Visalia's Weller adds 13 to strikeout tally

At this point, outlandish strikeout totals for Blayne Weller are about as common as videos on Facebook of friends dousing themselves with ice water.

The D-backs right-hander -- who fanned 12 in a nine-inning no-hitter for Class A South Bend on July 10 and whiffed 16 over eight innings for Class A Advanced Visalia on July 31 -- rang up 13 more strikeouts Thursday during the Rawhide's 5-3 win over the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

The 2008 14th-round pick gave up one run on two hits and two walks across 5 2/3 innings, while inducing three flyouts and hitting one batter.

Weller struck out the side in the first, third and fifth innings while punching out two in the second and adding one in the fourth and sixth. Seven batters swung through strike three, while six watched it go by.

His lone run scored after the 24-year-old exited the game. He opened the sixth by striking out Adam Law and getting Jeremy Rathjen to fly out to right field before issuing a free pass to Chris Jacobs. Reliever Justin Van Grouw served up a home run to the next batter, Aaron Miller.

The Florida native sports a 3-2 record and a 5.17 ERA in seven starts with Visalia this season. Before joining the Rawhide, he went 5-4 with a 4.03 ERA over 21 games (11 starts) with the Silver Hawks in the Midwest League.

With 147 total strikeouts this season, Weller ranks eighth in the Minor Leagues. Starting from July 20, when the righty debuted with Visalia, he has racked up 56 punchouts, which leads the Minors in that span.

Steve McQuail hit a solo home run in the second inning for the Rawhide. Alex Glenn drove in a pair of runs and Breland Almadova chipped in three hits.

Rancho Cucamonga starter Tom Windle fell to 11-8 after allowing five runs -- four earned -- on 11 hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out two.