AAA: Round Rock 3, Sugar Land (HOU) 4
Round Rock: 7 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 33-30, 6 GB
SP Cole Ragans: 7 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 2 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 8 SO, 81 P / 60 S, 2.57 ERA
RF Josh Sale: 2-4, HR (3), .357/.438/.750
Cole Ragans handled his first AAA start with aplomb, lasting seven innings on just 81 pitches. No previous Round Rock starter had reached seven innings. Ragans delivered 40 fastballs and a whopping 34 changeups, getting 11 swinging strikes with the latter. Ragans leads the organization with 58.1 innings and 73 strikeouts.
The homer came courtesy of Lewis Brinson.
AA: Frisco 6, Midland (OAK) 4
Frisco: 10 hits, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 4 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 30-30, 3 GB
SP Avery Weems: 4 IP, 8 H (1 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 78 P / 47 S, 7.44 ERA
RP Grant Anderson: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 3.00 ERA
RP Fernery Ozuna: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.05 ERA
CF JP Martinez: 1-2, 3 BB, SB (22), .292/.404/.491
1B Blaine Crim: 1-5, HR (12), .284/.355/.522
3B Jax Biggers: 3-4, 2B, .348/.412/.478
Jonathan Ornelas’s two-run single capped a comeback from an early 4-0 deficit. Tyler Thomas, Grant Anderson and Fernery Ozuna limited the RockHounds to a lone hit over the last five innings.
High-A: Hickory 3, Greenville (BOS) 6
Hickory: 8 hits, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 35-25, 0.5 GB, elimination number 6
SP Robby Ahlstrom: 3 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 5 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 54 P / 32 S, 9.00 ERA
RP Marc Church: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 SO, 2.64 ERA
SS Luisangel Acuna: 1-4, BB, SB (13), .324/.420/.598
CF Evan Carter: 0-2, 2 BB, HBP, .259/.350/.407
Marc Church threw a career-high three innings and 44 pitches. The first half ends next Thursday, after which, who knows, maybe Church’s services will no longer be needed in high-A. We’ll see. Church has struck out 53 of 119 batters faced and walked only five.
Just-promoted Robby Ahlstrom couldn’t contain the Drive. Division-leading Bowling Green also lost.
Low-A: Down East 5, at Lynchburg (CLE) 2
Down East: 8 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 29-31, 2 GB, elimination number 5
SP Ryan Garcia: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 6 SO, 49 P / 31 S, 1.69 ERA
RP Jackson Leath: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 6.30 ERA
RP Josh Gessner: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 4 SO, 2.45 ERA
CF Daniel Mateo: 2-4, HR (4), SB (12), .263/.325/.366
Ryan Garcia went on the IL soon after his first real game since 2019, which had me feeling a little sick, but I was told his situation wasn’t serious, and now he’s back. Garcia’s 5.1 innings in 2022 are already more than 2019-2021 combined.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Arihara
AA: Bradford
Hi-A: Krauth
Lo-A: TBD
Five Years Ago Yesterday
Cole Ragans nervously pitched four innings in the opener for short-season Spokane. Ragans was managed by Matt Hagen in 2017, and they’re rejoined in Round Rock.