Miller powers Idaho Falls with five hits

The Idaho Falls Chukars got a couple of Pioneer League requisites out of the way Thursday night -- their first track meet-style victory and their first lengthy overnight bus ride home.
Kansas City catching prospect Darrell Miller led the way by going 5-for-5 with two RBIs as the Rookie-level Chukars racked up 15 hits to outlast Shael Mendoza and Grand Junction, 13-10, and claim a series victory in their season-opening four-game set at Suplizio Field.

"What we've just been emphasizing with these kids is it's nine full innings," Idaho Falls manager Justin Gemoll said Thursday night from a bus headed to Idaho Falls. "The game's not over until it's over. Six-run leads, they don't hold up. We've seen it before in this league, so keep playing until the last out's made."
Gameday box score
The Chukars got production throughout their lineup, but not as potent as Miller, who laced five singles. The UCLA product roped an RBI knock to left field in the second inning, bounced a leadoff hit to right in the fourth and drove in his second run with a single to left with one out in the sixth.
Idaho Falls held a one-run lead headed into the top of the eighth before busting out for six more. Miller notched his final two hits in the inning, leading off with a single to left and reaching on an infield single to third.
"We had a lot of competitive at-bats up and down the lineup," Gemoll said. "Guys are focused on what they want to hit. We have good approaches, and we've been taking some pretty good swings."

Miller is firmly in that category. The son of the former California Angels outfielder of the same name -- and nephew of basketball stars Reggie and Cheryl Miller -- the younger Darrell went 3-for-4 in his first game of the season Tuesday night and raised his average to .800 after Thursday.
"He's been great," Gemoll said. "He's a real athletic kid, comes from an athletic family. He competes out there. He had a great night tonight, swung the bat well, competed well behind the plate. He's a big asset for us."
Miller is trying to make his way in pro ball after a late start to his career. The Yorba Linda, California native missed his senior season at UCLA in 2016 following labrum surgery on his non-throwing shoulder. He signed with the Royals as a free agent in February.
"He's a great teammate," Gemoll said. "All these kids here, they get along well. They pull for each other. They help each other out, and any time you've got someone like him back there behind the plate, it helps out the pitchers and helps keep them even-keeled and on their gameplan."

Through four games, Idaho Falls has totaled 47 runs in the thin air of the Western Slope of Colorado, with its only loss being a 17-11 decision on Tuesday. The offensive fireworks have given Gemoll and his staff ample opportunity to see their lineup feeling itself out at the plate.
"That's great for us, just to watch these kids have success," the manager said. "More than anything at this level, we're concerned about the process and how they're going about their work before the game, and then that translates hopefully into the game.
"We're more process-oriented right now at this stage of their development just trying to get them consistent with their work and their approach."
With the series victory clinched, the Chukars piled onto the bus for a roughly eight-hour, 500-mile trip back to Idaho Falls for Friday's home opener against Orem.
"It'll be nice for us to get back home," Miller said. "We had a little exhibition game in Idaho before heading out to Grand Junction. This is our longest trip that we have. We got this one out of the way early. I think we come back here one more time later on in the season, but it'll be good to get back and play in front of our home fans."
Mendoza went 5-for-6 with four RBIs in the loss. He doubled to left in the first, plated a run with a single to center in the second, singled to left in the seventh, collected an RBI while beating out a single to second in the eighth and plated two with a single to right in the ninth.
It marked the Rockies second baseman's second straight game with five hits, boosting his average to .706 through three games.