AAA: Round Rock 7, at Las Vegas (OAK) 12
Round Rock: 14 hits, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 15 hits, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 41-37, 6 GB
SP Cole Ragans: 3.2 IP, 10 H (1 HR), 7 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 73 P / 49 S, 4.35 ERA
RP Ryder Ryan: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 3.27 ERA
RP Daniel Robert: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 6.89 ERA
LF Bubba Thompson: 2-3, HR (10), 2 BB, .302/.345/.469
Many minor league stadia set aside a wall for plaques of players who later reached the Majors. Summerlin should have one for successful visiting pitchers. It wouldn’t occupy much room. Round Rock’s starters allowed 22 runs in 23.2 innings across six games. Cole Ragans was unlucky at first, allowing three flared or blooped singles followed by a hard grounder to left to plate two. Then, the hits became firmer, with seven of eight balls in play exceeding 96 MPH.
Bubba Thompson is a walk machine. He also should surpass last year’s personal-best 16 homers later this season. Admittedly, being in the PCL helps, but Thompson does have legitimate power.
AA: Frisco 12, Corpus Christi (HOU) 0
Frisco: 15 hits, 7 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 3-3, 1 GB, 39-36 overall
SP Zak Kent: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 0 SO, 20 P / 13 S, 6.15 ERA
RP Joe Corbett: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 SO, 3.86 ERA
RP Triston Polley: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Tyler Thomas: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3.52 ERA
SS Jonathan Ornelas: 2-4, BB, HBP, .332/.374/.452
LF JP Martinez: 2-5, 2B, BB, .289/.411/.491
2B Justin Foscue: 3-5, BB, .272/.370/.450
DH Kellen Strahm: 2-4, BB, .273/.394/.375
9,326 watched the Riders break open a close game with 11 runs in Innings 6-8. Everybody but Blaine Crim (1-6) reached at least twice. Jonathan Ornelas already has 31 multi-hit games. Last year: 26.
On another bullpen day, Corpus didn’t collect a hit until the 6th, and six Riders (the four listed, Grant Anderson, and Fernery Ozuna) combined for a four-hit shutout.
High-A: Hickory 10, Greensboro (PIT) 7
Hickory: 11 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 5-4, 1 GB, 43-32 overall
SP Mason Englert: 4.1 IP, 9 H (2 HR), 6 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 93 P / 63 S, 4.34 ERA
RP John Matthews: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.95 ERA
RF Aaron Zavala: 1-4, HR (6), HBP, .267/.425/.398
C Cody Freeman: 2-5, 2B, .253/.339/.415
LF Trevor Hauver: 1-3, 3B, BB, HBP, .232/.394/.412
3B Thomas Saggese: 3-4, HR (7), BB, .299/.352/.460
DH Chris Seise: 2-4, BB, .264/.323/.408
In front of a season-high 4.176 fans, Hickory scored nine in Innings 6-8 to recover from a 6-1 deficit.
A reader asked yesterday morning about Englert; my thumbnail reply was “better control than most, a little homer-prone.” That fairly describes yesterday, but Englert also allowed the most hits and runs of the season.
Aaron Zavala exited after being hit by a pitch. Not because of injury, but because he’d been ejected. The plate umpire originally ruled simply a ball, and Zavala argued and was tossed. After a conference, the umps declared Zavala had in fact been hit, prompting another argument resulting in the ejection of opposing manager Callix Crabbe. (Hickory manager Carlos Cardoza had been ejected the previous inning.)
Low-A: Down East 1, Kannapolis (CHW) 4
Down East: 5 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 5-4, 3 GB, 38-37 overall
SP Winston Santos: 2 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 2 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 34 P / 24 S, 4.15 ERA
RP Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.27 ERA
RP Juan Mejia: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 9.95 ERA
SS Maximo Acosta: 2-3, BB, .257/.346/.338
Down East scored 15 runs in the six-game series, losing four. The Woodies are last in the 12-team league in walks and doubles, and 11th in hits and OBP. The park plays a role, but not that big a role. Rain ended the contest in the top of the 9th with the bases loaded and one out. To be clear, Kannapolis had the bases loaded, not Down East.
Rookie Recap: Games of 27 June – 2 July
Scores: 5-8 (Snakes), 5-6 (Angels), 9-1 (Snakes), 5-3 (Rox), 8-5 (Royals)
Record: 13-7, 1.5 G up
RHP D.J. McCarty (19): 4.0 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 7 SO, 4.96 ERA
RHP Kai Wynyard (20): 3.0 IP, 1 H, BB, 3 SO, 4.86 ERA
RHP Adrian Rodriguez (21): 3.2 IP, 1 R, 3 H, BB, 5 SO, 6.43 ERA
RHP Kelvin Gonzalez: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 5 SO, 4.91 ERA
IF Miguel Villarroel (20): 8-20, 2 2B, HBP, SB (1), .368/.432/.447
OF Yeison Morrobel (18): 6-17, BB, SB (4), .274/.361/.306
IF Danyer Cueva (18): 7-18, 2B, .389/.459/.537
OF JoJo Blackmon (19): 3-10, 2B, 4 BB, 2 SB (6), .294/.438/.529
Danyer Cueva and IF Andres Mesa (.299/.356/.478) will vie for the team’s hit lead now that Liam Hicks is at Down East. Mesa has a team-best seven doubles in 15 games.
JoJo Blackmon is hitting well, drawing plenty of walks, and leading the team with six steals, but he unfortunately also has a 36% strikeout rate.
A handful of games have Statcast data. Miguel Villaroel had exit velocities of 107 and 102 MPH last Thursday. Adrian Rodriguez’s fastball topped at 97.8 and ranged 94-97.
Rehabbing Kelvin Gonzalez posted two scoreless appearances.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Winn
AA: TBD
Hi-A: TBD
Lo-A: TBD
For the only time this season, we have games on Monday to take advantage of the 4th. All will take tomorrow off except Frisco, which rests Wednesday.
Five Years Ago Yesterday
Uh oh. I jumped a day ahead yesterday. On 2 July 2017, Jose Trevino went 3-4 with his fourth homer.