AAA: Round Rock 2, Tacoma (SEA) 1 (10)
Round Rock: 4 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 7-4, 1.5 GB
SP Bernardo Flores: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 SO, 52 P / 28 S, 6.75 ERA
RP John King: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3.86 ERA
RP Yerry Rodriguez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
2B Justin Foscue: 1-3, 2B, BB, .182/.308/.273
Dominic Leone couldn’t hold a 1-0 lead in the 9th but kept the gift runner from scoring in the 10th. In the bottom half, a Justin Foscue walk and Yoshi Tsutsugo single quickly ended the contest.
Texas optioned reliever Taylor Hearn yesterday without a corresponding call-up. John King and Yerry Rodriguez are on the 40 but pitched last night. Barring a 40-man addition, that would leave Joe Barlow and rehabbing Josh Sborz as the choices. Barlow’s top speed of 93.6 in AAA so far is lower than his 94.7 average of 2021-2022.
Nick Solak was claimed off waivers from Seattle by the White Sox. His fourth organization in five months.
AA: Frisco 8, at San Antonio (SDG) 1
Frisco: 7 hits, 10 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 3-3
SP Owen White: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 67 P / 43 S, 0.00 ERA
RP John Matthews: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
RF Evan Carter: 2-5, 2B
1B Dustin Harris: 0-2, 3 BB
3B Thomas Saggese: 2-4, 3B, BB
DH Trevor Hauver: 1-3, 2 BB
Owen White held San Antonio hitless through 4.2. An honest single ended his night. White’s fastball sat at 94-95 with a few a tic or two lower. The slider ranged from 84 to 91, usually 87-88. Yes, he threw a 91 MPH slider; it’s the third pitch in my video. Appearing less frequently was the curve (77-82) along with a small handful of changes (87-90). He missed ten bats on the night: four fastballs, four sliders, two curves. White can adjust the velocity, break, and location of his slider and curve so hitters can’t key on the same spot. He didn’t throw as many changes as I would have liked (nobody does), but it appears to be a capable pitch.
Nobody’s going to write a sonnet about White’s performance. He didn’t dazzle, even with a good number of swinging strikes. He just showed up and did his job, briskly. In the 4th, facing two lefties, he tended to run pitches outside and walked one batter on five pitches, but I wouldn’t say he ever struggled. White had solid location of solid stuff. You can pitch a long time that way, health willing. Not to suggest there’s any hurry, but the gap between what he is and what he could become isn’t huge. He just needs to be out there every fifth or sixth day.
Evan Carter singled and doubled the opposite way. He was picked off after the single. Dustin Harris was 1-4 with four walks in the two games I saw, swell but not conducive to exciting video.
Hi-A: Hickory 4, at Wilmington (WAS) 5
Hickory: 7 hits, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts
Record: 2-2
SP Winston Santos: 4.1 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 3 R, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 2 SO, 71 P / 45 S, 2.61 ERA
SS Maximo Acosta: 1-3, HR (1), BB, SB (2)
So Winston Santos will not throw a near no-hitter in every start. Maximo Acosta hit only four homers last year but ought to surpass that in 2023 with the combination of filling out a little and more hitter-favorably parks.
Lo-A: rain
Two today. Hickory and Down East have played a combined eight of 14 scheduled games.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Bradford
AA: Krauth
Hi-A: Santos listed, pitched yesterday
Lo-A: TBD x 2, Porter should be one
Five Years Ago Yesterday
Round Rock’s game in Colorado Springs was postponed by cold. I wouldn’t be writing about the Sky Sox much longer. Like AAA Fresno, Colorado Springs had become undesired by the MLB clubs closest to it, creating havoc in the biennial affiliate shuffle. The team would move to San Antonio in 2019, replaced by a short-season team from Helena, MT. After 2020, the powers that be eliminated the short-season leagues. The rechristened Rocky Mountain Vibes compete in the now-independent Pioneer League.