Free Baseball
Last night’s Hickory-Aberdeen tilt was the MiLB.tv “free game of the day.” I don’t think I knew such a thing existed, or I would have mentioned it as a way for non-subscribers to take an occasional peek at Texas’s farm system. You didn’t miss much, as Aberdeen’s setup consists of three static, press-level cameras. Luckily, tonight’s free game is Frisco at Amarillo, which produces a top-notch feed. If interested, here’s the link to today’s games including Frisco. MiLB.com might make you create an account.
Grinders
You probably know of Mike Capps, the voice of the Express in all their incarnations over the past 23 years. Capps and co-author Chuck Hartenstein have transformed their decades inside the game into Grinders: Baseball’s Intrepid Infantry. If you’re a serious fan of the game, you already know what a Grinder is, so no need to explain that. Capps and Hartenstein profiled over three dozen players and others who’ve made their lives in baseball, including several associated with the Rangers like Tom House, Darren Oliver, Chris Gimenez, Jeff Frye, Jim Adducci, Spencer Patton, and Jared Hoying. The link will give you a chance to see the intro and opening chapter.
Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 2, Oklahoma City (LAD) 0 (6)
Round Rock: 2 hits, 1 walk, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 0 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 69-57, 3 GB
SP Tyson Miller: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 7 SO, 100 P / 69 S, 4.50 ERA
RP Chase Lee: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 5.48 ERA
LF Sandro Fabian: 1-2, HR (4), .220/.278/.500
Josh Jung was hitless with three strikeouts. 2020 29th-overall pick Bobby Miller went the abbreviated distance and fanned 14 for the Dodgers. He’s MLB.com’s #27 prospect. 97-99 FB, upper-80s SL and CH, 79-83 CB.

AA: Frisco 4, at Amarillo (ARI) 7
Frisco: 8 hits, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
Record: 29-24, 1 G up, 65-57 overall
SP Cody Bradford: 5.2 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 5 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 86 P / 60 S, 5.30 ERA
1B Blaine Crim: 2-3, HR (19), BB, .282/.352/.464
Cody Bradford walked just one and allowed a not-unreasonable six hits, but four were for extra bases. LF Trevor Hauver (1-3, BB) contributed Frisco’s only XBH aside from the Crim homer.

High-A: Hickory 3, at Aberdeen (BAL) 4
Hickory: 3 hits, 6 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 25-32, 10 GB, 63-60 overall
SP TK Roby: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 76 P / 49 S, 4.88 ERA
CF Daniel Mateo: 1-3, BB, SB (1)
I should mention it’s Penultimate Week for the A-level teams. The season ends on the 11th, so every starter is making his next-to-last start. Roby’s was okay. He avoided homers, which are statistically his biggest problem in 2022 (roughly one per five innings). He’s struck out 114 against just 34 walks in 99.2 innings.

Low-A: Down East 4, Fayetteville (HOU) 7
Down East: 10 hits, 2 walks, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 9 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 29-28, 7.5 GB, 62-61 overall
SP Emiliano Teodo: 3.2 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 2 R, 4 BB, 5 SO, 76 P / 42 S, 3.05 ERA
3B Miguel Villarroel: 2-4, 2 2B, .336/.414/.416
Emiliano Teodo threw more strikes but was nevertheless more walk-prone than last week’s four-inning, 11-K night.
I mentioned yesterday that 1B/C Liam Hicks had been slumming in rookie ball and had amassed 26 walks versus just 11 strikeouts in low-A. Later that day, word came he’d been promoted to Hickory.
Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD (maybe Kent)
AA: Englert
Hi-A: TBD (maybe Vanasco)
Lo-A: TBD (Collyer)
Five Years Ago Yesterday
Spokane held a one-game led with two to play after losing in extras despite eight innings of two-run ball from Demarcus Evans. Rain postponded the opener of Down East’s deciding four-game series with Buies Creek. The Woodies needed to win three of four to nab the division title.