Rangers Farm Report: Games of Wednesday 31 August

The Rangers have recalled IF/OF Nick Solak and purchased the contract of RHP Jesus Tinoco from Round Rock. My half-apologetic roster expansion predictions during yesterday’s podcast were Solak and John King. Can’t believe The Ticket hasn’t offered me a drive-time slot with these hot takes.
Reliever Josh Sborz (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day IL to make room for Tinoco.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 7, Oklahoma City (LAD) 6
Round Rock: 9 hits, 7 walks, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 6 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 68-57, 4 GB

SP Yerry Rodriguez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 40 P / 25 S, 4.76 ERA
RP Kyle Cody: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.08 ERA
RP Chase Lee: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 5.73 ERA
RP Nick Snyder: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 4.35 ERA
CF Josh Smith: 1-3, 2 BB, .291/.398/.481
3B Josh Jung: 2-5, .311/.363/.635
LF Nick Solak: 2-4, 2 2B, BB, .278/.371/.489

Down a run in the 8th, pinch-hitter Yohel Pozo doubled home Sandro Fabian and chugged to third when ex-Ranger LF Jason Martin played footsie with the ball. Josh Smith singled to right to bring Pozo in. Nick Snyder fanned the side in order in the 9th.

The Express have used 13 pitchers the last two nights; none has thrown more than Grant Anderson’s 46 pitches on Tuesday.

Josh Jung continues to hit. In Round Rock, for the time being.

The Angels designated OF Steven Duggar for assignment. Duggar had been claimed by Los Angeles from the Rangers in early August, leaving Texas no return from the Willie Calhoun trade. (To be honest, I thought Calhoun might be traded for a marginal prospect or simply released, so getting someone who’d had some success in MLB exceeded my expectations.) Calhoun is hitting well for AAA Sacramento (.290/.388/.456) but hasn’t received a shot with the parent Giants even as their fortunes have dwindled.

AA: Frisco 16, at Amarillo (ARI) 10
Frisco: 17 hits, 7 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 29-23, 1 G up, 65-56 overall

SP Tim Brennan: 5 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 4 R, 1 BB, 2 HBP, 2 SO, 71 P / 47 S, 2.94 ERA
RP Triston Polley: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 3.16 ERA
3B Jonathan Ornelas: 3-5, BB, 2 SB (12), .295/.353/.423
RF Aaron Zavala: 2-5, HR (3), BB, SB (3), .397/.507/.638
2B Justin Foscue: 2-4, HR (12), 2 BB, .283/.365/.474
1B Blaine Crim: 3-6, 2 HR (18), .279/.349/.456
SS Luisangel Acuna: 2-4, HR (3), .247/.314/.441
DH Trevor Hauver: 1-3, HR (2), 2 BB, .172/.333/.414

In the 4th, Frisco hit four homers in a span of five batters. The intervening nonconformist was Justin Foscue, who had the gall to draw a four-pitch walk. Foscue would redeem himself for that misdeed with his own homer in the 9th. Even with that 4th-inning outburst, the Riders found themselves down 8-7 in the 7th, but they then pinned three threes to the board. Amarillo is no less crazypants for offense that the mountain-area Pacific Coast League cities.

Trevor Hauver is off to a Hickory-like start in AA: five hits, seven walks. Luisangel Acuna’s batting average has dropped 70 points compared to his time in Hickory, but he’s hitting for more power.

Frisco leads the division outright for the first time during the second half.

High-A: Hickory 1, at Aberdeen (BAL) 0 (7)
Hickory: 3 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 1 hit, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts

SP Josh Stephan: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 SO, 86 P / 55 S, 1.54 ERA
RP John Matthews: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 4.48 ERA
RF Angel Aponte: 1-2, HR (6), BB, .256/.343/.392
SS Chris Seise: 1-2, BB, SB (12), .259/.329/.408No no-hit drama, as Josh Stephan surrendered a single in the 4th, but drama nonetheless as the Crawdads maintained a one-run lead for six innings.

High-A: Hickory 5, at Aberdeen (BAL) 8 (7)
Hickory: 5 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 7 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 25-31, 10 GB, 63-59 overall

SP Robby Ahlstrom: 0.1 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 30 P / 20 S, 5.74 ERA
RP Larson Kindreich: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 4.68 ERA
RP Spencer Mraz: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 5.43 ERA
CF Daniel Mateo: 2-3, HR (1), BB
LF Josh Hatcher: 2-3, 2B, .227/.292/.273

Stephan’s six earlier innings came in extra-handy when Robby Ahlstrom couldn’t escape the 1st.

Low-A: Down East 0, Fayetteville (HOU) 6
Down East: 6 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 29-27, 6.5 GB, 62-60 overall

SP Winston Santos: 5 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 8 SO, 84 P / 57 S, 3.66 ERA
RP Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.12 ERA
1B Liam Hicks: 1-2, 2 BB, .273/.433/.409
DH Gleider Figuereo: 2-4

Liam Hicks has 26 walks and 11 strikeouts. Take that, Aaron Zavala. I don’t know much about Hicks aside from having expressed the opinion that he needed a low-A roster spot as soon as one became available, because he seemed far too advanced for the rookie league. Hicks, 23, was Texas’s ninth-round pick last year.

18 as of June, IF Gleider Figuereo singled twice in his low-A debut.

Today’s Starters
AAA: Miller
AA: Bradford
Hi-A: TBD (Englert’s turn but he’s gone)
Lo-A: TBD (Teodo)

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Steven Bruce and Scott Williams combined for 12 scoreless innings in Down East’s 1-0 defeat of Wilmington to pull to 1.5 games behind Buies Creek.