AAA: Round Rock 4, El Paso (SDP) 10
Round Rock: 6 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 15 hits, 7 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 21-19, 8.5 GB
SP Cole Winn: 2.1 IP, 8 H (1 HR), 7 R, 4 BB, 4 SO, 80 P / 44 S, 9.17 ERA
RP Grant Anderson: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 4.11 ERA
RP Taylor Hearn: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.57 ERA
2B Justin Foscue: 1-4, HR (5), .263/.377/.474
Since last May, over 33 appearances and 139.2 innings, Cole Winn has a 7.67 ERA, and opponents are batting .284/.401/.475 with a 20% walk rate.
Justin Foscue’s fifth homer was another of the laser variety.
Grant Anderson was in a mood, striking out five of six Chihuahuas on just 23 pitches. He deals a low-90s sinker and low-80s slider, both with ample movement. I have video.
AA: Frisco 10, Amarillo (ARI) 4
Frisco: 10 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 1 walk, 14 strikeouts
Record: 15-19, 3.5 GB
SP Jack Leiter: 6 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 3 R, 1 BB, 10 SO, 84 P / 54 S, 4.38 ERA
RP Alex Speas: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 HBP, 0 SO, 1.59 ERA
RP Antoine Kelly: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.25 ERA
RF Aaron Zavala: 2-4
CF Evan Carter: 1-4, 3B, .267/.410/.405
DH Dustin Harris: 1-3, 2B, BB, .223/.371/.421
More reliant than ever on his fastball (71% of all pitches), Jack Leiter overwhelmed Amarillo for five innings before succumbing to three runs with two out in the 6th. Through five, Leiter permitted one runner and struck out ten, a career high. I try not to pretend to know what’s going on in people’s heads, but (hot take alert) Leiter pitched with the most fire and determination since his college days. After the previous two starts, Leiter knows he can depend on his fastball. Gone is the constant struggle to find a rhythm. No more recalibration after nearly every pitch.
For the first time since I began keeping track more carefully, Leiter offered more curves than sliders, three times as many, in fact. Per usual, a good many were opening pitches (four strikes, four balls), and again they had more verve than in the past, although I still wouldn’t place them on the level of his Vandy curve. Leiter delivered only six sliders, three of which missed bats.
The 6th took a little shine off the evening. After his lone walk (all on fastballs) was erased on a double play, the next batter reached on an infield single, followed by a lined single. Amarillo catcher Caleb Roberts watched two close two-strike pitches to fill the count and then lined up a high-inside fastball perfectly for a three-run homer. Nevertheless, Wednesday was a third straight encouraging outing.
Here’s video of Leiter from the organization.
Aaron Zavala returned in style. His offensive profile is as strong as anyone in the system.
Hi-A: Hickory 1, Rome (ATL) 3
Hickory: 6 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts
Record: 12-21, 11 GB
SP Winston Santos: 5.2 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 87 P / 57 S, 5.46 ERA
DH Alejandro Osuna: 2-3, BB, SB (10), .227/.417/.318
Winston Santos exited the IL with a performance typical of his season. Alejandro Osuna has more combined walks and HBPs (30) than strikeouts (28) but hasn’t found the contact that produced a .302 average in 2022.
Hickory has lost ten straight, outscored 64-26.
Lo-A: Down East 1, Fayetteville (HOU) 2
Down East: 4 hits, 3 walks, 16 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 2 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 19-14, 1 GB
SP Luis Ramirez: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 49 P / 29 S, 1.88 ERA
RP Joseph Montalvo: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 2.49 ERA
RP Jackson Leath: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 2.38 ERA
RP Alberto Mota: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 6.75 ERA
1B Abi Ortiz: 1-3, 2B, BB, .292/.377/.584
The 30th strikeout of the game stranded three Down East runners in the 9th. Four Woodies pitched capably.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Dugger
AA: Garcia
Hi-A: Brosky
Lo-A: TBD
Five Years Ago Yesterday
Catcher Jose Trevino doubled and walked, and Brett Martin fanned six and allowed a run in five innings in a 4-2 Frisco win.