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Prospect Roundup: Games of April 17

Marlins' Gallen remains stingy, Nats' Sharp posts seven zeros
Zac Gallen is unscored upon in two of his first three starts of the season for New Orleans. (Parker Waters/New Orleans Baby Cakes)
April 18, 2019

Marlins RHP Zac Gallen, Triple-A New Orleans: 5 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K --Miami's No. 18 prospect went seven innings without allowing a hit in his first start of the year on April 5. While he didn't get as deep in Wednesday's game, Gallen was

Marlins RHP Zac Gallen, Triple-A New Orleans: 5 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K --Miami's No. 18 prospect went seven innings without allowing a hit in his first start of the year on April 5. While he didn't get as deep in Wednesday's game, Gallen was nearly as dominant. The right-hander pitched around baserunners in each of the first three innings but settled in and retired the final nine batters he faced on the way to the Baby Cakes' 5-0 win over Iowa in the opener of a doubleheader. Gallen through 61 of 86 pitches for strikes and generated seven groundouts. With the victory, the University of North Carolina product dropped his ERA to 0.48. Gameday box score

Nationals RHP Sterling Sharp, Double-A Harrisburg: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K -- After allowing seven runs over 10 innings in his first two starts of the season, Sharp pieced together his first dominant outing of the year. The Nationals' No. 8 prospect worked around traffic in the first and second innings before retiring 13 in a row through the sixth. After yielding a leadoff single to Altoona's Hunter Owen in the seventh, Sharp induced a double-play ball from Logan Hill and struck out Bralin Jackson to finish on a strong note. The right-hander needed only 67 pitches to navigate his longest start since his final outing last season. In addition to four strikeouts, he recorded 12 outs on grounders. Gameday box score
Astros RHP Tyler Ivey, Double-A Corpus Christi: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K -- Coming out of the bullpen for the first time this season, Ivey dazzled en route to his first Double-A win. Houston's No. 17 prospect was the only reliever Corpus Christi needed after four scoreless innings from starter Brandon Bailey. Ivey's eight strikeouts were his most since he fanned eight last July 28 for Class A Advanced Buies Creek. The 2017 third-round pick faced only four batters over the minimum. Gameday box score
Blue Jays SS Santiago Espinal, Double-A New Hampshire: 2-for-5, 1 HR, 6 RBIs -- Espinal took a tight game and broke it open with an eighth-inning grand slam. The middle infielder, playing shortstop at Binghamton, cranked his blast on a full count to headline a five-run inning that put the game out of reach. Espinal had two RBIs heading into the game and extended a modest hitting streak to four games for the Fisher Cats. Gameday box score
Phillies LHP Damon Jones, Class A Advanced Clearwater: 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K -- An 18th-round pick two years ago out of Washington State, Jones has put together a solid start to his pro career and continues to impress in the Florida State League. The southpaw was brilliant against the Fire Frogs, holding them without a hit and facing just three batters over the minimum. All nine outs Jones recorded on balls in play came on grounders. Gameday box score
Rays RHP Joe Ryan, Class A Bowling Green: 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 12 K -- After a couple of pedestrian outings to begin the year, the Rays prospect was nearly untouchable in his third. The Cal State Stanislaus product more than doubled his strikeout total (10), and the only hit he allowed was an RBI infield single by Indians' No. 25 prospectWill Benson in the third inning. Ryan threw 53 of 79 pitches for strikes and recorded outs on only three balls in play, one on the ground, one on an outfield fly and one on an infield popup. Gameday box score
Athletics 1B Seth Brown, Triple-A Las Vegas: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 2 RBIs -- Two days after bashing three home runs for the Aviators, Brown went on another power surge. Serving as Las Vegas' designated hitter at Sacramento, he belted a solo shot to right-center field in the second inning and added another solo blast to right in the ninth. Brown has six long balls in 11 games this year after belting 14 in 131 contests all of last season for Double-A Midland in the Texas League. Gameday box score
Rockies OF Vince Fernandez, Double-A Hartford: 3-for-4, HR, 1 RBI -- Colorado's No. 25 prospect put up three hits in his first seven games at Double-A this season but has been tearing up Eastern League pitching since. Fernandez posted his second straight three-hit performance and cranked his fourth homer of the year -- a solo shot to center field in the sixth inning, in the Yard Goats' 4-3 win over Richmond. He also reached on an infield hit in the first and singled again in the third. After starting the year 1-6, Hartford has won five of its last seven games. Gameday box score
Video: Fernandez homers on big day
Royals LHP Kris Bubic, Class A Lexington: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K -- The Stanford product extended an early-season scoreless streak to 13 innings with five more frames on Wednesday. Kansas City's No. 9 prospect faced two batters over the minimum and threw 58 of 87 pitches for strikes. Bubic hasn't allowed a run since surrendering four in the third inning of his season debut, a five-inning no-decision on April 6 against Delmarva. Gameday box score
White Sox LHP Bernardo Flores, Double-A Birmingham: 8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K -- In an economical outing, the left-hander needed 81 pitches to silence Jacksonville for eight innings. Flores, a 2016 seventh-round pick barely dealt with any traffic -- all three hits he allowed were singles and only one of those baserunners got past first. He dropped his ERA to 0.56 while earning his first win of the season. Gameday box score

Tyler Maun is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @TylerMaun.