Torres earning his wings with Pelicans

For someone who won't turn 20 until after the season, Gleyber Torres seems to be maturing beyond his years on the diamond. 

The Cubs' top prospect went 4-for-6 with a homer and matched a career high with four RBIs on Thursday, but Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach fell at Winston-Salem, 13-9. It was the first four-hit game of the season for Torres. 

The Venezuela native started off the slugfest by taking Dash starter Tanner Banks deep to left field in the first inning for a two-run homer, his first long ball since June 18. 

"He's been more patient at the plate. Earlier, he was trying do too much. He was swinging at pitches out of the zone, the way a lot of players get into trouble," Pelicans manager Buddy Bailey told MiLB.com earlier this year. "It isn't his swing or anything like that, it's basically what you swing at. But he's gotten comfortable and he's trying do less. His pitch selection has gotten better and, obviously, the results are better. 

"That's why his numbers are getting better and his average is up because he's taking walks, which in turn lets everybody know he's getting selective in the pitches he's swinging at."

Torres followed up his homer with two singles -- one to right in the third and an infield hit in the fifth. In the ninth, he helped the Pelicans close the gap with a two-run single to center. MLB.com's No. 24 overall prospect is hitting .268 with nine homers and 33 RBIs in 81 games. 

"He's still [learning] in every area," Bailey said. "The stretch he's had is going good, but let's face it, guys are in A-ball because they need education in lots of areas. He's an aggressive baserunner and that's a good thing, but there have been some times when some of those decisions haven't been correct. There have been some errors along the way, but the kid's 19 years old and he's playing [Advanced] A-ball."

Torres, who was signed by the Cubs as an international free agent in 2013, has hit .283 with 14 homers and 130 RBIs in 257 Minor League games. 

Myrtle Beach first baseman Yasiel Balaguert smacked his 11th homer of the season. Eight Pelicans scored at least one run. 

Every player in the Winston-Salem lineup collected at least one hit, and all but one -- catcher Brett Austin, who went 2-for-4 with a run scored -- drove in at least one run. Gerson Montilla, Mason Robbins, Nick Basto and Marcus Davis collected three hits apiece to pace the Dash. 

Banks (4-0) allowed four runs on 10 hits and two walks while striking out two over 5 2/3 innings. Jacob Morris got the last out of the game to earn his third save.

Myrtle Beach starter Trevor Clifton (4-6) surrendered five runs -- four earned -- on five hits and four walks while fanning six in four frames.