Who's hot
ANDY WILKINS (AAA Brewers) saw his batting average rise from .225 to .241 in his past nine games. Wilkins went 11 for 32 (.344), including 2 home runs, with 7 runs scored and 10 RBI in his past 10 games through Thursday. He was 3 for 5 with 1 home run, 2 runs scored and 2 RBI on Wednesday in a 10-9 victory over the Memphis Redbirds (AAA Cardinals) in the first game of a doubleheader.
NOLAN SANBURN (AA White Sox) earned a victory and a save in his past two appearances. Sanburn got the victory in relief June 18 as the Birmingham Barons beat the Mississippi Braves (AA Braves) 3-2. He pitched one inning, allowing just one walk. The save came Thursday in the Barons' 8-5 victory over the Mobile BayBears (AA Diamondbacks). Sanburn again went just one inning and did not allow a hit, run or walk.
Who's not
ZACK COX (independent) saw his batting average drop from .259 to .239 in the past seven games. He went 10 for 42 (.238) with 6 runs scored, 3 RBI and 10 strikeouts in his past 10 games through Thursday.
DANIEL WRIGHT (AAA Reds) has lost both of his starts for the Louisville Bats since being demoted by Cincinnati on June 14. The first loss came June 17 in a 9-1 loss to the Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA Red Sox), in which Wright allowed 7 earned runs on 6 hits with 1 walk and 4 strikeouts in 3 innings. He lost again Thursday as the Bats fell to the Buffalo Bisons (AAA Blue Jays) 9-6. Wright allowed 5 earned runs on 7 hits with 2 walks and 1 strikeout in 5 innings.
News and notes
• Pitcher Ashur Tolliver (Sylvan Hills) was recalled by the Baltimore Orioles from the Class AAA Norfolk (Va.) Tides on Wednesday and earned his first major-league victory Friday as the Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-3. Tolliver went two-thirds of an inning, allowing 1 hit and 1 walk on 17 pitches. Tolliver made his major-league debut May 26 and was sent to Norfolk on June 1. Tolliver had been steady coming out of the bullpen for the Tides, allowing 2 earned runs on 7 hits with 2 walks and 7 strikeouts in 62/3 innings.
• Two pitchers with Arkansas ties figured prominently in the Class AA Southern League's All-Star Game on Tuesday at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Miss. The South team beat the North 5-1, with Barrett Astin (Arkansas Razorbacks) of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (AA Reds) earning the victory after allowing 1 hit with 1 strikeout in his 1 inning of work. D.J. Baxendale (Razorbacks) represented the Chattanooga Lookouts (AA Twins) on the North team. He pitched two-thirds of an inning and did not allow a run, hit or walk. On Wednesday, Baxendale earned his first promotion to the Class AAA Rochester (Minn.) Red Wings.
• Pitcher Jalen Beeks (Razorbacks) was promoted to the Class AA Portland Sea Dogs by the Boston Red Sox organization Thursday and promptly took the loss in his first appearance Thursday night as the Sea Dogs lost to the Harrisburg Senators (AA Nationals) 5-2. Beeks allowed 3 earned runs on 8 hits with 1 walk and 10 strikeouts in the loss. He also lost his final appearance for the High-A Salem Red Sox on June 17, allowing 2 earned runs on 5 hits with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts in 42/3 innings as Salem lost 6-1 to the Winston-Salem Dash (High-A White Sox).
Around the horn
• Pitcher Mike Bolsinger (Razorbacks) was optioned to Class AAA Oklahoma City by the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 19. He made his first appearance for Oklahoma City on Thursday in a 9-6 loss to the Round Rock Express (AAA Rangers). Bolsinger allowed 2 hits with 5 strikeouts in 22/3 innings. ... Outfielder Collin Radack (Hendrix) was sent down to the High-A Palm Beach Cardinals from Class AA Springfield on Thursday. Radack hit .269 with no home runs and 13 RBI in 48 games for Springfield this season. ... Catcher Stuart Levy (Arkansas State) was activated from the disabled list June 17 and assigned to the Short-A Aberdeen (Md.) IronBirds. He played the season-opener for Class A Delmarva on April 17 before going on the disabled list with an undisclosed injury. ... Pitcher Chase Huchingson was activated from the disabled list by the Las Vegas 51s (AAA Mets) on June 20. He had been on the disabled list since April 20. ... Pitcher Jackson Lowery (UA/UCA/Pulaski Academy) has earned saves in each of his past two appearances for the Vancouver Canadians (Short-A Blue Jays). His first save came Tuesday as Vancouver beat the Everett Aqua Sox (Short-A Mariners) 6-5, in which he allowed 2 hits with 4 strikeouts over 12/3 innings. Lowery got another save Thursday in Vancouver's 4-2 victory over the Hillsboro Hops (Short-A Diamondbacks). He went one inning and had two strikeouts. ... Pitcher Blake Parker (Razorbacks) has earned saves in 2 of his past 3 appearances for the Tacoma Rainiers (AAA Mariners) and is 13 for 13 in save opportunities this season. His most recent save came Wednesday in a 5-2 victory over the Sacramento River Cats (AAA Giants), in which Parker allowed one walk in his one inning of work. Batters are hitting .165 against Parker this season. ... Outfielder Jonathan Davis (UCA/Camden) is 14 for 37 (.378), including 2 home runs, with 5 runs scored and 8 RBI in his past 10 games for the Dunedin (Fla.) Blue Jays (High-A Blue Jays) through Thursday. ... First baseman Dominic Ficociello (Razorbacks) is 13 for 36 (.361), including a home run, with 8 runs scored and 4 RBI in his past 10 games through Thursday. Ficociello went 3 for 5 with 1 home run, 1 RBI and 2 runs scored Monday as the Erie SeaWolves (AA Tigers) lost 6-5 to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (AA Blue Jays).
-- Todd J. Pearce
Sports on 06/26/2016