AAA: Round Rock 3, at Salt Lake (LAA) 5
Round Rock: 8 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 14-8, 1 G up
SP Kohei Arihara: 6 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 84 P / 58 S, 3.38 ERA
RF Zach Reks: 2-4, 2B, .283/.387/.415
Zach Reks has been quietly effective for the Express since surviving the 40-man maneuvers to get Matt Bush, Greg Holland and Charlie Culberson on the active roster.
Bubba Thompson (0-3) drew his first walk.
AA: Frisco 7, at Midland (OAK) 5
Frisco: 13 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 13-6, 3 G up
SP Cody Bradford: 5 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 85 P / 62 S, 8.84 ERA
RP Grant Anderson: 2 IP, 0 H ,0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.38 ERA
CF Josh Stowers: 3-4, 2 HR, (2), HBP, .340/.407/.532
2B Justin Foscue: 3-3, 3B, .294/.324/.559
RF Kellen Strahm: 1-4, HR (1), .167/.353/.278
The archetypal Cody Bradford start: excellent control, not especially hit-averse, modest damage. Nine more identical starts will pull his ERA below five. That ten-run outing from last week left a mark.
Much of Justin Foscue’s power vanished when he jumped from Hickory to Frisco last summer, but in 2022, six of his ten hits are for extra bases.
High-A: Hickory 6, Greenville (BOS) 1
Hickory: 9 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 1 walk, 12 strikeouts
Record: 10-9, 3 GB
SP Owen White: 6 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 9 SO, 69 P / 51 S, 3.44 ERA
RP Jesus Linarez: 2 IP, 1 H ,0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 4.22 ERA
2B Frainyer Chavez: 1-2, 2 BB, .333/.429/.361
C Scott Kapers: 3-4, HR (2), .238/.304/.524
Two so-so outings and two dominant ones for Owen White. In a season where wildness has reversed a years-long trend of higher SO/BB ratios, White has 24 strikeouts to just five walks. Opponents are hitting .212/.268/.409 against him.
Scott Kapers (2018, 17th round) isn’t known for power, maxing out at four homers at Valpo and two as a professional, but he’s gone yard twice in six games in 2022.
Low-A: Down East 5, Carolina (MIL) 6 (Monday rainout makeup)
Down East: 6 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 8-10
SP Gavin Collyer: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 HBP, 5 SO, 47 P / 33 S, 7.20 ERA
RP Damian Mendoza: 3 IP, 3 H ,0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 3.65 ERA
DH Alejandro Osuna: 2-3, HR (1), .333/.426/.471
Bubba Hoopii-Tuionetoa wasn’t great (one double, one walk, one wild pitch in 1.2 IP), but of seven balls in play, three were marred by Derwin Barretto throwing errors, resulting in three runs. Down East committed five errors in the opener and two in the nightcap.
Low-A: Down East 5, Carolina (MIL) 6 (7)
Down East: 7 hits, 0 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts
Record: 8-11, 5 GB
SP Josh Stephan: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 0 BB, 2 HBP, 1 SO, 41 P / 29 S, 4.91 ERA
RP Nick Lockhart: 3.1 IP, 1 H ,0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 3.95 ERA
RP Theo McDowell: 2 IP, 1 H ,0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 7.04 ERA
DH Brady Smith: 1-3, HR (1), .250/.344/.429
CF Yosy Galan: 2-3, HR (3), .255/.340/.468
Having lost a 4-1 lead late in the first game, the Woodies took a 5-0 lead in the 1st only immediately surrender six runs. Nick Lockhart and Theo McDowell gave Down East a chance, but the offense didn’t do much after the opening onslaught. Like Kapers, Brady Smith (2020, undrafted out of Florida) catches sporadically. Last night’s first professional homer was a grand slam.
Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD (AJ Alexy’s turn)
AA: Leiter
Hi-A: Englert TBD
Lo-A: TBD (Larson Kindreich’s turn)
Five Years Ago Yesterday
Walk-prone but intriguing righty CD Pelham issued just one free pass in three scoreless innings as Hickory mounted a comeback to win 9-8. Pelham hasn’t pitched since 2019 but is still a Cub, sitting on their AA squad’s injured list. Pelham was born in my father’s small hometown of Lancaster, SC, so I always had an affinity for him.