Dubon scores career-high five runs for Sky Sox

Each time Mauricio Dubón walked from home plate to the dugout Thursday, he never had to do so disappointed.
Milwaukee's No. 9 prospect reached base in all six plate appearances and scored a career-high five runs as Triple-A Colorado Springs routed Tacoma, 16-9, at Security Service Field. The infielder collected three hits -- finishing a triple shy of the cycle -- and drove in a run.

Dubon found his way aboard in five different ways. The 6-foot, 160-pound shortstop doubled to left field in the first inning and homered to left-center to lead off the third. After walking in the fourth, getting hit by a pitch in the fifth and drawing another free pass in the sixth, he rolled a single through the left side in the eighth.
Gameday box score
Dubon scored after reaching base each of his first five times and was stranded at third in the final instance. He scored in the first on a double steal, trotted home on his fourth homer of the season in the third and crossed the plate on a double by Nate Orf in the fourth. The 23-year-old also scored on a double by Nick Noonan in the fifth and a single by Orf in the sixth.

The native of Honduras surpassed his previous career high of four runs, which he accomplished on Aug. 20, 2016 with Double-A Portland and on Aug. 28, 2015 with Class A Advanced Salem in the Red Sox system. Milwaukee acquired Dubon in an offseason trade for big league righty Tyler Thornburg. In 97 games this season between Double-A Biloxi and the Sky Sox, Dubon has amassed 57 runs.
"He's a fairly intelligent baserunner," Colorado Springs hitting coach Al LeBoeuf said. "He's got the one tool you can't teach and that's speed. He uses his speed aggressively and he's a pretty smart baserunner. That's a pretty good combination."
Dubon also has swung the bat increasingly well over the past two weeks. The 2013 26th-round pick went 14-for-63 (.222) over his first 15 games in the Pacific Coast League following his promotion from the Shuckers on June 26. Over his last 11 contests, he has gone 21-for-52 (.404) with nine multi-hit efforts to raise his average with the Sky Sox to .304.

LeBoeuf said Dubon's surge has coincided with better pitch selection at the plate.
"The whole premise when he came up here is that it's all about commanding the strike zone," the hitting coach said. "That's our organizational philosophy and Kenny Graham, our hitting coordinator, has instilled that. He's a young player at a pretty high level and that's something you must remind him of and make [him] understand how important that is.
"You can have the best swing in the world. A Ken Griffey Jr. swing, or an [Alex Rodriguez] or an Edgar Martinez. If you're not swinging at good pitches, it's tough to square the ball up. I think that's one of his big keys, and quite frankly, I think that will be the key to his success going forward."

Dubon has embraced the challenge, developing an extensive pregame routine aimed at sharpening his pitch selection and improving his ability to stay to the middle of the field and square up the ball.
"You're only as good as the pitches you swing at," LeBoeuf said. "For him to take to this approach of staying in the strike zone, it's really a pleasure to watch."
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Noonan finished with three hits and a team-high four RBIs, while Orf and Andrew Susac drove in three runs apiece for Colorado Springs. 
Andrew Barbosa (6-1) gave up three unearned runs on two hits and two walks over 1 2/3 innings of relief.
Christian Bergman (8-2) was ripped for a career-high 11 runs on 11 hits and two walks over 3 2/3 frames for Tacoma.