The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

TAHNAJ Thomas set a season’s best strikeout total for the third time this season and continues to be the leading pitcher in the rotation for the Bristol Pirates.

Thomas now has 42 strikeouts on the season to lead the Pirates and is seventh in the Appalachian League.

In his last start - a 9-6 loss to the Elizabethton Twins via a walk-off grand slam - Thomas allowed just one run on three hits and one walk while striking out a career-high nine batters over five innings. He became the first Bristol pitcher with nine strikeouts for the season.

In eight games, Thomas is 0-3 on the year with a 3.68 ERA, 42 strikeouts in 29.1 innings. In four of his last five appearances, he has recorded at least seven strikeouts.

Thomas is currently the No.16 ranked player in the Pirates organisation and No.5 among pitchers, according to MLB Pipeline.

Last season, Thomas appeared in eight games (six starts) in the Arizona Rookie League, recording a 4.58 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with 27 strikeouts in 19.2 innings. He was assigned to the AZL Indians 1 in the Arizona Rookie League.

And in Double A Baseball, Jazz Chisholm has had an immediate impact with his new organisation and showed flashes of why Michael Hill, Miami Marlins’ president of baseball operations, said he could be the club’s “shortstop of the future.” Now with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Chisholm finished 3-4 and was one hit away from the cycle in his debut.

The No.4 ranked prospect in the Marlins organisation finished with a triple, a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. He homered for the second time in five games with the Jumbo Shrimp to lift the team to a 3-1 win over the Biloxi Shuckers.

Chisholm now has 20 home runs for the season and continues to rank second in the Southern League. Through 94 games, Chisholm is hitting .207 with 69 hits, six doubles, six triples, 20 home runs, scored 54 runs, 47 RBI, an OBP of .305, OPS of .746, and slugging .441 with nine stolen bases.

Last week, the Marlins traded rookie starting pitcher Zac Gallen to the Diamondbacks for Chisholm, the Diamondbacks’ top hitting prospect.

“They did what they thought was a business decision for them, but I feel fine about it,” Chisholm told The Tribune. “I’m excited and disappointed at the same time. I’ve been with the Diamondbacks for the past four years, so that’s the sad part about leaving.

“But now I get to start a new journey, being with some new guys and getting to know some new people. I can’t wait to see what will happen now that I am moving on to a new team.”