
AAA: Round Rock 5, at Tacoma (SEA) 1
Round Rock: 10 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 8 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 11-4, tied for first, 55-34 overall
SP Owen White: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 2 SO, 69 P / 38 S, 3.94 ERA
C Sam Huff: 1-3, HR (13), BB, .298/.391/.541
SS Jonathan Ornelas: 3-4, .262/.372/.364
LF Sandro Fabian: 2-4, 2B, HR (12), .296/.342/.551
Some good and not so good for Owen White in his fourth AAA start. He allowed just one hit. He missed a better-than-average (for him, in 2023) 11 bats. He threw an unusually high ten changeups with good results (seven strikes, two misses, one ball in play for an out). He also walked four against just two strikeouts despite all the whiffs, and he now has more combined BB/HBP (11) than strikeouts (9) in AAA. White threw 84 pitches in his first start but no more than 69 since.
What with the pitching exploits yesterday, I neglected to mention that on his 43rd ball in play in AAA, Dustin Harris hit his first fair ball over 100 MPH. I’d previously mentioned how unusual that seemed relative to his teammates, but I hadn’t performed any serious research on the subject. After some slightly serious research, I can say that the number of MLB hitters with at least 25 balls in play but nothing over 99.9 MPH in 2023 is zero. The number in 2022 was two: David Fletcher (.255/.288/.333 that year) and Yolmer Sanchez (.108/.214/.108 in limited play). Complete lack of contact over 100 MPH is just exceptionally rare, even in small samples, especially in the case of someone like Harris whose median velocity of 91.2 is actually above the team average. Harris has six extra-base hits and a solid .190 isolated power in the friendly PCL, but if the lack of high-end velo persists, it has to dampen expectations at the MLB level.
I also neglected to mention that Zak Kent threw two scoreless innings with the rookies on Saturday. He suffered an oblique injury warming for his second start of the season. A healthy and effective Kent probably would have reached the Majors by now as a spot-starter or an in occasional supporting role in the pen.

AA: Frisco 0, at Amarillo (ARI) 8
Frisco: 3 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 7-8, 3 GB, 38-45 overall
SP Noah Bremer: 1.2 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 5 R, 2 BB, 0 SO, 42 P / 24 S, 10.80 ERA
RP Nick Starr: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 6.86 ERA
Arizona prospect Yu-Min Lin shut down the Riders for six innings in his AA debut.

Hi-A: Hickory 2, Greenville (BOS) 0
Hickory: 2 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 2 hits, 3 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 14-3, 2.5 G up, 41-37 overall
SP Emiliano Teodo: 4.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 SO, 62 P / 39 S, 4.13 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.63 ERA
DH Tucker Mitchell: 1-3, HR (5), .283/.378/.451
Emiliano Teodo had a day reminiscent of his better 2022 outings, fanning half of his opponents including six straight from the 1st into the 3rd. Yohanse Morel, Nick Lockhart, Gavin Collyer, Jackson Kelley, and Reid Birlingmair combined for 4.2 innings of one-hit ball, all while nursing a 2-0 lead. Tucker Mitchell’s two-run homer in the 1st held up. Hickory was limited to a walk and HBP after the opening frame.

Lo-A: Down East 1, Charleston (TAM) 5
Down East: 4 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 9-9, 1.5 GB, 46-33 overall
SP Brayan Mendoza: 3 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 57 P / 37 S, 2.74 ERA
RP Alberto Mota: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 7.62 ERA
RP Jacob Maton: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 1.54 ERA
DH Cam Cauley: 2-4, .244/.331/.405
In the last five games, I’ve written a total of four hitter capsules, three being Anthony Gutierrez. Down East’s second-half line of .206/.288/.295 is tied for second-worst in the entire full-season minors, although a larger handful of teams have scored fewer runs.
Five Years Ago Yesterday
Down East was in a worse offensive slump than now, scoring only six runs in a seven-game span. The Woodies had played 26 consecutive days. I don’t miss the old schedule.