AAA: Round Rock 6, Albuquerque (COL) 5 (11)
Round Rock: 10 hits, 5 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 5 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 16-8, 2 GB
SP Robert Dugger: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 89 P / 52 S, 5.19 ERA
RP Lucas Jacbosen: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 4.32 ERA
RP Justin Leone: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 1.59 ERA
LF Rafael Ortega: 2-6, 2B, HR (2), .229/.325/.371
DH JP Martinez: 2-4, HR (3), SB (13), .347/.473/.520
Albuquerque plated a runner in the top half of the 11th, but Rafael Ortega responded with a two-run homer.
OF Clint Frazier signed with the White Sox. The Rangers had released him earlier in the week. Ortega is who I expect the Rangers to call up if they need a different fourth/fifth outfielder.
AA: Frisco 12, at Amarillo (ARI) 6
Frisco: 12 hits, 6 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 10-9, 1 GB
SP Ryan Garcia: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 83 P / 50 S, 4.11 ERA
RP Alex Speas: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Triston Polley: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 3.68 ERA
DH Luisangel Acuna: 3-5, 2B, .313/.356/.438
3B Thomas Saggese: 2-4, 2B, 3B, BB, .209/.267/.284
2B Jax Biggers: 1-2, HR (2), 3 BB, .161/.333/.290
C Scott Kapers: 2-5, HR (2), .324/.359/.647
The four games the Riders have played in this wackaloon environment already feels like a dozen, and they have 11 more this season. Frisco led 8-0 after the 1st and 12-0 through four, after which Amarillo once again initiated a comeback that fell short this time. Triston Polley made amends after being hammered in the Tuesday loss.
Last April was Thomas Saggese’s worst month of the season by a fair margin. Maybe he’s just a slow starter.
Lefty reliever Josh Smith has joined Frisco, while righty Ricky Devito was transferred to Arizona.
Hi-A: wet again
Four of seven scheduled contests between the Crawdads and Dash have been rained out. Like last night, this one won’t be rescheduled. They’ll attempt a doubleheader to make up a rainout from opening weekend.
Lo-A: Down East 7, at Fayetteville (HOU) 3
Down East: 10 hits, 4 walks, 15 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 4 walks, 16 strikeouts
Record: 10-8, 0.5 GB
SP Brock Porter: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 7 SO, 58 P / 33 S, 2.25 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Jackson Leath: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 1.42 ERA
2B Cam Cauley: 2-5, 3B, .200/.254/.309
1B Abi Ortiz: 2-4, HR (2), .277/.340/.447
DH Tucker Mitchell: 2-4, HR (1), .444/.543/.583
LF Jojo Blackmon: 1-3, HR (2), BB, .088/.279/.294
RF Yeison Morrobel: 2-5, SB (7), .170/.371/.170
Ignoring a jittery debut when he couldn’t clear the 1st, Porter has an 40% strikeout rate but still sports an 18% BB/HBP rate. While I haven’t seen enough this season to know how strong a role his changeup is playing, it struck me as a pitch that few low-A hitters would be able to manage. In the two innings I semi-watched last night, the announcers mentioned a fastball in the 94-95 range. In Surprise, I saw what was apparently a tired-armed outing, when he topped at 93 and sat 90-91.
Jojo Blackmon is on a curious quest to produce a solid OPS while batting under .100.
The Jacksons combined for two scoreless innings. Leath, 2021’s 12th-rounder out of Tennessee, allowed a memorable walk-off grand slam in his second pro outing last summer. This April, he’s limited opponents to a .182/.308/.273 line and kept the ball in the park.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Winn
AA: Leiter
Hi-A: Kindreich / Mejia listed, but the two rainouts were of Bratt and Rocker
Lo-A: TBD
Five Years Ago Yesterday
Frisco relievers John Fasola and Adam Parks tossed scoreless innings in their first post-TJ appearances.