AAA: Round Rock 2, Sugar Land (HOU) 0
Round Rock: 5 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 4-3, 2 GB, 48-33 overall
SP Owen White: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 60 P / 36 S, 5.25 ERA
RP Edwar Colina: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 7.71 ERA
RP Spencer Howard: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 4.22 ERA
RP Jonathan Hernandez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1.59 ERA
1B Blaine Crim: 1-4, HR (10), .269/.379/.474
Owen White rebounded from last week’s rough start in Vegas. As has usually been the case in 2023, he wasn’t overpowering but still quite effective, getting a bunch of catchable flies and tallying five innings on just 60 pitches. Three relievers one-hit the Cowboys the rest of the way.
I did not make the game in person because I had a date with a grill, but 11,639 others did.
AA: Frisco 6, Midland (OAK) 3
Frisco: 9 hits, 8 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 4-3, 1 GB, 35-40 overall
SP Josh Stephan: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 64 P / 43 S, 4.15 ERA
RP Antoine Kelly: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3.21 ERA
SS Luisangel Acuna: 3-5, .306/.364/.417
3B Thomas Saggese: 1-3, BB, HBP, SB (7), .306/.375/.493
C Liam Hicks: 1-3, 2 BB, .212/.362/.341
I mentioned that Dane Acker had a travel buddy on his trip from Hickory to Frisco. Josh Stephan made his AA debut, pitching well through one out in the 5th, when he was abruptly pulled after fielding a squibber and throwing to first. My understanding is that he should be fine.
In his last five appearances covering 4.2 innings, Antoine Kelley has nine strikeouts and no walks. He has always missed bats, but finding the plate consistently is another story. Texas received him and now-departed IF Mark Mathias last summer for reliever Mat Bush, who Milwaukee recently released.
IF Chris Seise is on the seven-day IL.
Frisco hosted 12,045 fans, the second-largest crowd in franchise history. Hickory and Down East also had bumper crowds late last week approaching July 4th.
Hi-A: Hickory 6, at Winston-Salem (CHW) 4 (14)
Hickory: 10 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 5 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 10-0, 4 G up, 37-34 overall
SP Jose Corniell: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 62 P / 39 S, 2.08 ERA
RP Luis Tejeda: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.29 ERA
RP Andy Rodriguez: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 2.67 ERA
RP Spencer Mraz: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 3.38 ERA
DH Cody Freeman: 1-6, HR (9), .216/.271/.407
RF Yosy Galan: 2-6, 2 2B, SB (4), .314/.314/.543
CF Daniel Mateo: 4-6, 2 2B, SB (20), .268/.282/.404
In front of 10,200 fans, Winston-Salem’s largest crowd ever, Hickory won its longest game since 2016 and extended its winning streak to 13 games. The teams traded runs in the 10th, 11th, and 12th innings. Twice, the Dash tied the game with two out during extras. The CF wall is about 20′ high, and a Jacob Burke fly caromed off of it perhaps two feet below the top for an RBI triple. 2B Loidel Chapelli saved two runs with a snare of a hard Cody Freeman grounder with the bases loaded. Hickory finally created a larger gap in the 14th when Yosy Galan hit an RBI double and later scored on a groundout. Galan has yet to draw walk in nine high-A games but is hitting well since his promotion.
Hickory held the Dash to nine hits. Andy Rodriguez’s line was better than advertised; both walks were intentional, and the three runs all started from second base during extras.
OF Alejandro Osuna is on the seven-day IL.
Lo-A: Down East 4, at Kannapolis (CHW) 2
Down East: 5 hits, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 7-3, 1 G up, 44-27 overall
SP Brayan Mendoza: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 56 P / 36 S, 2.84 ERA
RP Damian Mendoza: 3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 4.59 ERA
RP Wyatt Sparks: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1.45 ERA
Since mid-June, Down East’s offense has the league’s fewest hits and a paltry .208 average but has the second-most runs thanks to a decent number of walks and solid power. Meanwhile, the pitching and defense have allowed a .197/.285/.301 line and five fewer runs than any other team.
Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Garcia
Hi-A: TBD
Lo-A: Drake
Five Years Ago Yesterday
Ariel Jurado had an Ariel Jurado start: five strikeouts, five flies, 17 grounders in eight innings. Frisco won 5-2 to improve to 9-4 in the second half after a franchise-worst first.