Baby Cakes' Diaz busts out of slump

Entering Saturday's game, Isan Díaz had nine hits in 42 at-bats since his promotion to Triple-A New Orleans. Against Albuquerque, he got one-third of that total.
The Marlins' eighth-ranked prospect homered, tripled twice and drove in five runs as the Baby Cakes rolled to an 18-7 thumping of Albuquerque at Isotopes Park.

The 22-year-old batted .245/.365/.418 with Double-A Jacksonville and was promoted to the Pacific Coast League on July 19. In 12 games with the Baby Cakes, he had a .214/.313/.452 slash line, although he was showing power, with six of his nine hits going for extra bases.
"We continue to talk and continue to work, and he's finding that these pitchers have pitched in the big leagues and exposed him a little bit when he first got here, and it was up to him to make adjustments," Baby Cakes hitting coach Tommy Gregg said. "When he came up here, he was trying to do a little bit too much. He has to stick with his strength areas. He's really disciplined, his problems come when he's trying to do a little too much."
Acquired from the Brewers in January with outfielders Lewis Brinson and Monte Harrison and right-hander Jordan Yamamoto for Christian Yelich, Diaz flied to center field in the first inning against big league veteran Brett Oberholtzer.
Gameday box score
The Bayamon, Puerto Rico, native walked in the third and scored when Eric Campbell homered as New Orleans grabbed a 4-0 lead. After the Isotopes surged ahead in the third behind Mike Tauchman's grand slam, Diaz helped spearhead another rally.
In the sixth, after Brooks Pounders relieved Oberholtzer, JB Shuck doubled and scored on a single by Tomás Telis. One out later, Marlins No. 29 prospect Austin Dean -- who had four hits -- doubled home Telis and scored on a triple by Diaz to give the Baby Cakes a 7-6 lead.
"He's got great mechanics, he's a great kid and wants to learn and continue to get better," said Gregg, who played for four teams in a nine-year big league career. "He works hard and has a great routine. It was great to see him tonight go back to his gap-to-gap hitting, and that's what we're trying to instill in him. We're trying to instill a middle-of-the-field approach and path.
"His swing works much better when he does that and he's on time for the fastball. He has such a great eye, but he can get anxious trying to pull and trying to do too much. When he's approaching it as gap-to-gap, that's when he's at his best."
New Orleans extended its lead in the seventh when pitcher Jeff Kinley delivered a three-run double. Dean singled him home and the lefty-swinging Diaz deposited a ball over the wall in left-center field to make it 13-6.
After a homer by Rockies' fourth-ranked prospectGarrett Hampson in the eighth, the Baby Cakes tacked on five runs in the ninth, with Diaz again landing the key blow with a two-run triple that scored pinch-hitter Peter Mooney and Dean.

"That's the plan we have to work on," Gregg said about Diaz's approach. "He has to learn when to be aggressive and when to be patient. Good hitters learn that. They have to attack early on guys who throw fastballs … he's starting to figure that out, and it was great to see him tonight be patient, and when he got his pitch he was driving it. It's just a matter of him staying confident and being comfortable here and understanding he belongs here and he's a big part of the organization going forward."
Tyler Cloyd (3-4) got the win, despite allowing six runs -- five earned -- on seven hits and five walks in five innings. Kinley gave up one run on two hits in three frames.
Pounders (0-3) surrendered three runs on four hits in one inning and took the loss.