AAA: Round Rock 2, Sacramento (SFO) 5
Round Rock: 9 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 1 walk, 13 strikeouts
Record: 43-30, eliminated
SP Glenn Otto: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 SO, 54 P / 38 S, 2.70 ERA
RP Taylor Hearn: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 4.40 ERA
CF Bubba Thompson: 1-3, 2B
LF Dustin Harris: 1-3, 2B, BB, SB (1)
C Matt Whatley: 2-4, 2B, SB (4), .196/.305/.245
Glenn Otto pitched well again, missing 11 bats on 54 pitches. The slider was particularly vexing: nine swings, five misses, four fouls, nothing in play. As I mentioned when I saw him in person in his previous start, he looked as ready as ever. Texas just needs to figure out what to do with him. For the meantime, that might be what he’s doing now.
Bubba Thompson returned from a brief IL stint but played only part of yesterday.
Sacramento scored three in the 9th off Jake Latz, who’s still on his high-K high-contact polarity. Latz has a 38% strikeout rate, but opponents are hitting .564 on contact.
AA: Frisco 11, Springfield (STL) 7
Frisco: 12 hits, 7 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
Record: 30-37, eliminated
SP Juan Mejia: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 38 P / 23 S, 6.60 ERA
CF Evan Carter: 2-4, BB, .287/.407/.416
2B Thomas Saggese: 3-4, 2B, HR (10), BB, .309/.370/.498
RF Trevor Hauver: 2-4, HR (6), BB, .231/.356/.385
1B Josh Hatcher: 2-4, HR (1)
Thomas Saggese has seven homers in 21 June games. Saggese joined Frisco very late in 2022, so he’s barely spent over half a season at the level. He’s also just 21, and Texas doesn’t have a 40-man decision until after next year. He’s played less than ever at short, just four games, splitting most days between second and third.
Hi-A: Hickory 13, at Asheville (HOU) 8 (12)
Hickory: 19 hits, 9 walks, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 10 walks, 15 strikeouts
Record: 2-0
SP Emiliano Teodo: 1.2 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 4 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 41 P / 19 S, 5.28 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 9.30 ERA
RF Alejandro Osuna: 2-6, 2 BB, .264/.381/.391
3B Keyber Rodriguez: 2-7, BB, .270/.283/.391
SS Max Acosta: 3-7, 2B, HR (5), .280/.328/.391
1B Abi Ortiz: 3-7, 2B, .341/.392/.659
DH Cody Freeman: 2-5, 2 BB, .196/.266/.374
LF Geisel Cepeda: 2-7, HR (4), .292/.378/.392
C Cooper Johnson: 4-5, 2B, 2 BB, SB (1), .222/.375/.289
Hickory’s rather light-hitting offense has rebounded lately and taken full advantage of one of the Sally League’s friendliest parks. Down 7-2 in the 7th, the Crawdads were able to send the game to extras, and after catching their breath, they pinned five on the board in the 12th. Hickory had 33 at-bats with runners in scoring position.
Emiliano Teodo is still looking to find his groove. The good news of being 69 innings behind last year’s total is that Texas doesn’t have to worry about his workload during the second half.
Lo-A: Down East 6, at Salem (BOS) 2 (10)
Down East: 7 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 5 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 2-0
SP Luis Ramirez: 3 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 2 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 57 P / 34 S, 4.24 ERA
RP Nick Lockhart: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0.75 ERA
RP Leandro Lopez: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 SO, 3.35 ERA
RP Jacob Maton: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.20 ERA
DH Anthony Gutierrez: 1-4, BB, SB (11), .254/.313/.308
RF Tommy Specht: 1-4, HR (1), BB, .295/.421/.397
Down East tied the game in the 3rd on Tommy Specht’s first professional homer, and there the score stayed until the 10th. Anthony Gutierrez’s single and steal preceded Specht. Leandro Lopez has one of his patented “wild but unhittable so nyah nyah nyah” outings. On four occasions, Lopez has walked/hit at least three batters without allowing a run. He’s surrendered two hits and struck out 27 in those games.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Ragans
AA: Krauth
Hi-A: Bratt
Lo-A: TBD
Five Years Ago Yesterday
“C.D. Pelham pitched on consecutive days, retiring one batter after a spotless 11-pitch inning in his AA debut. As I’ve mentioned, throwing back-to-back is often an indication that the Rangers are prepping a reliever for Arlington. I’d be beyond shocked if this applies to Pelham, who isn’t on the 40 and just reached Frisco.”
It was an indication. Pelham made his MLB just over two months later. Pelham joined San Diego this year but was hurt pitching for AA San Antonio and is on the 60-day IL.