AAA: Round Rock 8, Reno (ARI) 0
Round Rock: 8 hits, 6 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 2 hits, 1 walk, 12 strikeouts
Record: 12-5, tied for first, 56-35 overall
SP Yerry Rodriguez: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 34 P / 25 S, 3.94 ERA
RP Cole Winn: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 7.10 ERA
RP Edwar Colina: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 5.23 ERA
SS Davis Wendzel: 1-3, HR (18), BB, .250/.376/.511
1B Dustin Harris: 2-4, 2B, 3B, .308/.451/.523
A trio combined for a two-hit shutout on 111 pitches. Pressed into opening duty when original starter Taylor Hearn was DFA’ed, Yerry Rodriguez managed three innings on just 34 pitches.
Cole Winn had one of his best outings of the season, getting 15 swinging strikes out of 35 swings and 65 total pitches. Winn sometimes offers quirky pitch mixes as he tries to work on things or sticks with what might work best, but last night featured straightforward proportions of his four pitches. Not to be a jerk about it (I hope), but we have been down this road long enough to need a new set of tires, so what we’re looking for is improved performance across multiple outings. To some extent, we have them, as Winn has performed better in six long relief appearances (3.26 ERA, .174/.269/.275 oppo line, 12% BB/HBP), albeit with some shaky outings mixed with nights like Wednesday.
AA: Frisco 3, San Antonio (SDG) 13
Frisco: 6 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 19 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts
Record: 8-9, 4 GB, 39-46 overall
SP Justin Slaten: 1 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 4 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 38 P / 24 S, 2.60 ERA
LF Aaron Zavala: 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, .214/.365/.301
A calamitous bullpen night. Justin Slaten gave up a three-run homer in the 2nd, after which Robby Ahlstrom allowed two more runs that inning in his AA debut. San Antonio batted around without making an out in a seven-run 8th.
Hi-A: Hickory 7, at Rome (ATL) 2
Hickory: 10 hits, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts
Record: 15-4, 3.5 G up, 42-38 overall
SP Winston Santos: 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 2 HBP, 2 SO, 79 P / 54 S, 4.75 ERA
RP Nick Lockhart: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
C Cody Freeman: 2-4, 2B, SB (5), .219/.274/.397
1B Abi Ortiz: 2-4, 2 HR (15), .348/.404/.752
LF Jayce Easley: 1-4, HR (1), .203/.349/.258
Abi Orti has 22 homers in 67 games. Nine minor league hitters have at least 14 homers and HR rate of at least 7% of plate appearances. Their ages:
29 – Austin Allen
29 – DJ Stewart
28 – Bobby Dalbec
26 – Drew Lugbauer
26 – Luken Baker
24 – Elehuris Montero
24 – Jo Adell
23 – Ivan Melendez (Hook ’em)
21 – Abimelec Ortiz
Winston Santos has pitched only twice in July, both starts exploring the idea of giving up singles and nothing else. Santos has allowed 14 singles, one double, and no walks this month.
Lo-A: Down East 4, Salem (BOS) 6
Down East: 9 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 5 walks, 15 strikeouts
Record: 10-10, 1.5 GB, 47-34 overall
SP DJ McCarty: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 46 P / 28 S, 2.74 ERA
RP Dylan MacLean: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 3.00 ERA
RP Damian Mendoza: 3 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 1 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 5.54 ERA
SS Danyer Cueva: 2-4, HBP, .264/.308/.381
RF Tommy Specht: 2-4, 2B, .237/.352/.319
A raft of Ducks combined for 15 strikeouts but had the worse of it on the scoreboard.
I haven’t mentioned 3B Gleider Figuereo or C Ian Moller at all in July. Figuereo is hitting .163/.241/.184 this month, Moller .088/.244/.088.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Nordlin
AA: Garcia
Hi-A: Tejada
Lo-A: TBD
Five Years Ago Yesterday
In the last for the Express in Colorado Springs, Round Rock defeated the Sky Sox 4-3. In the four-game series, Drew Robinson had three singles, six extra-base hits, and four walks. Colorado Springs was relegated to the short-season Pioneer League in 2019 and remained there when it was reclassified as an independent “partner” league of MLB.