AAA: Round Rock 5, at Sugar Land (HOU) 3
Round Rock: 7 hits, 5 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 24-15, tied for first
SP Cole Winn: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 94 P / 59 S, 5.94 ERA
RF Zach Reks: 2-5, 2B, .295/.394/.475
C Meibrys Viloria: 1-2, HR (2), 2 BB, .342/.451/.513
A better if still odd performance from Cole Winn. Winn walked only two of 22 batters and threw 63% of his pitches for strikes, ending a three-game streak of alarming wildness. The strange part: Winn threw only 38% of his fastballs for strikes, but the rates for changes, curves and sliders were all between 75% and 78%. Likewise, 12 of his 13 swinging strikes were non-fastballs.
Willie Calhoun singled twice.
AA: Frisco 5, Corpus Christi (HOU) 9
Frisco: 9 hits, 6 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 20-16, 1 G up
SP Cody Bradford: 4 IP, 6 H (2 HR), 6 R, 4 BB, 3 SO, 84 P / 51 S, 9.62 ERA
RP Tim Brennan: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
3B Jonathan Ornelas: 2-5, 2B, .351/.392/.470
DH Blaine Crim: 1-4, HR (8), .276/.345/.512
LF Dustin Harris: 2-5, HR (5), .261/.357/.429
C David Garcia: 2-3, 2 HR (3), BB, .234/.300/.438
Cody Bradford’s walk/HBP rate has doubled from 2021, and he’s not the type to pitch his way around them. In the minors, Joe Barlow could say “my control’s not great but I’m unhittable, so ha ha.” Bradford will give up his share of hits, so those extra walks are a problem.
Blaine Crim overtook Sam Huff for the organization lead in homers. Dustin Harris has homered in three straight games. David Garcia homered twice for the second time in his career.
Tim Brennan (2018, 7th round) pitched for the first time this season.
High-A: Hickory 9, at Greenville (BOS) 4
Hickory: 11 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 19-16, 3.0 GB
SP Ben Anderson: 5 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 1 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 76 P / 47 S, 3.16 ERA
RP Joe Corbett: 2 IP, 1 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 2.93 ERA
CF Jayce Easley: 2-4, 2B, 3B, .238/.273/.381
LF Evan Carter: 2-5, 2B, .300/.375/.517
RF Aaron Zavala: 3-5, .252/.429/.374
3B Thomas Saggese: 1-4, HR (2), BB, .272/.336/.395
2B Keyber Rodriguez: 1-4, HR (3), .296/.330/.407
So far in 2022, Thomas Saggese is hitting for slightly better average (.272 vs. 256 in 2021) but fewer extra-base hits and walks. Like last year, Texas’s 2020 fourth-round pick is moving between second, third, and short, but with a greater emphasis on shortstop this season. Aaron Zavala dumped his “walk to first or the dugout” style during the last week of April. He’s hitting .344/.488/.516 in 17 games since going hitless in a four-game span at Wilmington.
Low-A: Down East 2, at Carolina (MIL) 9
Down East: 3 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 10 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 15-21, 5.5 GB
SP Robby Ahlstrom: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 72 P / 45 S, 6.00 ERA
RP Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 1.35 ERA
Jose Corniell, who I saw in person last week, couldn’t retire any of five batters and departed after 24 pitches and just ten strikes. Cam Cauley (1-4) stole two bases.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Howard
AA: Leiter
Hi-A: Krauth
Lo-A: Stephan
Five Years Ago Yesterday
I watched Frisco’s Connor Sadzeck throw eight innings of one-run ball. Sadzeck barely offered any changeups, but the curve looked as good as ever. Given his style, a future relief role was likely, but at that moment I mused optimistically about him sticking as a starter. In fact, Sadzeck would start only four more games before moving to the bullpen permanently. Sadzeck is currently pitching well for Milwaukee’s AAA club in Nashville.