Benny Montgomery plays well during bad stretch for Fresno Grizzlies

The Fresno Grizzlies (the Low-A team for the Colorado Rockies) were home this past week against the Lake Elsinore Storm (the Low-A team for the San Diego Padres) but they sure did not  play like they were at home. They went 1-5 on the weekend, largely due to their pitching staff allowing six or more runs in four of their five losses. However, Rockies’ #3 prospect Benny Montgomery played very well.

Benny Montgomery had some success for the Fresno Grizzlies this week

Benny Montgomery only played in four of the six games the Fresno Grizzlies played this past week but he hit well in two of the four games.

On Wednesday, he had three singles in five at-bats with two RBI. On Saturday, he went 2-for-5 with two runs, a triple, a homer, and three RBI. Overall on the season, Montgomery is hitting .275/.327/.451 with two homers and nine RBI in 12 games.

The most concerning stat for Montgomery thus far, though, is his strikeout rate. He has struck out 19 times in 51 plate appearances, including 10 times in his 19 at-bats this past week.

Shortstop Adael Amador (Rockies #10 prospect) also played well this past week as he went 5-for-19 with a double, a homer, two RBI, and he had six walks. Catcher Braxton Fulford (Rockies 2021 6th round draft pick) also hit .389 with an OPS of .865 in 18 plate appearances this past week.

For the pitchers, the starters pitched well but the bullpen (and the team’s defense) was the Achilles heel of the team. Left-handed starters Mason Green (2021 12th round draft pick) and Evan Shawver (2021 7th round pick) turned in two of the best starts for the team this past week. Green went six innings allowing six hits, three runs, one walk, and striking out four.

Shawver went six shutout innings allowing just five hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

For the bullpen, they allowed 17 runs on the week but five of them were unearned. However, allowing 12 runs in six games is not a recipe for winning and a huge part of why they went 1-5.

Fresno heads back out on the road as they will face Stockton this coming week. The two teams faced each other in Fresno to start the season and the Grizzlies swept the Ports in all three games.