baseman William Ko (67 OVR, B POT) and 23-year-old centerfielder Beckett Ramey (68 OVR, B POT). Adamson was hitting .250 with nine home runs and 34 RBIs for the Scorpions in 79 games.

Billings sends 29-year-old catcher Glen Webber (87 OVR, B POT) to Tahoe for 29-year-old second baseman Alex Prado (83 OVR, B POT) and 25-year-old starting pitcher Ray Hunter (72 OVR, C POT). Webber was hitting .261 with 11 home runs and 28 RBIs for the Mustangs. Prado was hitting .271 with nine homers and 49 RBIs with six stolen bases for Tahoe. Ray Hunter started 19 games for Billings, going (6-9, 4.08 ERA) with 72 strikeouts in 19 starts. Tahoe also sent 32-year-old catcher Guillermo Esquivel (78 OVR, C POT) to Billings for 21-year-old starting pitcher Toby Spencer (68 OVR, C POT) and 24-year-old second baseman Joel Ramirez (64 OVR, C POT). Esquivel replaces recently traded Glen Webber in the Mustangs lineup. He was hitting .231 with eight home runs and 33 RBIs for the Lake Monsters.

Phoenix has traded catcher 23-year-old Demarcus Bako (77 OVR, B POT) to Long Beach for 34-year-old third baseman Richard Cobain (78 OVR, C POT), 31-year-old starting pitcher Antonio Salazar (72 OVR, C POT) and 25-year-old reliever Salvatore Rayna (71 OVR, C POT). The move comes after Phoenix acquired catcher Lance Deardorff from Long Beach, making Bako expendable.

Tahoe has sent 24-year-old centerfielder Bret Early (76 OVR, C POT) to Santa Fe for 18-year-old second baseman Eli Del Villar (64 OVR, C POT) and 24-year-old starting pitcher Giancarlo Estrella (67 OVR, C POT).

Long Beach continues to wheel and deal as they send 30-year-old reliever Anthony Pennington (79 OVR, B POT) to Salt River for 26-year-old starting pitcher Theodore Song (70 OVR, C POT).

David Tejeda is looking like a star and the cornerstone of this franchise.

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July 11-13: BOISE (52-45) @ LAS VEGAS (38-58)
Stadium: Ballys Ballpark (Capacity: 26,976)

July 11: Hawks 5, Silver Kings 4
July 12: Silver Kings 4, Hawks 3
July 13: Hawks 2, Silver Kings 0

Las Vegas, NV (AP) - Las Vegas dropped two of three to Boise to close out the first half of the 2025 season at a dismal (38-58).

The Hawks opened the three game series on Friday night with a 5-4 victory over the Silver Kings to extend their winning streak to four games. Andy Wise led the way, going 2 for 4 with a double, home run and three RBIs to pace the Hawks to the series opening victory.

This one was scoreless into the fifth inning until Las Vegas broke through. Caden Juarez singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a ground out. Russell O'Reilly came through with a two-out RBI single to right to score Juarez as Las Vegas went up 1-0.

Boise got on the board in the top of the sixth. With two runners on, Andres Cabrera hit a laser right at second baseman Stephen Park. He whiffed on it and the ball went all the way to the wall, scoring both runners with Cabrera pulling into third with a triple. Andy Wise then hit a two-run home run to left that made it 4-1.

The Silver Kings answered back in the bottom half on an RBI single from Caden Juarez.

Andy Wise added a huge insurance run in the eighth on a two-out RBI double. That ended up being big because the Silver Kings got two back in the bottom of the ninth on a Gilberto Cardona two-run home run, his tenth on the season.

Joseph Morrow (2-1) earned the win for Boise, going six innings and allowing two runs on six hits, striking out four and walking one. Steve Ojeda picked up his 28^th save, but allowed two runs in the ninth.

Jeremi Dillon (2-6) took the loss, but pitched well, allowing four runs on five hits in 5.2 innings of work. He struck out six and walked two. If Stephen Park makes that play on the ground ball in the sixth, he probably gets the win.

On Saturday evening, the Silver Kings rallied to slip past the Hawks 4-3. Junior Maldonado went 2 for 3 with two doubles and two RBIs to help pace the Kings to the victory.

Boise wasted no time grabbing the lead in the first inning. Trevor Castillo led off the game with a single, then stole second. He advanced to third on a ground out and scored on another ground out to give the Hawks an early 1-0 lead. Steve Batista hit a long home run in the second. The solo shot was his 10^th on the season and put Boise up 2-0.

Back-to-back doubles from Junior Maldonado and Todd Matsumoto in the third got Las Vegas on the board.

Boise went back up by two in the fifth on an RBI single from Trevor Castillo. Junior Maldonado answered right back in the bottom half with a two-run double, scoring Stephen Park and Gilberto Cardona, to tie the game at 3-3.

Las Vegas would take their first lead of the game in the sixth, as Stephen Park lined a two-out, RBI double to left, scoring Junior Chacon.

The Silver Kings bullpen then went to work. Rob Porter, Henry Coronado and Kai Ransom each threw a scoreless inning with Ransom picking up his 11^th save. Kevin Perez (8-7) picked up the win, tossing six innings and allowing three runs on seven hits, striking out five. Sean Christensen (5-5) took the loss for Boise. He allowed four runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings of work, striking out seven.

On Sunday afternoon, Boise took the rubber match of the weekend series with a 2-0 victory. Angel Colon went 2 for 4 and drove in both of the Hawks runs in the victory.

Boise went in front in the fourth on an Angel Colon two-out, RBI single that scored Andres Cabrera. He would add a big insurance run in the ninth with a single that scored Chad Riley.

Steve Jefferson (10-5) picked up the win, tossing seven shutout innings, striking out three. Steve Ojeda picked up his 29^th save as he sent down the Silver Kings in order in the ninth.

Emery Hutchinson (8-7) was the hard luck loser in this one. He went seven innings, allowing one run on five hits, striking out seven and walking two.

Eric Machado left the game in the sixth inning, injuring his leg sliding into second on a failed steal attempt. Machado will likely miss the All-Star Game on Tuesday in Austin. He was the leading vote getter in the IBL.

Around the League: Phoenix's George Brandt wins his Desert League leading 13^th game as he improved to (13-5) in a 7-1 victory over Long Beach. Brandt went eight innings, allowing one run on four hits, striking out four. Rob Gray homered twice (12,13) for the Firebirds.

Flagstaff goes into the All-Star break red-hot having won four straight and nine of ten to take over the Mountain League Wild Card lead. On Sunday afternoon, the Hops beat Colorado Springs 6-3 with Joe Delaney going 2 for 5 with his club leading 19^th home run and three RBIs to lead the way.

Trades: Amarillo sends 31-year-old catcher Steve Batista (86 OVR, B POT) to Boise for 22-year-old starting pitcher John Marte (70 OVR, C POT) and 23-year-old first baseman Glen Presley (70 OVR, C POT). Batista was hitting .256 with nine homers and 36 RBIs in 77 games for the Honey Hunters.

Flagstaff ships 25-year-old left fielder Robert Leahy (70 OVR, C POT) to San Diego for 22-year-old starting pitcher Alfonso Soriano (68 OVR, C POT).

Salt River sends 29-year-old left fielder Archie Cutliff (80 OVR, C POT) to division rival Chandler for 24-yer-old third baseman Ken Ka (66 OVR, C POT) and 19-year-old starting pitcher Wesley Huseby (66 OVR, C POT).

The Rafters have also traded 26-year-old catcher Juan Lopes (67 OVR, C POT) to Surprise for 24-year-old right fielder Thurman Frey (70 OVR, C POT).

Phoenix sends 24-year-old first baseman Rob Gray (85 OVR, B POT) to Austin for 29-year-old catcher Andres Pena (85 OBR, B POT) and 32-year-old reliever Jeffrey Thomas (81 OVR, B POT). Gray was hitting .242 with 13 home runs and 39 RBIs in 92 games for the Firebirds, They get back another catcher after acquiring Lance Deardorff last week from Long Beach. Pena was hitting .217 with 12 home runs and 33 RBIs in 82 games for Austin. Jeffrey Thomas had an ERA of 0.91 with 63 strikeouts in 49.1 innings of work. He will likely slide into the setup role in Phoenix for the Firebirds, who sit just three games back of Glendale in the DL Central.

Angel Colon drove in both of Boise's runs on Sunday afternoon.

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Phoenix, AZ (AP) - The first half of the 2025 season has come to an end as we have hit the All-Star break.

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SILVER KINGS FIRST HALF STATS

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2025 T MOBILE HOME RUN DERBY

Billings' Darrick Pugh won the 2025 T-Mobile Home Run Derby.

Austin, TX (AP) – The 2025 T-Mobile Home Run Derby kicked off the All-Star festivities on Monday evening in Austin. The event consisted of six All-Stars and two non-All-Stars. Shea Horton (Tahoe), Chad Riley (Boise), William Choi (Santa Fe), Fletcher Long (St George), Darrick Pugh (Billings), Herbert Webber (Tucson), Jay Craig (Glendale) and Edmund Isaac (Surprise) were the eight particpants.

The first round was three minutes plus bonus outs with the top four advancing to the semifinals. Darrick Pugh (27), Shea Horton (23), Edmund Isaac (19) and William Choi (19) advanced.

In the semifinals, Darrick Pugh defeated William Choi 14-13, with She Horton beating Edmund Isaac 12-11. Darrick Pugh went first in the Finals and went off, hitting 23 home runs, including ten straight in bonus time. Shea Horton could only manage 13, leaving Darrick Pugh as the Home Run Derby Champion.

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2025 ILB ALL-STAR GAME TEAMS

Mountain League All-Stars:

Starting Pitchers:
Steve Jefferson - Boise
Ray Villarreal - Fort Worth
Marty Rosa - Amarillo
Percy Baik - Billings
Sandy Stephenson - West Texas

Relievers:
Robby Wolfe - Albuquerque
Robby Hess - Billings
Byron Hanks - Amarillo
Sam Saldana - Austin
Wallace Rosa - San Antonio
Kyler McKay - Boise
Alberto Julio - San Antonio

Catchers:
Michael Rice - Salt Lake
Felipe Gomez - Santa Fe
Blake Flood - Colorado Springs

Infielders:
Chad Riley - 1B - Boise
D'Andre McDaniel - 2B - Albuquerque
Tomas Velazquez - SS - El Paso
Andres Cabrera - 3B - Boise
Fletcher Long - 1B - St George
Nino Almanzar - 1B - Denver
Rob Gray - 1B - Austin
Alex Prado - 2B - Billings
Cesar Santiago - 3B - San Antonio
Johnnie Spicer - SS - Flagstaff

Outfielders:
Jerold Kazarian - LF - El Paso
Neil Schmidt - CF - Fort Worth
Cristian Palbicki - RF - Amarillo
Jackie Phillips - CF - Fort Worth
J.P. Bannister - RF - Fort Worth
John Fry - RF - Billings
Leroy Hunter - RF - San Antonio

Desert League All-Stars:

Starting Pitchers:
Mark Payton - Tahoe
George Brandt - Phoenix
Buster Kershaw - Chandler
Johnnie Dawley - Surprise
Julio Berroa - Tahoe

Relievers:
Daniel Mateo - San Diego
Will Flaherty - Long Beach
Reese O'Farrell - Chandler
Alfonso Cruz - Phoenix
Jeffrey Thomas - Phoenix
Dan Law - Gilbert (Traded to Flagstaff)
Norris Walk - San Diego

Catchers:
Andre Wolf - Surprise
Cameron Napier - Salt River
Chester Smith - Gilbert

Infielders:
Shea Horton - 1B - Tahoe
Earl Shirley - 2B - San Diego
Alfonso Rosales - SS - Chandler
Jay Craig - 3B - Glendale
Caden Juarez - SS - Las Vegas
Julio Mendoza - 1B - Mesa
Alfonso Escalona - 2B - Peoria
Geraldo Chacin - 3B - Long Beach
Ricky Irving - 1B - Oakland
Herb Dorsey - SS - Scottsdale

Outfielders:
Phil Chapman - LF - Phoenix
Reese Cherry - CF - Tahoe
Edmund Isaac - RF - Surprise
Eric Machado - CF - Las Vegas (Injured)
Herbert Webber - LF - Tucson
Henry Aguilar - CF - San Diego
Demetrius Friedberg - CF - Chandler
Steve Gonzales - RF - Mesa

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JULY 15: IBL ALL-STAR GAME

Surprise's Edmund Isaac was the MVP with this home run.

Austin, TX (AP) – The Desert League used the long ball to pull out a 5-2 victory over the Mountain League in the 2025 Midsummer Classic. Surprise's Edmund Isaac took home the game Most Valuable Player honors, going 2 for 2 with a home run and two runs scored.

The Desert League took the lead in the second inning on back-to-back home runs from Tahoe's Shea Horton and Surprise's Edmund Isaac. They would extend that lead to 5-0 in the top of the fourth. Rickey Irving hit a solo home run to open the inning. Edmund Isaac and Herb Dorsey singled. Alfonso Escalona flew out to right with Isaac advancing to third. Herb Dorsey stole second. Jay Craig reached on a throwing error by Tomas Velazquez, allowing Isaac to score. Reese Cherry then reached on a fielder's choice with Dorsey scoring to make it 5-0.

The Mountain League answered back with home runs from Amarillo's Cristian Palbicki and San Antonio's Leroy Hunter, to cut the lead to 5-2. There would be no more scoring the rest of the way.

Las Vegas' lone All-Star participant was Caden Juarez. He went 1 for 2 with a double. Eric Machado was voted into the game, but missed due to injury.

Tahoe's Mark Payton picked up the win, tossing two scoreless innings. San Diego's Norris Walk picked up the save with a 1-2-3 ninth. Ray Villarreal took the loss for the Mountain League, allowing two runs on three hits in two innings of work.

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July 22-25: LAS VEGAS (40-59) @ AUSTIN (47-52)
Stadium: Dell Diamond (Capacity: 35,700)

July 18: Silver Kings 5, Fire Frogs 4
July 19: Silver Kings 4, Fire Frogs 2 (11)
July 20: Fire Frogs 6, Silver Kings 3

Austin, TX (AP) - Las Vegas opened the second half of the season by taking two of three from the Fire Frogs in Austin.

In the opener, David Tejeda homered twice, driving in all five of the Silver Kings runs in a 5-4 come-from-behind win. Tejeda went 3 for 4 in the game as he continues to be red-hot out of the All-Star break.

Austin would grab a 1-0 lead in the first inning off of Antoine Swanger. Doug Murray hit a solo home run to left, his 12^th on the year.

In the third, David Tejeda hit the first of his two home runs, a three-run shot to left, to put Vegas up 3-1. In the bott0m half, Doug Murray homered again. The solo shot was his 13^th on the year and cut the Vegas lead to 3-2.

In the sixth, Doug Kurowski hit a two-run home run off of Swanger to put Austin in front 4-3.

It would remain that way into the eighth. Stephen Park singled to right to open the inning. David Tejeda then hit his second home run of the game, a two-run shot to left, to put the Silver Kings up 5-4.

The Silver Kings bullpen then came through big time. In the ninth, Kai Ransom gave up a lead off triple to Doug Kurowski. Ransom then struck out Derek Owen, got pinch hitter Rob Grey to pop out to short left, and got Jude Bowen to fly out to the warning track in left to end it. Ransom picked up his 12^th save on the season.

Starter Antoine Swanger went six innings, allowing four runs on four hits, striking out five. Henry Coronado, Eric Herman and Kai Ransom each threw a scoreless inning in relief with Coronado (1-1) picking up his first win.

James Yamazaki pitched five innings for Austin, allowing three runs on seven hits, striking out five and walking one. Pedro Velasco (0-1) picked up the loss, allowing two runs on two hits, while only getting one out in the eighth.

Notes: Eric Machado was placed on the 10-Day Injured List with a torn hamstring. He will likely miss 4-8 weeks. Outfielder Alexander Busch was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake.

On Saturday night, the Silver Kings had to go extra innings, but pulled out a 4-2 victory as they improved to (2-0) out of the All-Star break. Julio Chacon hit a three-run home run in the 11^th to secure the victory as Las Vegas won their 40^th game of the season.

Austin grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third on a Cesar Valencia solo home run. It was their first hit of the ball game. A Junior Maldonado solo home run in the fifth tied the game at 1-1. It was his second on the year.

In the 11^th, Caden Juarez was intentionally walked with one out. Julio Chacon then blasted a three-run home run to left, his eighth on the year.

Jude Vernon tossed eight innings for Las Vegas, allowing the one run on two hits, striking out eight and walking two. Jeff McArthur (6-3) pitched a scoreless ninth and tenth. Kai Ransom pitched the 11^th, giving up a two-out RBI single to Doug Murray, but earning his 13^th save.

Sam Saldana (3-4), the Austin closer, took the loss. He went 1.2 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on one hit, striking out two and walking one.

In Sunday afternoon's finale, the Fire Frogs hit four home runs to power past the Silver Kings 6-3 to avoid a sweep. Doug Kurowski went 3 for 4 with a double, home run and two RBIs to help pace Austin to the victory.

Las Vegas took the lead in this one in the third on a David Tejeda RBI single that drove in Stefan Hernandez. They would go up 2-0 in the fifth on a Julio Chacon solo home run to left. It was his second of the series and ninth on the season.

But Austin hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in the bottom half to take a 4-2 lead. Ross Napier drew a walk to open the inning with Jeremi Dillon still not allowing a hit. Doug Kurowski (14), Derek Owen (3) and Robby Clemons (4) then hit home runs to put Austin up 4-2. Seth Camp hit a solo home run in the sixth to extend the lead. Doug Murray lined a two-out, RBI single to center in the seventh to make it 6-2.

Mariano Hidalgo hit a solo home run with two outs in the eighth to cut it to 6-3.

Sam Saldana worked a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his 29^th save. Julian Pederson (7-6) picked up the win for Austin. He went six innings, allowing two runs on five hits, striking out two. Jeremi Dillon (2-7) took the loss, allowing five runs on five hits (four home runs), striking out eight and walking two.

Las Vegas (40-59) continues their Texas road trip with a three game series in San Antonio against the Javelinas (52-48), who sit in second in the DL East, one game back of Fort Worth.

Around the League: Boise's Chad Riley stayed red-hot as he started out the second half with a home run as the Hawks beat El Paso 9-3. Riley leads the Mountain League with 29 home runs.

Mesa completed a three game sweep of Tucson out of the All-Star break as they chase the Chiefs in the DL East.

Trades: Gilbert has traded 25-year-old All-Star reliever Dan Law (87 OVR, B POT) to Flagstaff for 30-year-old catcher Thomas Capps (76 OVR, C POT) and 24-year-old reliever Brock Crump (78 OVR, B POT). Law had 27 saves and two holds with an ERA of 1.11 with 31 strikeouts in 32.1 innings of work for the Barnstormers.

Scottsdale has traded 31-year-old shortstop Cesar Valencia (79 OVR, C POT) to Austin for 24-year-old reliever Felix Casilla (75 OVR, B POT) and 18-year-old starting pitcher Michael Dennison (67 OVR, C POT). Valencia was hitting .263 with six home runs and 28 RBIs for the Scorpions, who are looking towards the future with this move. Valencia is a pending free agent at the end of the season.

Salt River continues to build for the future and they send 24-year-old centerfielder Abdul Ewing (85 OVR, B POT) to Long Beach for 25-year-old starting pitcher Lewis Nunez (86 OVR, B POT) and 27-year-old reliever Andres Trevino (76 OVR, C POT). Ewing was hitting .269 with 14 home runs and 38 RBIs for the Rafters. Nunez was (2-5, 5.71 ERA) in 13 starts for the Surf Dawgs but the Rafters now have four very good starters in their rotation.

Austin has shipped 29-year-old reliever Carlos Garcia (72 OVR, C POT) to El Paso for 28-year-old third baseman Barton Aldridge (68 OVR, C POT).

Denver trades star 28-year-old third baseman Harold Ray (88 OVR, A POT) to Tucson for 23-year-old right fielder Carlo Ruiz (70 OVR, B POT) and 24-year-old third baseman Pedro Zarate (68 OVR, C POT). Ray struggled in Denver only hitting .216 with seven home runs and 38 RBIs. He is signed to a three-year, $75.6M deal through 2027.

Flagstaff send 28-year-old centerfielder Rico Miranda (78 OVR, C POT) to Billings for 28-year-old left fielder Hollis Zbyszynski (77 OVR, C POT). Zbyszynski was hitting .231 with 16 home runs and 50 RBIs in 94 games for Billings. Miranda only appeared in 14 games for the Hops, hitting .222 with two home runs and six RBIs.

In a real head scratcher, Tahoe sends 30-year-old All-Star first baseman Shea Horton (87 OVR, A POT) to Scottsdale for 20-year-old starting pitcher Joe Shannon (70 OVR, B POT) and 24-year-old left fielder Tom Yu (78 OVR, C POT). Horton was having a monster year for the Lake Monsters, hitting .278 with 29 home runs and 77 RBIs.

Denver trades 26-year-old left fielder Antoine Bradshaw (83 OVR, B POT) to Boise for 22-year-old starting pitcher Miguel Molina (69 OVR, C POT) and 19-year-old second baseman Ray Ortiz (63 OVR, C POT).

The Black Bears also sent 29-cyear-old catcher Robert Carpenter (85 OVR, B POT) to Fort Worth for 18-year-old left fielder Roscoe Pruitt (59 OVR, C POT) and 21-year-old atcher Damien Trejo (64 OVR, C POT). Carpenter was hitting .265 with 11 home runs and 47 RBIs for the Black Bears.

Amarillo ships 29-year-old first baseman Sutton Ruiz (88 OVR, B POT) to Denver for 26-year-old starting pitcher Jackson Ortega (75 OVR, C POT), 30-year-old shortstop Tino Garlobo (74 OVR, C POT) and 29-year-old reliever Victor Gomez (72 OVR, C POT). Ruiz was hitting .262 with 19 home runs and 57 RBIs in Amarillo. Ortega was (4-11, 5.93 ERA) with 69 strikeouts in 19 starts for the Black Bears.

Oakland sends 29-year-old third baseman Jay Reilly (86 OVR, B POT) to Flagstaff for 29-year-old left fielder Theodore Vargas (83 OVR, B POT) and 32-year-old reliever Aubrey George (75 OVR, B POT). Reilly was hitting .261 with seven home runs and 46 RBIs in 81 games for the Oaks. Vargas was hitting .240 with 17 home runs and 46 RBIs for the Hops. George was (0-4, 2.50 ERA) in 31 appearances with 29 strikeouts, and three holds.

Santa Fe has traded 24-year-old catcher Felipe Gomez (82 OVR, B POT) to Long Beach for 28=year-old right fielder Santiago Guevara (80 OVR, B POT) and 29-year-old starting pitcher Michael Tovar (77 OVR, C POT).

Fort Worth sends 29-year-old first baseman Damian Huff (88 OVR, A POT) to Amarillo for 25-year-old third baseman Arlen Larson (84 OVR, B POT) and 27-year-old reliever Richie Crunican (71 OVR, C POT). Huff was hitting .245 with 19 home runs and 67 RBIs for the Drillers. Larsen was hitting .263 with 16 home runs and 47 RBIs for the Honey Hunters.

Flagstaff has traded 26-year-old centerfielder Rico Gonzalez (73 OVR, C POT) to Tucson for 24-year-old starting pitcher Kyle Drotar (72 OVR, C POT).

David Tejeda homered twice in Friday evening's win.

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July 21-23: LAS VEGAS (41-61) @ SAN ANTONIO (54-49)
Stadium: Huntington Park (Capacity: 19,393)

July 21: Silver Kings 1, Javelinas 0
July 22: Javelinas 3, Silver Kings 2
July 23: Javelinas 4, Silver Kings 1

San Antonio, TX (AP) - The Silver Kings ended their six game post All-Star game road trip by dropping two of three to San Antonio to finish the trip (3-3).

Las Vegas continues to play well out of the All-Star game as they opened up a three game series in San Antonio with a 1-0 victory. Keven Perez tossed eight shutout innings as he improved to (9-7) on the year.

The lone run in this one came in the top of the seventh. Caden Juarez doubled to right, and scored on a Julio Chacon RBI single to right.

Isreal Saucedo (6-9) was excellent for the Javelinas, going seven innings and allowing just the one run on three hits, striking out nine in the loss. Kevin Perez went eight innings for the Silver Kings, allowing seven hits and striking out three. Kai Ransom worked a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his 14^th save.

On Tuesday evening, the Javelinas pulled out a 3-2 victory on a rainy evening in San Antonio. Mike Sanchez's two-out RBI single in the seventh was the difference as San Antonio won to keep pace in the ML Wild Card race.

Las Vegas started the game by putting a run up on the board in the first inning on a Caden Juarez RBI single. They would extend that lead to 2-0 in the third on David Tejeda's 19^th home run on the year, a solo shot.

San Antonio got one back in the fourth on a solo home run from Tommie Turnwall, his 19^th on the season. The Javelinas tied it up in the sixth on a Todd Montano RBI single. They would take the lead in the seventh on a Mike Sanchez single that drove in Braden Hazel, who had tripled.

Emery Hutchinson (8-8) took the loss for Las Vegas. He pitched seven strong innings, allowing three runs on six hits, striking out 11 and walking one. Reliever Frank Lowe (3-1) got the win for the Javelinas. He threw a scoreless seventh inning on relief of starter Daniel Brito. Brito allowed two runs on five hits, striking out seven in six innings of work.

Alberto Julio picked up his 32^nd save on the year.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Javelinas sent knuckleballer Juan Medrano out and he had the Silver Kings off balance the entire game in a 4-1 victory for San Antonio. Medrano (11-5) went seven innings, allowing one run on six hits, striking out six.

San Antonio took an early lead in this one against Antoine Swanger. Mike Sanchez hit a one-out, solo home run (13) in the second to put the Javelinas up 1-0. Eloy Rosales later would hit a two-out, three-run home run to make it 4-0. It was his first home run on the season.

In the sixth, red-hot David Tejeda doubled home Julio Chacon to get Las Vegas on the board. The Silver Kings had a chance to tie it up in the eighth, but David Tejeda struck out and Junior Maldonado grounded out with two runners on to end the threat.

Alberto Julio worked a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his 33^rd save on the year. Antoine Swanger (7-6) picked up the loss for Las Vegas, allowing four runs on five hits, striking out four and walking two, in five innings of work. John Sato threw two scoreless innings of relief.

Las Vegas (41-61) will now return home and start their longest home stand of the year, 13 games. They will face division rivals Long Beach (51-51), San Diego (62-41), Peoria (52-51) and Tucson (52-51). The trade deadline in next Thursday and the Silver Kings look like they will be sellers so stay tuned!

Around the League: Peoria's Josh Olson (4-10) tossed eight shutout innings, allowing just one hit, while striking out six and walking three in a 3-0 victory for the Pit Spitters over Tucson.

Surprise's Keaton Ross hit a grand slam (14) in the fourth inning as the Saguaros rallied from an early five run deficit to defeat Mesa 8-7 in a battle of two second place clubs.

Colorado Springs pounded out 18 hits in a wild 17-9 win over West Texas.

San Diego took two of three at home against first place Tahoe to move to within a half game of the Lake Monsters.

Phoenix scored four in the top of the ninth to tie Santa Fe, then won it in the 12^th inning 7-6 on Wednesday afternoon, to run their winning streak to six games and move into first place in the DL Central. Richie Dale went 3 for 5 with two doubles, driving in three with a bases clearing double in the top of the ninth for the Firebirds.

Salt Lake beat Glendale 5-4 on Wednesday afternoon to run their winning streak to six games out of the All-Star break. Deon Garcia (3) and Jackie Phillips (21) each hit two-run home runs for the Chukars.

Trades: West Texas trades 27-year-old ace Jack Siddiqui (93 OVR, A POT) to Chandler for a trio of prospects: 18-yea-old first baseman Kevin Montanez (63 OVR, B POT), 23-year-old starting pitcher Buford Ferreira (70 OVR, B POT) and 25-year-old catcher Reese Flores (69 OVR, C POT). Siddiqui was (8-4) with an ERA of 3.63 with 118 strikeouts in 114 innings for the Bison. The Chiefs rotation is easily the best in the league now as they head down the stretch atop the DL East.

Salt River ships 29-year-old reliever Jack Betts (75 OVR, B POT) to Chandler for 25-year-old left fielder Matt Colbear (64 OVR, C POT)




West Texas sends 26-year-old second baseman Andres Ruiz (78 OVR, B POT) to Glendale for 18-year-old catcher Sean Lozano (63 OVR, A POT)

Oakland trades 23-year-old centerfielder Riley Duffy (87 OVR, B POT) to Billings for 18-year-old second baseman Milo Hidalgo (65 OVR, B POT) and 25-year-old right fielder Gustavo Sanchez (69 OVR, C POT). Duffy was hitting .234 with 16 home runs and 42 RBIs for the Oaks.

Amarillo trades 28-year-old reliever Rodger Young (71 OVR, C POT) to El Paso for second baseman Michael Toney (60 OVR, D POT). The Honey Hunters then released Toney.

Phoenix trades 27-year-old catcher Elvis Valenzuela (74 OVR, C POT) to Austin for 29-year-old shortstop Kevin Ramos (78 OVR, B POT).

Amarillo trades 31-year-old All-Star right fielder Cristian Palbicki (89 OVR, A POT) to Albuquerque for prospects: 18-year-old center fielder Jorge Lopez (63 OVR, B POT), 24-year-old right fielder Josh Perez (71 OVR, B POT), and 22-year-old starting pitcher Duane Johns (69 OVR, C POT). Palbicki was hitting .302 with 18 home runs and 57 RBIs for the Honey Hunters.

San Diego sends 28-year-old left fielder Archie Friedman (78 OVR, B POT) to Denver for 23-year-old starting pitcher Ken Dell (71 OVR, B).

Kevin Perez tossed a gem in the opener of the series.

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July 24-27: LONG BEACH (52-54) @ LAS VEGAS (44-62)
Stadium: Ballys Ballpark (Capacity: 26,976)

July 24: Surf Dawgs 7, Silver Kings 5
July 25: Silver Kings 7, Surf Dawgs 2
July 26: Silver Kings 4, Surf Dawgs 1
July 27: Silver Kings 5, Surf Dawgs 2

Las Vegas, NV (AP) - Las Vegas continues to play decent baseball after the All-Star break as they took three of four from Long Beach as they opened up a 13 game home stand. The Silver Kings are now 6-4 out of the break.

Well, the bullpen which has been so good lately, imploded on Thursday evening in a 7-5 loss to Long Beach. The Silver Kings blew a 5-0 lead after five innings to run their losing streak to three games.

Alexander Busch got the start in centerfield tonight and had a game. In the third, he hit a two-out, two run triple to put Las Vegas up 2-0. Then in the fifth he came up with the bases loaded and delivered again. This time it was a bases clearing double to make it 5-0.

But Long Beach chiseled away at that lead. In the sixth an RBI single from Abdul Ewing got Long Beach in the scoreboard. In the seventh, Las Vegas went to Russ Zickafoose with a four run lead and he quickly shaved that in half, giving up a two-run home run to Guillermo Duarte.

In the eighth, the Silver Kings turned to Eric Herman. He got Steve Rosales to ground out to open the inning. Adbul Ewing singled and stole second. Ward Mejia walked, and then Geraldo Chacin hit a three-run bomb to put Long Beach up 6-5. A Guillermo Duarte RBI single would add a seventh run.

Long Beach turned to their closer Will Flaherty in the ninth and he struck out the side to pick up his 34^th save. Eric Herman (1-2) took the loss for the Silver Kings, only getting one out, allowing three runs on two hits with a walk. Starter Jude Vernon left the game in the fifth with a hand injury, allowing no runs on three hits and striking out four. The injury was a finger nail issue and he is not expected to miss his next start.

On Friday night, the Silver Kings got a great pitching performance from Jeremi Dillon as they beat up on the Surf Dawgs 7-2. Dillon (3-7) went 7.2 innings, allowing two runs on five hits, striking out five and walking one.

Las Vegas got off to a quick start with back-to-back doubles in the first inning from Alexander Busch and David Tejeda as the Kings took a 1-0 lead. In the second, RBI singles from Todd Matsumoto and Alexander Busch made it 3-0. Busch has six RBIs in the least two games after having three all year coming into this series.

In the fifth, Vladimir Escalera doubled home Caden Juarez. Gilberto Cardona then hit a ball to third that Dan Plank threw into right field, allowing Escalera to score and Cardona to reach third, making it 5-0.

Caden Juarez added a two-run home run in the seventh, his 17^th on the year, to make it 7-0.

Long Beach finally got some offense in the eighth. Aubrey Winkler doubled to open the inning. Dave Kramer drew a walk. Jeremi Dillon got Dan Plank to pop out, and he struck out Demarcus Bako. Len Almquist then lined a two-strike triple into the alley in right center, scoring both baserunners to end Dillon's night. Henry Coronado came on to get the final out in the eighth. Rob Porter worked a 1-2-3 ninth.

Caden Juarez went 3 for 4 with a double, home run and two RBIs in the win.

Jack Sweat (6-8) took the loss for the Surf Dawgs, only going 4.2 innings and allowing five runs (four earned) on ten hits, striking out four.

On Saturday evening, the Silver Kings got another great pitching performance from Kevin Perez, and defeated Long Beach 4-1. David Tejeda had another big game, going 2 for 4 with a double, home run and two RBIs to lead the way.

Long Beach jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Gomez and Len Almquist each singled. Thorman then grounded out to second, allowing Gomez to come across with the game's first run. That would be all that Kevin Perez would allow, as he left after allowing a leadoff single to Almquist in the seventh.

Las Vegas tied the game up in the bottom of the sixth on David Tejeda's 20^th home run of the season. They would go in front in the seventh on back-to-back two-out doubles from Stefan Hernandez and Todd Matsumoto. In the eighth, it was RBI doubles from David Tejeda and Caden Juarez that padded the lead to 4-1.

Bill Larkin, just called up from Salt Lake after Russ Zickafoose was traded, came in and picked up his first big league save, allowing one hit in the ninth. Rob Porter (1-3) earned the win in relief of Kevin Perez as he worked a scoreless seventh. Perez went six plus, allowing one run on six hits, striking out six and walking two, but did not figure in the decision.

Juan Orozco (1-5) took the loss for the Surf Dawgs, allowing one run on two hits in the seventh.

On Sunday afternoon, the Silver Kings won again, to take three of four from the Surf Dawgs with a 5-2 victory. Emery Hutchinson (9-8) was excellent, once again, tossing seven innings and allowing one run on just one hit, striking out nine and walking two.

Las Vegas broke this one open in the fourth. Alexander Busch was hit by a pitch to open the inning. Caden Juarez then doubled to center. Julio Chacon doubled home both runners to make it 2-0. Stephen Park singled home Chacon to make it a three run game.

In the fifth, Julio Chacon doubled home Alexander Busch. Russell O'Reilly then singled home Chacon to make it 5-0.

Long Beach got their first hit of the game to open the sixth as Len Almquist hit a solo home run to right, his ninth on the season. The Surf Dawgs tried to make it interesting in the ninth. Adbul Ewing and Ben Plank both singled to open the inning off of newcomer Willie Willey. Kramer then reached on a throwing error from Mariano Hidalgo that allowed Ewing to score. Willey then struck out Ward Mejia for a huge first out. Gomez singled to right to load the bases. Willey then got Geraldo Chacin to bounce into a game ending 4-6-3 double play.

Willey did not pick up a save, but he showed that he can work out of trouble.

Richard Machado (8-6) took the loss for Long Beach, allowing three runs on five hits in four innings of work.

Las Vegas (44-62) will now host San Diego (63-43) as we head into the trade deadline. The win also moves Las Vegas into a tie with Oakland for fourth place in the DL West. It is the first time since opening day that Las Vegas has not been in last place alone.

Around the League: Las Vegas has claimed 18-year-old second baseman Michael Toney off of waivers from Amarillo and assigned him to Triple-A Salt Lake.

Phoenix won their ninth straight game on Saturday as they beat the Rafters 5-3. George Brandt picked up his league leading 15^th win, improving to (15-5), going seven innings and allowing two runs on seven hits, striking out seven and walking one. Newcomer Lance Deardorff went 3 for 4 with a double and RBI in the win.

Albuquerque's Albert Quezada (8) and D'Andre McDaniel (21) hit solo home runs in the bottom of the ninth as the Mariachis rallied for a 3-2 walk-off victory over Amarillo. Newly acquired reliever Russ Zickafoose tossed two scoreless innings in relief for the first-place Mariachis.

Trades: Salt River sends 32-year-old catcher Deangelo Castellano (69 OVR, C POT) to Austin for 18-year-old reliever Lewis Wordekemper (61 OVR, C POT) and 23-year-old center fielder Michael Hogg (60 OVR, C POT).

Amarillo sends 24-year-old reliever Rodrigo Silva (79 OVR, C POT) to Santa Fe for 24-year-old starting pitcher Tom Porter (69 OVR, C POT). Silva was (1-5) with a 3.82 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 61 innings for Amarillo.

Long Beach sends 29-year-old first baseman Patrick Hamill (89 OVR, B POT) to Salt Lake for 21-year-old third baseman Aubrey McKinnon (70 OVR, A POT) and 19-year-old reliever Allan Wilga (59 OVR, C POT). Hamill was hitting .316 with 17 home runs and 47 RBIs in 100 games for the Surf Dawgs.

Tahoe sends 28-year-old reliever Arturo Sierra (79 OVR, C POT) to Surprise for 25-year-old starting pitcher Nick Odell (67 OVR, C POT) and 24-year-old reliever Lewis McDonald (64 OVR, C POT).

Long Beach send 23-year-old catcher Johnnie Major (66 OVR, C POT) to San Antonio for 25-year-old third baseman Mario Castillo (69 OVR, C POT) and 22-year-old reliever Bernardo Rosa (61 OVR, C POT).

Las Vegas has shipped 29-year-old reliever Russ Zickafoose (80 OVR, B POT) and 29-year-old first baseman Boyd Michaels (68 OVR, D POT) to Albuquerque for 23-year-old right field prospect Ray Guardado (70 OVR, A POT). Zickafoose was (1-3) with an ERA of 6.45 with 32 strikeouts in 22.1 innings of work.

Las Vegas sent another reliever packing as 27-year-old Rob Porter (85 OVR, B POT) was sent to Boise for a couple of prospects in 24-year-old reliever Willie Wiley (70 OVR, B POT) and 24-year-old third baseman Donny Blankenship (70 OVR, C POT). Porter appeared in 30 games for Vegas with a 5.40 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 30 strikeouts in 25.0 innings.

David Tejeda is putting up numbers that make him a ROTY candidate.

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July 28-30: SAN DIEGO (65-44) @ LAS VEGAS (45-64)
Stadium: Ballys Ballpark (Capacity: 26,976)

July 28: Seals 3, Silver Kings 2
July 29: Silver Kings 1, Seals 0
July 30: Seals 4, Silver Kings 2

Las Vegas, NV (AP) - San Diego took two of three from Las Vegas as the Seals continue to chase Tahoe for the DL West lead as the calendar gets ready to turn to August. This was the last series before the trade deadline.

San Diego opened the series in Las Vegas by rallying late to pull out a 3-2 victory over the Silver Kings. Reggie Adamson's RBI double in the top of the ninth put the Seals ahead for good as they look to stay within shouting distance of Tahoe in the DL West.

The Seals went in front in the top of the fifth thanks to some classic baseball. Rich Edney doubled to open the inning, advanced to third on a fly ball to right, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Eugene Griffin to put the Seals up 1-0.

Las Vegas immediately answered back. Gilberto Cardona homered to center, his 11^th. Russell O'Reilly and Stephen Park doubled to put the Kings up 2-1.

Antoine Swanger tossed a gem in this one, and was lifted maybe one out too early. He went 7.2 innings, allowing one run on three hits, striking out six. But manager Alvin Ambrose made the decision to go to his bullpen, which has been pretty good lately. Henry Coronado came out and gave up two-out, back-to-back doubles to pinch hitter Chris Christensen and Earl Shirley to tie the game at 2-2.

In the ninth, Las Vegas went to closer Kai Ransom. He got Henry Aguilar to fly out to left. Alvin Metoyer then tripled to center. Ransom struck out Rich Edney and was one out away from getting out of trouble. Reggie Adamson blasted a double to center to score Metoyer with the go ahead run.

In the bottom half, Norris Walk came on and when he does, it is usually lights out. Vladimir Escalara singled to right. After Gilberto Cardona flew out, Russell O'Reilly singled. Walk got Matsumoto to fly out to right on a hanging breaking ball. Stephen Park then flew out to center to end it. Walk picked ip his 35^th save in 36 chances. He has an ERA of 0.49.

Barry Shipley (6-5) picked up the win, tossing a scoreless eighth. Kai Ransom (0-5) took the loss.

Caden Juarez left the game in the second inning after an awkward swing. It appeared that he pulled or strained his hip and his status for the rest of the series is unknown.

On Tuesday evening, the Silver Kings used five pitchers to put together a 1-0 shutout victory over the Seals. A Julio Chacon RBI double in the third was the only run scored.

Jude Vernon once again had to leave the game early. In his last start, he left with a broken fingernail, and today was some shoulder tightness. He only lasted 1.1 innings so it was up to the bullpen to come through, and they did. John Sato (2-6) got the win, tossing 3.2 innings of relief and allowing four hits, while striking out three. Newly acquired Willie Willey tossed two scoreless innings. Eric Herman threw a scoreless eighth and Kai Ransom worked a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his 15^th save.

Cristian Johnson (7-12) took the loss for San Diego. He went five innings, allowing the only run on seven hits, striking out four.

San Diego closed the series with another tight win, 4-2. J.J. Willis (8-10) tossed six innings to pick up the win, allowing two runs on seven hits, striking out four.

Las Vegas took an early lead in this one, jumping on Willis for two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Julio Chacon hit a one out double, and Mariano Hidalgo blasted a two-out, two-run home run. For Hidalgo, it was his 15^th home run on the season.

San Diego tied it up in the fourth against Steve Sechrist. Alvin Metoyer singled to right and Rich Edney doubled to center, to open the inning. Sechrist then struck out Chris Christensen and Dave Foxx, looking like he may get out of the jam, but Reggie Adamson hit a blooper over first base to score both runs to tie the game at 2-2.

In the sixth, Rich Edney drew a walk to open the inning. Chris Christensen singled to right with Edney advancing to third. Dave Foxx singled to right to score Edney. That spelled the end for Steve Sechrist, making his first start since being recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake. Newcomer Thurman Ratto came on and gave up a sacrifice fly to Earl Shirley, allowing San Diego to go up 4-2.

The Silver Kings just could not generate any more scoring chances. Their bullpen pitched well though. Steve Sechrist (1-10) took the loss, allowing all four runs on eight hits in five plus innings. Thurman Ratto pitched two scoreless innings, as did Willie Willey.

Tomorrow is the trade deadline with Las Vegas (45-64) having the day off. San Diego (65-44) heads to Long Beach for a four game weekend series with the Surf Dawgs (53-56)

Around the League: Boise's Chad Riley homered twice (35,36), driving in three, as the Hawks went into Phoenix and beat the red-hot Firebirds 8-2. Riley has been red hot lately himself, hitting .342 with eight home runs and 13 RBIs in his last ten games with Boise going (8-2).

Scottsdale's new toy Shea Horton struck out three times, but came up with clutch RBI singles in the 10^th and 12^th innings, with the second being a walk off winner as the Scorpions beat Fort Worth 4-3. The loss left the Drillers in a first place tie with San Antonio atop the ML East.

Suddenly red-hot Colorado Springs moved to within a game of first place in the ML Central as they blanked Salt Lake 6-0 behind a masterful pitching performance from Ronald Dunne. Dunne (12-5) tossed the complete game shutout, scattering four hits, striking out seven and walking two. Home runs from Robby McNeil (13) and Rich Van**** (14) paced the offense for the Snow Sox who are (8-3) since the All-Star break.

Mesa completed a three game sweep of last place Salt River as they try and climb their way back into the DL East race with Chandler. The Chiefs dropped two of three at home to Tucson with the top four teams in the East only separated by only 4.5 games.

Phoenix was swept at home by Boise to fall out of first place in the DL Central. The Firebirds have now lost four straight after winning nine straight. The Hawks have now caught Billings for first place in the ML West with their sixth straight win.

Trades: Salt River sends 24-year-old starting pitcher Reuben Gonzalez (92 OVR, A POT) to Salt Lake for a trio of nice prospects: 19-year-old starting pitcher Steve Warren (69 OVR, A POT), 21-year-old shortstop Mariano Matos (68 OVR, B POT) and 23-year-old first baseman Alejandro Cabrera (71 OVR, B POT). Gonzalez was (8-10) with a 4.74 ERA with 133 strikeouts in 127.1 innings for last place Salt River.

Las Vegas sends 28-year-old starting pitcher Jeremi Dillon (87 OVR, C POT) and 23-year-old right fielder Steve McCloud (64 OVR, D POT) to Mesa for 28-year-old shortstop Tyler York (69 OVR, D POT) and 23-year-old first baseman Alberto Sanchez (69 OVR, C POT). Dillon was (3-7) with an ERA of 5.00 and WHIP of 1.11 with 77 strikeouts in 81.0 innings pitched for the last place Silver Kings.

The Silver Kings continue to wheel and deal as they sent right fielder 32-year-old Vladimir Escalera (76 OVR, C POT) to Scottsdale for 28-year-old reliever Thurman Ratto (79 OVR, B POT). Escalera was just acquired in mid-May from Surprise, but has not lived up to expectations and is an impending free agent. Scottsdale was looking for a left handed bat in the outfield and he fits the bill.

The Silver Kings also dealt 29-year-old reliever Jeff McArthur (79 OVR, B POT) to Gilbert for 23-year-old reliever Guy Griffin (64 OVR, B POT) and 20-year-old centerfielder Fred Fitch (57 OVR, C POT). McArthur gives Gilbert another bullpen arm down the stretch and the Silver Kings get back a couple of young prospects.

Julio Chacon's RBI double keyed Tuesday evening's victory for the Silver Kings.

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DEADLINE DAY

Phoenix, AZ (AP) – The Intermountain Baseball League trade deadline was Thursday at 3pm.

Here are the deals that were completed on deadline day.

West Texas started the day off by claiming 29-year-old reliever Hans Martinez (66 OVR, C POT) off waivers from Austin.

West Texas then traded 23-year-old center fielder Brian Gallagher (84 OVR, B POT) to Glendale for 22-year-old starting pitcher Guy Roush (71 OVR, B POT) and 23-year-old right fielder Elliot Ritson (70 OVR, C POT). Gallagher adds a left handed bat to the Glendale lineup for the stretch run. He was hitting .268 with 10 home runs, 32 RBIs and 20 stolen bases for the Bison.

Scottsdale sends 24-year-old reliever Tom Martinez (87 OVR, B POT) to Fort Worth for 21-year-old left fielder Larry Burger (67 OVR, C POT) and 25-year-old right fielder Finlay Dempsey (68 OVR, C POT).. Martinez had 23 saves, one hold with 40 strikeouts and a 3.16 ERA in 31.1 innings with the last-place Scorpions.

Surprise trades 30-year-old catcher Andre Wolf (84 OVR, B POT) to El Paso for 26-year-old catcher Andy Abreau (79 OVR, B POT) and 30-year-old starting pitcher Tom Gonzalez (77 OVR, C POT).

Tucson sends 30-year-old right fielder Manny Do (78 OVR, C POT) to Flagstaff for 29-year-old shortstop Johnnie Spicer (75 OVR, C POT) in a deal for bench players.

Denver claimed 28-year-old starting pitcher Dewayne Cox (69 OVR, C POT) off of waivers from Santa Fe.

The rest of trade deadline day was pretty quiet as most of the month of July was spent with daily trades.

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Phoenix, AZ (AP) - Las Vegas signed left fielder Julio Chacon to a three-year, $45.4M extension. Chacon will likely have a bigger role next season as expectation rise with that new contract.