AAA: Round Rock 5, El Paso (SDP) 4
Round Rock: 10 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 24-20, 8.5 GB
SP Cody Bradford: 5.2 IP, 7 H (2 HR), 4 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 96 P / 70 S, 0.99 ERA
RP Lucas Jacbosen: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 11 BB, 0 SO, 4.02 ERA
RP Chase Lee: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 3.91 ERA
SS Jonathan Ornelas: 2-5, HR (1), .245/.369/.353
C Sam Huff: 2-4, .280/.355/.449
Back in Round Rock, Cody Bradford allowed his first multi-run inning of the AAA season. Errant throws by 3B Justin Foscue and Bradford himself contributed.
Texas released reliever Jacob Barnes, who had been effective if walk-prone. With the exception of last-second addition Robert Dugger, I think every healthy veteran free-agent pitcher signed for depth is already gone. Kyle Funkhouser and Danny Duffy remain (on the shelf).
The White Sox called up OF Clint Frazier, batting .375/.478/.839 with seven homers and five doubles in 16 games for AAA Charlotte after leaving Round Rock.
AA: Frisco 1, Amarillo (ARI) 3
Frisco: 3 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 7 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 17-21, 4.5 GB
SP TK Roby: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 55 P / 31 S, 5.49 ERA
CF Kellen Strahm: 1-3, BB, .236/.347/.341
RF Travor Hauver: 1-2, BB, .231/.359/.337
TK Roby no-hit the Sod Poodles for four innings after doing the same for six of his 6.1 innings last Tuesday. Frisco has employed a five-man rotation, and anyone making a second start is on a restricted diet.
After Roby’s departure, Amarillo scored a run off three different relievers on only two hits plus six walks, a hit batter, a wild pitch, a passed ball, and a balk.
Rule 5 pick Mason Englert is getting by in Detroit: a 4.73 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 26.2 innings. He’s surrendered seven homers, five of which have come against his fastball. Had he stayed with Texas, I expect he’d be in Frisco rotation, which he joined toward the end of 2022, with a promotion to AAA assuming good performance.
Hi-A: Hickory 8, Rome (ATL) 7
Hickory: 9 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 13-24, 10 GB
SP Mitch Bratt: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 40 P / 27 S, 3.49 ERA
RP Andy Rodriguez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.00 ERA
RF Alejandro Osuna: 3-4, 2B, HR (2), .267/.423/.390
Down 7-3 in the 7th, Daniel Mateo drew a bases-loaded walk in front of Alejandro Osuna’s grand slam. Osuna also hit a two-run infield single according to the box score. The 13-game losing streak is over.
Lo-A: Down East 4, Fayetteville (HOU) 1
Down East: 8 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 21-16, 0.5 GB
SP Aidan Curry: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 SO, 80 P / 54 S, 2.78 ERA
RP Kai Wynyard: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 1.59 ERA
1B Abi Ortiz: 2-3, 2B, BB, .307/.392/.604
C Ian Moller: 2-4, .214/.343/.333
2B Danyer Cueva: 2-3, .241/.278/.343
Better control = better results for Aidan Curry, who’s walked or hit 9% of opponents so far in 2023 compared to 14% last year and 16% the year before. 20 years old and already in his fourth season, Curry signed a with Texas after being bypassed in 2020’s short draft.
Like last year, Ian Moller is walking plenty and hinting at power, but his strikeout rate has ballooned to 37%. Abi Ortiz is enjoying his best month stateside. Ortiz also spent last year at Down East after bypassing rookie ball, which might account for his weaker outing (.226/.308/.380) after showing uncommon power in the DSL (11 homers in 40 games).
Five Years Ago Yesterday
2013 3rd-rounder David Ledbetter retired. Ledbetter holds the unfortunate distinction of pitching the most innings for Texas’s high-A affiliate in High Desert in 2015 and 2016. Somebody had to, and at least he got a championship out of it. Ledbetter never had a good year outside of short-season but could almost always get his team five innings.