Austin Hedges hit his 19th homer, doubled and drove in three runs and right-hander Phil Maton struck out four in his first relief appearance for Triple-A El Paso, a 10-4 win over Albuquerque on Friday night in the Pacific Coast League.
A 20th-round draft pick in 2015, Maton started the season at Fort Wayne (1.42 ERA), jumped to Lake Elsinore (1.91 ERA) and bypassed Double-A San Antonio to pitch out of the El Paso bullpen as the Chihuahuas (70-63) look to close out a playoff spot.
Maton turned in 1 2/3 scoreless innings, walked just one and didn’t allow a hit in earning the win as El Paso’s magic number dipped to six.