Yard Goats' Rodgers keeps rolling

With the consistency and tools Brendan Rodgers brings to the plate, it's never a surprise when he produces a big night. Add Saturday's game to the growing list of strong performances. 
The top Rockies prospect went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs scored and an RBI to help Double-A Hartford cruise to an 11-1 victory over Altoona at Dunkin' Donuts Park. Rodgers, who also walked, backed third-ranked Peter Lambert's first career complete game. 

Rodgers has four hits in his past seven at-bats to boost his batting average to .291 and OPS to .866. Through 53 contests this season, MLB.com's No. 11 overall prospect has 13 multi-hit efforts and six with at least three hits. 
"He's always great, he comes to the yard ready to play every day," Yard Goats manager Warren Schaeffer said. "Tonight he was really good. He hit three really hard-hit balls, three knocks and a walk. He just was looking for his pitch to hit like he always does. If he gets good pitches, he's going to put good swings on them and usually hit them hard. That's just who he is. He's a great player, he's fun to work with." 
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Known for his 60-grade hit tool, Rodgers has put in extra effort to improve his defense, according to Schaeffer. The 21-year-old has worked his way around the infield, logging 28 games at shortstop, 15 at second base and his first 11 professional games at third base this season. Rodgers, who was stationed at second Saturday, holds a .978 overall fielding percentage with four errors across the diamond.  
Schaeffer is impressed with Rodgers' work ethtic and analytical mind when it comes to using his glove.
"I would say he focuses his development mostly on defense," the skipper said. "Since the time I've managed him, and I managed him a couple of years ago down in [Class A] Asheville and we worked a ton on defense. He wants to work on it. He's always working on hitters' tendencies and he's developed a lot mentally on the defensive end and reading pitchers."
With one out in the first inning Saturday night, Rodgers ripped a 3-1 offering from Logan Sendelbach back through the middle before swiping second base. In scoring position with two down, the 2015 first-round pick scored on Rockies No. 11 prospect Sam Hilliard's two-run dinger. 
Following 14th-ranked Forrest Wall's leadoff homer in the third, Rodgers scorched a shot down the third base line for his 12th double of the season. The two were at it again in the fifth, as Wall tripled to right and Rodgers drove him in with a single to left. 
The Florida native reached for the fourth time with a leadoff walk in the seventh and again stole second -- his eighth theft of the year. He came home again on Scott Burcham's two-out, two-run double. 

He was retired for the only time in the eighth when he struck out on three pitches. 
With 91 games in Double-A over the last two seasons, Rodgers is just about ready to make a jump to the next level -- whether that's Triple-A or the Majors, according to Schaeffer. He must use the time to refine small aspects of his game.
"His game, at this point, is pretty complete," Schaeffer said. "He knows this, but it's just a matter of making him more consistent every day. That's what we're here to do. We're just trying to get him better every day, he's trying to get better every day. It's just a consistency thing. The guys in the big leagues are awfully consistent in everything they do, and he knows that. He wants to be there as soon as possible, he just needs to be more consistent in everything."
Lambert (4-2) allowed one run on four hits and a walk while fanning four. The complete game marked the first time the 21-year-old had thrown more than seven innings since May 25, 2017 with Class A Advanced Lancaster. He lowered his ERA to 2.71, which ranks sixth in the Eastern League.
Overall, he threw 72 of a season-high 102 pitches for strikes and effectively kept Altoona from making hard contact, recording 14 groundouts to four flyouts. Schaeffer was encouraged by Lambert's stamina in the longest outing of his professional career. MLB.com's No. 96 overall prospect completed the night with an eight-pitch ninth to finish the Yard Goats' first-ever nine-inning complete game.

"Everything was working for Pete," Schaeffer said. "Pete wants to take the ball all the time, it's hard to take the ball away from him because, No. 1, you want him in the game. No. 2, he doesn't want to give the ball up. He's got everything you want in a pitcher. Tonight, fastballs on both sides of the plate -- up, down. Breaking ball was working, changeup was good. He attacked hitters and got ahead in counts. That's what it's all about."
Lambert also helped his own cause, plating a run in the seventh inning with his second double of the season. His manager couldn't help but crack a laugh when recounting the hit.
"Shoot, man, [Jake Brentz] was throwing hard out there that he got the hit off," Schaeffer said. "He just got the bat out there and got a piece of it."