Box Scores
Thanks for the messages about the box score link not working. I completely rebuilt my template and made a typo, and I think MiLB changed their format as well.
AAA: Round Rock 1, at Sugar Land (HOU) 2
Round Rock: 6 hits, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 8 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 4-4, 1 GB
SP AJ Alexy: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 2 SO, 75 P / 47 S, 5.14 ERA
3B Davis Wendzel: 3-3, HR (1)
AJ Alexy has walked seven in seven innings, which won’t hasten his return to Arlington. On the upside, his strike rate of 63% and average of 17.3 pitches per inning are perfectly acceptable. Walks aside, he’s concluding plate appearances fairly quickly. Average speeds so far: fastball 94, change 86, slider 84, curve 77.
Davis Wendzel boosted his slugging percentage from .182 to .400 in a few hours. Marcus Semien could do the same any day now, so don’t fret the slow start.
AA: Frisco 9, at San Antonio (SDG) 6
Frisco: 10 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 4-1, 1 G up
SP Avery Weems: 2 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 4 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 47 P / 31 S, 20.25 ERA
RP Nick Starr: 1.2 IP, 0 H ,0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 2.45 ERA
CF Kellen Strahm: 2-2, BB, HBP
2B Trey Hair: 2-4, 2B
DH Sandro Fabian: 2-4, 2B, HR (1)
The Riders scored seven in the 1st on seven hits. They managed only three more than rest of the game and immediately surrendered four runs in the bottom half of the first, but the initial outburst was enough.
LF Dustin Harris dropped a catchable ball midway through. The soft fly came down more-or-less between left, center, and short; I wouldn’t call it a gimme, but he had it lined up and heeled it. Tuesday was only his third pro game at the position. OF Kellen Strahm is hitting a wild .375/.643/.500 in the early going. That’s three hits, five walks and a hit batter. Soon to be 25, Strahm showed improved power to augment his strong OBP skill in an injury-shortened 2021 (.281/.388/.448 in 50 games).
High-A: Hickory 1, Bowling Green (TAM) 0
Hickory: 7 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 7 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 3-2, 1 GB
SP Ben Anderson: 2.2 IP, 1 H ,0 R, 4 BB, 3 SO, 61 P / 29 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Triston Polley: 3.1 IP, 1 H ,0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 4.76 ERA
RP Marc Church: 2 IP, 3 H ,0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
DH Evan Carter: 1-3, BB
2B Cristian Inoa: 2-3, BB
SS Keyber Rodriguez: 1-3, BB
CF Angel Aponte: 2-3, 2 SB (2)
Hickory allowed 12 runners but managed to erase two on the bases and stranded the rest, including six in scoring position. The 6’4″ righty Anderson (2019, 13th round) hasn’t struggled with control historically.
22-year-old Cristian Inoa is playing some second base with Luisangel Acuna out. The 5′”10 Inoa spent most of last year in low-A at first, I think mainly because Texas had others in mind for second, third, and short. Inoa responded by hitting 11 homers, easily a career high.
Low-A: Down East 4, Kannapolis (CHW) 0
Down East: 4 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 1-4, 3 GB
SP Emiliano Teodo: 2.1 IP, 0 H ,0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 36 P / 21 S, 1.00 ERA
RP Bradford Webb: 3.2 IP, 2 H ,0 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Michael Brewer: 2 IP, 1 H ,0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
C Tucker Mitchell: 1-2, BB
LF Yosy Galan: 2-3
Emiliano Teodo, starting pitcher? Teodo reached triple digits on the gun with regularity but often in no particular direction at Arizona last year (21 BB/HBP and 48 SO in 29 innings), and I’d only thought of him as a reliever despite his inexperience. We’ll see. Righty Bradford Webb is a senior sign from Virginia Commonwealth drafted in last year’s seventh road. As such, he’s a relative greybeard, 24 next week. He fanned 13 with no walks in 8.2 rookie innings in 2021.
OF Marcus Smith has come to the plate 17 times. He has 12 strikeouts, four walks, and one sac bunt.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Cole Winn
AA: Justin Slaten
Hi-A: Nick Krauth
Lo-A: TBD
Five Years Ago Yesterday
A slow day, but I mentioned the 2013 Hickory squad setting low-A records in total strikeouts (1,403) and strikeout rate (28.5%). Those marks now rank third and ninth, respectively, surpassed by the 2019 Clinton LumberKings and several 2021 entries. The ’13 Crawdads created a future Major Leaguer at every position:
C Jorge Alfaro
1B Ronald Guzman
2B Ryan Rua
3B Joey Gallo
SS Luis Marte
OF Nick Williams
OF Lewis Brinson
OF Nomar Mazara
and seven pitchers