The Lookouts, Quakes, and Loons all concluded their first halves this week. The Quakes, after winning 10 of 11 to get back into the playoff hunt, lost the last two games of the half and will play a one-game playoff against High Desert on Monday. The Lookouts and Loons both finished out of playoff contention.

The Dominican Summer League began last week, so my apologies for missing that league in my weekly recap. Also, Ogden started play this week and will be included in the next recap.

There are some familiar names this week, as you’ll see. Apparently, John Ely might be the only pitcher worth a damn in Albuquerque, and he’s throwing well.

Albuquerque scored the most runs this week at 41, followed closely by the Loons at 40. The Dominican Summer League Dodgers gave up the fewest runs at 22.

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Albuquerque Isotopes (4-3)

Runs Scored: 41
Runs Allowed: 33

Player Of The Week

Alex Castellanos – 2B

Castellanos returned to the Isotopes and promptly picked up where he left off, going 9-for-25 (.360) this week with two home runs, five RBI, three doubles, five runs scored, and a stolen base. Despite struggling with the Dodgers, he’s doing the exact opposite of struggling in Albuquerque: .375/.455/.768 with seven home runs, 13 doubles, and five triples. This is his third award of the season.

Pitcher Of The Week

John Ely  – RHP

This is Ely’s second consecutive award, third in the last four weeks and fourth on the season. He had the following line this week: 10 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 10 K. He is having a great season by Pacific Coast League standards. His 9.6 K/9 and 5.18 K/BB are both career highs, and he deserves a chance in the majors again, especially since he’s handling a notorious hitter’s league with relative ease.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see him back in the majors sometime this season.

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Chattanooga Lookouts (2-4)

Runs Scored: 25
Runs Allowed: 35

Player Of The Week

Blake Smith – OF

Smith takes home his second honor of the season by going 11-for-22 (.500) with five doubles, seven RBI, and two walks. He finished the first half with a solid .298/.382/.480 line with seven home runs, 39 RBI, 16 doubles, 38 runs scored, seven stolen bases, and 29 walks. He went 1-for-4 with a strikeout in the AA All-Star Game.

Pitcher Of The Week

Allen Webster – RHP

Ah, that’s more like it. Believe it or not, this is Webster’s first award of the season, and he earned it by having one of his best starts of the season: 6 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. Webster has struggled mightily this season, but a stint in the bullpen might have him straightened out. If he can regain his pre-Chattanooga form from 2011, he’ll be in good shape.

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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-3)

Runs Scored: 24
Runs Allowed: 26

Player Of The Week

Leon Landry – CF

Landry started to heat up about the time I stopped watching the Quakes in Stockton (June 7) and it carried over to this past week. This is his third award and he earned it by going 9-for-27 (.333) with a home run, two doubles, a triple, four runs scored, and zero strikeouts. Landry finished the first half with a .321/.357/.538 line, four home runs, 14 doubles, seven triples, and 14 stolen bases. He went 1-for-2 in the A+ All-Star Game.

Pitcher Of The Week

Brandon Martinez – RHP

Martinez, who started with Great Lakes, had the best start of any Quakes’ pitcher this week: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. He struggled with the Loons but has pitched significantly better with the Quakes. He needs to work on allowing fewer hits, but the 21-year-old is holding his own thus far.

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Great Lakes Loons (4-3)

Runs Scored: 40
Runs Allowed: 46

Player Of The Week

Scott Schebler – OF

Schebler seems to be picking it up a bit, even if he refuses to draw a walk (3.1 percent walk rate). He went 10-for-24 (.417) with a home runs, seven RBI, four doubles, five runs scored, and a couple stolen bases. The positive: he drew a walk this week without striking out. That has to be a first. He finishes the first half with a .274/.306/.448 with five home runs, 20 doubles, six triples, and 10 stolen bases. This is Schebler’s second award (won it two weeks ago for the first time).

Pitcher Of The Week

Arismendy Ozoria – RHP

This is Ozoria’s first award and he earned it by throwing the best game of the week for the Loons: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K. The 21-year-old finished the first half with a 4.07 ERA, good for second among Loons starting pitchers. It’ll be interesting to see the second half he puts together, and I’m actually expecting him to pitch well.

Dominican Summer League Dodgers (2-4)

Runs Scored: 32
Runs Allowed: 22

Player Of The Week

Josmar Cordero – 1B/C

Cordero is absolutely destroying this league, and he should be since it’s his third stint in the Dominican. He went 13-for-24 (.542) with a home run, seven RBI, and five runs scored. He’s played mostly catcher in his professional career, but he’s caught just four of 14 games thus far.

Not sure why he’s been moved out from catching, as he’s thrown out all three baserunners attempting to swipe a bag this season. Furthermore, he’s thrown out nearly 45 percent of would-be base-stealers coming into 2011. Perhaps it’s something about his receiving or other aspects of playing the position.

He should be state-side soon enough.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jhouse Bermudez – LHP

I’m not going to pretend I know anything about this guy, but he had a couple of good outings this week: 10 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 8 BB, 9 K. Obviously, the walks are a concern. However, the 19-year-old is throwing well for the DSL Dodgers so far. Expect a lot of short outings from pitchers down there, as it’s a rookie league and the managers aren’t going to throw teenagers too many innings.