Deichmann provides power for Midland

Greg Deichmann and Double-A Midland have spent the last 11 days on the road, but he hasn't needed any home cooking to keep his end-of-year power surge going.
The No. 17 Athletics prospect mashed two home runs and collected three RBIs to guide the RockHounds to a 4-1 victory over Amarillo on Thursday at Hodgetown. With the win, Midland claimed a 2-0 lead in the best-of-5 Texas League semifinals.

Deichmann totaled seven homers going into August, but collected four over the month -- including two in the final two days. In Game 1 of the series, the 24-year-old didn't leave the yard but did double and drive in a run during a two-hit night in the RockHounds' 8-3 victory. 
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"It's just getting hot at the right time and just trying to contribute as much as I can," Deichmann said. "I felt good going down to the last two series and then rolling here in the playoffs. That's where I'm at with it. I'm trying to put a good swing on the ball each time I get up. Whatever happens, happens."
Following a second-inning strikeout on Thursday, Deichmann got back on track against No. 28 Padres prospectJacob Nix in the fourth. He fell down in the count, 1-2, but crushed the fourth pitch over the wall in right for a solo roundtripper. 
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Lefty Sam Williams didn't fare much better against the 2017 second-rounder in the sixth, when Deichmann crushed a full-count offering over the left-field fence for a two-run jack. It marked the third time in the Louisiana State product's career that he'd belted two homers in a game, with the last one coming on May 7 against Northwest Arkansas. 
"I was swinging through two off-speed pitches and then I just tried to work myself back into a good count," he said of the second homer. "I was just waiting for a mistake, and in a 3-2 count there, he left me a fastball on the plate, and again, I was able to get a good swing off."
In two semifinals games, Deichmann has a .444 average (4-for-9), three extra-base hits and four RBIs. Going back to Aug. 30, the Louisiana native has blasted four homers and recorded 10 RBIs over a six-game stretch.

Kyle Friedrichs (1-0) picked up the win by allowing one run on five hits and three walks with two punchouts over six innings. 
Nix (0-1) yielded two runs on six hits and two walks while whiffing six for Amarillo.
"We want to make the situation as comfortable as possible -- at home with a two-game lead," Deichmann said. "We've been on the road for 11 days now, so it'll be nice to get back home, sleep in your own bed, back in your home ballpark. We're looking to take the series tomorrow, but we have three games to make it happen."
Game 3 is slated for Friday in Midland.
In other Texas League playoff action: 
Drillers 3, Travelers 1 
Behind multi-hit efforts from sixth-ranked Dodgers prospectJeter Downs and No. 28 Connor Wong, Tulsa evened up its series with Arkansas. Downs went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored while Wong doubled, plated a run and scored in a two-hit effort to lead the Drillers offense against fifth-ranked Mariners prospectJustin Dunn (0-1). On the mound for Tulsa, Leo Crawford (1-0) gave up a run on four hits with seven strikeouts. Dunn was saddled with the loss, allowing three runs -- two earned -- on six hits and three walks while striking out three. Game 3 is set for Friday in Tulsa. Gameday box score