AAA: Round Rock 2, at El Paso (SDG) 3
Round Rock: 9 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 74-63, 3 GB
SP Zak Kent: 5.1 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 93 P / 65 S, 0.51 ERA
3B Davis Wendzel: 1-4, HR (16), .211/.290/.415
CF JP Martinez: 2-3, 2B, BB, .198/.341/.396
Zak Kent has excelled in three AAA starts. He’s been a little lucky, with a .213 average in balls in play and some very hard and well-angled hits that ended up as deep outs instead of homers, but just about any pitcher with an 0.51 ERA is lucky. Kent isn’t blowing anyone away, he’s just spotting a large repertoire well.
Davis Wendzel has ten homers in 30 games since returning from injury, contrasted to six in 44 games before. Strangely, his batted ball data isn’t that much different between the two periods. He’s hit a bunch of balls that have had a decent but not extremely high chance of leaving the park, and in his case they’re all leaving.
Ex-Rangers RHP Collin Wiles made his MLB debut in Oakland against the Rangers last night. Wiles was selected 53rd overall in 2012 and spent ten seasons in the Texas organization.
AA: Frisco 9, at NW Arkansas (KAN) 2
Frisco: 13 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 36-28, 2.5 G up, 72-61 overall, magic number 2
SP Cody Bradford: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 97 P / 67 S, 5.01 ERA
3B Jonathan Ornelas: 3-5, .299/.357/.425
2B Thomas Saggese: 3-4, 2 2B, 3B
Me, six weeks ago: “Cody Bradford probably has six starts remaining, and barring something amazing, the first digit of his ERA is going to be a five.” Bradford didn’t quite pull his ERA below five, but he was still pretty amazing: 2.50 ERA, five walks, 42 strikeouts in 36 innings.
Thomas Saggese doubled twice and tripled in his AAA debut. RF Evan Carter was 1-4 with a two-run double.
Midland was rained out and will play a doubleheader Saturday.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Allard
AA: Nordlin