AAA: Round Rock 8, Oklahoma City (LAD) 7 (11)
Round Rock: 9 hits, 12 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 3 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 71-57, 1 GB
SP Kolby Allard: 6 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 2 R, 0 BB, 9 SO, 96 P / 62 S, 4.81 ERA
CF Josh Smith: 1-4, 2 BB, .291/.399/.474
C Sam Huff: 3-6, HR (21), .260/.336/.533
SS Davis Wendzel: 1-4, 2 BB, .212/.295/.400
The Express are their closest to first in nearly three months and can grab a tie for the division lead with a win today. Round Rock scored three in the 9th to extend the contest, then plated two off ex-Ranger Keone Kela in the 10th. OKC was generous in the 11th, bumbling a Matt Whatley bunt and then arguably misplaying what was ruled (fairly, in my opinion) a single by Sam Huff that plated the gift runner and pushed Whatley to third. Whatley then scored on a Davis Wendzel grounder.
Update: Just as I was to hit “send,” the Rangers announced they’d designated Keuchel for assignment and recalled John King. I’d named King and Nick Solak as Texas’s possible call-ups on last week’s podcast, so I win the prize. (The prize is nothing.)
Josh Jung was 1-6 with four strikeouts and has nine Ks in his last 13 trips to the plate.
AA: Frisco 8, at Amarillo (ARI) 7
Frisco: 9 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 31-24, 2 G up, 67-57 overall
SP Avery Weems: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 68 P / 41 S, 5.22 ERA
RP Nick Starr: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 1.95 ERA
RF Aaron Zavala: 1-3, 2 BB, .386/.506/.657
1B Blaine Crim: 2-5, HR (21), .291/.358/.487
CF Kellen Strahm: 2-4, BB, .280/.389/.404
Frisco scored five in the 8th on two singles and some chaotic pitching and fielding by the hosts. Crim is batting .542 with two doubles and five homers in the series against Arizona’s AA affiliate. If he homers again today, Texas might be able to trade him for Jordan Lawlar or Corbin Carroll. The Rangers can generously offer both names and let the Diamondbacks choose.
Nick Starr tossed a 1-2-3 9th punctuated by Kellen Strahm’s lunging catch to prevent a double.
High-A: Hickory 4, at Aberdeen (BAL) 1
Hickory: 6 hits, 5 walks, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 1 walk, 14 strikeouts
Record: 27-32, 8 GB, 65-60 overall
SP Ryan Garcia: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 SO, 76 P / 49 S, 0.00 ERA
RP John Matthews: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 4.42 ERA
RP Michael Brewer: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO, 4.24 ERA
CF Daniel Mateo: 2-5, 3B, .348/.423/.565
LF Josh Hatcher: 1-2, 2 BB, 2 SB (2), .241/.333/.310
In his high-A debut, Ryan Garcia struck out a career-best nine and declined to permit a run for the second straight start. I vaguely recall Garcia touching 94 at some point, but from what I’ve seen, his fastball has generally been in the low-90s range of his college years. Nevertheless, his first venture into full-season ball has been encouraging: 68 strikeouts and 18 walks in 51.2 innings, and a 2.13 ERA.
Low-A: Down East 0, Fayetteville (HOU) 7
Down East: 5 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 6 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 30-29, 7.5 GB, 63-62 overall
SP Josh Gessner: 4 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 4 R, 3 BB, 2 HBP, 4 SO, 78 P / 49 S, 5.49 ERA
RP Adrian Rodriguez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 2.70 ERA
LF Yeison Morrobel: 2-3, .353/.450/.412
A quiet affair. Down East couldn’t muster an extra-base hit and batted only three times with a runner in scoring position. DH Ian Moller and CF Marcus Smith walked twice. They and Trevor Hauver have more walks than hits in 2022.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Winn
AA: Kelly
Hi-A: TBD (Acker)
Lo-A: TBD
Five Years Ago Yesterday
The rookies won their one-game quarterfinal 4-3 over the Mariners, aided by Seth Nordlin’s four scoreless and six strikeouts. Short-season Spokane claimed the second-half division title with an extra-inning win over the M’s. Joe Barlow threw three scoreless innings and fanned five. High-A Down East set up a final-day showdown for the division by defeating Buies Creek 7-3. Starter Kyle Cody allowed a run in six innings. Low-A Hickory was eliminated with a 3-1 loss.