AAA: Round Rock 2, at El Paso (SDP) 5
Round Rock: 6 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 7 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 14-8, tied for first, 58-38 overall
SP Daniel Robert: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 SO, 39 P / 21 S, 4.28 ERA
RP Cole Winn: 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 3 SO, 7.05 ERA
RP Chase Lee: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.90 ERA
In 2014, a year in Rangers history we don’t mention willingly, the Express used 25 different starting pitchers, the most by a Texas AAA affiliate since at least 2000. That’s as far back as I looked, and given historical usage, 25 is probably the record. Or should I say the soon-to-be former record when the 2023 edition surpasses it. Tuesday, in the 96th game of the season, Daniel Robert became Round Rock’s 25th starting pitcher. Robert no-hit the Chihuahuas for 2.2 innings but walked two of his last three batters, both of whom scored on a homer off Edwar Colina.
The only time I’ve even been bitten or otherwise seriously harassed by an animal in my real estate career was by a Chihuahua in Houston. I don’t especially care for them.
AA: Frisco 10, at Wichita (MIN) 4
Frisco: 14 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 12-10, 2 GB, 43-47 overall
SP Aidan Anderson: 3 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 6 SO, 51 P / 38 S, 4.13 ERA
RP Nick Starr: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 5.96 ERA
SS Luisangel Acuna: 3-5, 2 SB (39), .308/.371/.435
LF Trevor Hauver: 3-5, 2 2B, 3B, .254/.374/.406
DH Liam Hicks: 3-5, .257/.387/.381
The Riders dealt with their own potentially worrisome bullpen start by pinning nine on the board in the 1st. 28-year-olf Chad Donato was the punching bag, surrendering nine hits to 11 batters on just 25 pitches. Making his third professional start and first in the organization, Aidan Anderson struck out a career-high six batters. Luisangel Acuna is one steal shy of last year’s 40 and five from his best of 44 set at Down East in 2021.
Hi-A: Hickory 5, Hudson Valley (NYY) 16
Hickory: 6 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 17 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 17-7, 4.5 G up, 44-41 overall
SP Victor Santos: 3.1 IP, 7 H (3 HR), 6 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 69 P / 43 S, 5.38 ERA
SS Cam Cauley: 2-4, 2 2B, .269/.269/.538
The visiting Hudson Valley Renegades are located in Fishkill, New York, about 60 miles north of Manhattan and 200 miles north of the most generous definition of what might constitute the South Atlantic. “Fishkill” sounds like an unpleasant place to call home, but the “kill” is actually a Dutch word for creek and is a fairly common appellation in and around New York. Perhaps the most famous example is the former Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island. Fishkill’s population isn’t much larger than Kinston, NC, where Down East plays, but its county (Dutchess) is about five times as populated. In geographic terms, the MLB reorganization of the minor league system was successful, but the South Atlantic League was an exception, with teams sprawled from north of New York City to the southern Appalachians to central Kentucky. Hudson Valley and Rome in northwest Georgia are nearly as far apart as Colorado Springs and Missoula in the old, absurdly expansive Pioneer League. Cam Cauley doubled twice.
Lo-A: Down East 2, at Fayetteville (HOU) 3 (10)
Down East: 5 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 11-14, 3.5 GB, 48-38 overall
SP Dylan MacLean: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 3 SO, 54 P / 28 S, 3.00 ERA
RP DJ McCarty: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2.65 ERA
RF Zion Bannister: 2-4, SB (9), .227/.333/.299
A balk and deep single off Wyatt Sparks scored the winner for Fayetteville. Lefty Dylan MacLean had trouble with control but allowed little contact, while righty DJ McCarty filled the zone and surrendered five singles.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Nordlin
AA: Garcia
Hi-A: Lockhart
Lo-A: Curry
Five Years Ago Yesterday
MLB.com’s updated top-ten Rangers prospects:
MLB.com produced its updated top-30 prospects lists. Texas’s top ten (overall top-100 in parentheses):
1. OF Leody Taveras (43rd overall)
2. OF Willie Calhoun (49)
3. OF Julio P. Martinez (62)
4. RHP Cole Winn (99)
5. RHP Hans Crouse
6. RHP Jonathan Hernandez
7. LHP Joe Palumbo
8. LHP Cole Ragans
9. OF Bubba Thompson
10. SS Anderson Tejeda