Minor League Monday

Welcome to another installment of RoxPile’s Minor League Monday segment – a comprehensive report of all the minor league teams for the Colorado Rockies.

The Rookie Affiliate Casper Ghosts have yet to begin their 2011 season. The short-season club opens up their year against the Orem Owlz on June 20th.

The Tri-City Dust Devils, the short-season Class-A affiliate, open their 2011 campaign with a five-game series against the Everett AquaSox on June 17th.

The Asheville Tourists currently stand at 19-19, half  a game above the Savannah Sand Gnats for first place in the South Atlantic League Southern Division. Making up a postponed matchup from Sunday, the Tourists split a doubleheader Monday with the Lexington Legends, losing the first game 2-1, but winning the nightcap 1-0. Former Clemson Tigers quarterback Kyle Parker went 0-3, though he is batting .287 on the year. The Tourists are hitting well so far this year. On Saturday, they led 8-0 by the end of the first inning, and went on to win 12-7. Edwar Cabrera leads the team in Starter ERA at 4.14, and Innings Pitched with 50. Outfielder Corey Dickerson is hitting .282 with six home runs and 14 RBIs.

The Double-A Tulsa Drillers have a record of 20-16, half a game behind the Northwest Arkansas Naturals for first place in the Texas League North Division. The Drillers lost to the Naturals 5-4 Monday night to open up a four-game series this week. Prized prospect Wilin Rosario is hitting .269 with six home runs and 12 RBIs, while Hector Gomez, who many believe could be the Rockies starting third baseman in the next few years, is hitting .210 with three home runs and 18 RBIs. Pitcher Juan Niasco is devouring hitters, racking up a 1.90 ERA and a 5-1 record in 42 2/3 innings pitched. Christian Friedrich has an ERA of 5.26 after 37 2/3 innings pitched, and reliever Casey Weathers, who is trying to recover from a devastating arm injury, has an ERA of 6.75 in 10 games after 9 1/3 innings pitched.

With a record of 16-23, the Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox have struggled a bit of late. They sit six games behind the Reno Aces and Salt Lake Bees for first place in the Pacific Coast League Pacific North Division. The Sky Sox have lost two in a row, and three out of their past five games. Infielder Matt Macri has been tearing the cover off the ball recently, .327 with four home runs and 19 RBIs. Infielder Ian Stewart has been down with the club, and has been seeing the ball well, hitting .361 and will most likely be with the team for the foreseeable future, according to Rockies brass. Outfielders Mike Paulk (.318), Eric Young, Jr. (.372), Charlie Blackmon (.323), infielder Brad Emaus (.312), and infielder Chris Nelson (.315) have all been hitting well, which makes the fact that the Sky Sox are struggling a bit of a mystery. Rex Brothers and Matt Daley have been throwing the ball well for the Sky Sox, and with Brothers at an 2.61 ERA after 20 1/3 innings and Daley at 3.77 after 14 1/3 innings, both could easily see time with the Rockies to replace the struggling Franklin Morales and Felipe Paulino.