Diaz breaks out of doldrums for Mudcats

Since a somewhat difficult season for Isan Díaz got even harder before the start of July, he knew he had to leave the past in the past. A surprise at the ballpark Sunday not only helped him move on, but led to a slump-busting performance.
"My parents surprised me during this game, so it was kind of good to see them. It was good to kind of get that feeling out and just have a day for them," the fifth-ranked Brewers prospect said.

Diaz bashed a homer, a double and two singles while scoring three times and driving in a pair to lead Class A Advanced Carolina over Winston-Salem, 14-10, at Five County Stadium. MLB.com's No. 54 prospect went 2-for-12 in five contests coming into the game.

"Mentally, going into today's game I was just, 'it's a new day, it's a new month,'" the 21-year-old said. "I was just trying to get my work in in the cage before the game and just go in the game with a positive mind-set. Just trying to erase the past and just trying to make good progress and good adjustments throughout the rest of the year."
In the sixth four-hit game of Diaz's four-year career, he raised his batting average 11 points to .227. Over 74 games this season, the 21-year-old has driven in 44 runs and amassed half as many homers as he had last season with Class A Wisconsin.
The Mudcats jumped on Winston-Salem right hander Brannon Easterling in the opening inning. Seventh-ranked Brewers prospect Lucas Erceg smacked a three-run homer and Jake Gatewood doubled. Diaz knocked the club's No. 25 prospect in with a two-bagger.
"Hitting is contagious. We got the ball rolling ... and I'm like, 'OK, this is there, we got to just continue this and let's just go up there and keep the line moving,'" Diaz recalled. "That's what we put out today and that's what we showed for nine innings. Our lineup is dangerous, and when everyone is hitting, we're a tough team to beat."
With one out in the third, the competitive balance pick of the D-backs in 2014 got ahead in the count, 3-0, against Easterling before pulling a single on the ground through the right side.
"I got the green light and I was just trying to not do too much with it," Diaz explained. "Obviously I know the fastball is coming, so anything around the zone, I was just trying to put it in play as hard as I could and I found a hole. Those are always good for the confidence level."
He scored two pitches later when Monte Harrison clubbed his second homer since the Brewers No. 22 prospect's June 22 promotion.
Gameday box score
Diaz flied out to center in the fourth against Winston-Salem left hander Louie Lechich, who tossed two perfect innings of relief. After the Dash pulled within a run in the sixth, Gatewood singled in another run and the native of Puerto Rico lined the first offering he saw from reliever Victor Diaz to right for a base hit.
The Mudcats then initiated a successful double-steal with Gatewood and Diaz and an errant throw by Winston-Salem catcher Seby Zavala allowed Gatewood to score and put Diaz to advance. He crossed the plate on a single by Cooper Hummel.

Diaz chased the first pitch again in the eighth against right hander Ian Hamilton and hit a rope over the fence in right-center.
"Anything around the zone, you can't give away freebies," he said. "That's something I'm trying to fix as well. You just got to be aggressive early in the count and jump out on fastballs I know I can crush."
Gatewood's double marked his 25th of the season, which ranks second in the Carolina League to Frederick'sRyan Mountcastle with 29. Troy Stokes Jr. added a triple and two runs scored for Carolina.
Jameson Fisher collected a homer and a double on a three-hit night, driving in four and scoring twice, while Luis Alexander Basabe raced for a three-run triple for Winston-Salem.