AAA: Round Rock 2, @ Sugar Land (HOU) 3
Round Rock: 9 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 26-22, 5.5 GB
SP Kyle Barraclough: 5 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 70 P / 47 S, 3.86 ERA
RP Grant Wolfram: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 5.63 ERA
DH Wyatt Langford: 1-4, BB
CF Dustin Harris: 2-5, .267/.354/.404
LF Trevor Hauver: 2-4, SB (1), .256/.355/.411
Facing fellow rehabber Jose Urquidy, Wyatt Langford smacked the game’s first pitch at 109 MPH into center for a single. That would be his only hit, but a couple of others were also driven.
Cole Winn’s would-be two-inning save concluded poorly. His smooth 8th included a strikeout of Jose Abreu (who may be cooked at this point, but still, he’s Jose Abreu). The 9th was an uneasy mix of terrific stuff and wildness more reminiscent of 2023. He hit the first batter, but the next two pitches were sliders that started in toward right-handed Shay Whitcomb and grabbed the inner edge, followed by a sweepier slider for a swinging strike three. Outstanding. That would be it, though. A high splitter lined for a single, a walk, and an inside fastball driven down the line would plate the tying and winning runs.
AA: Frisco 3, Midland (OAK) 5
Frisco: 6 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts
Record: 25-17, 2.5 GB
SP Nick Krauth: 6 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO, 69 P / 43 S, 6.75 ERA
RP Seth Clark: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3.00 ERA
CF Kellen Strahm: 1-4, HR (3), BB, .288/.380/.390
LF Aaron Zavala: 1-4, HR (3), .240/.348/.364
CF Kellen Strahm’s first error of the season proved critical, as his 6th-inning drop of a short fly after a long run allowed the tying and go-ahead runs to score. Frisco would push runners into scoring position in each of the last three innings but to no avail.
Hi-A: Hickory 4, Asheville (HOU) 3 (7)
Hickory: 7 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 1 walk, 13 strikeouts
SP Joseph Montalvo: 5 IP, 5 H (2 HR), 2 R, 0 BB, 11 SO, 81 P / 55 S, 2.90 ERA
RF Alejandro Osuna: 1-2, HR (4), .270/.321/.473
DH Sebastian Walcott: 0-1, 2 BB, 2 SB (6)
Hi-A: Hickory 2, Asheville (HOU) 5 (7)
Hickory: 5 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 16-27, 7 GB
SP Mitch Bratt: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 25 P / 13 S, 5.70 ERA
SS Sebastian Walcott: 0-2, 2 BB, SB (4), .183/.331/.310
Both Hickory starters were effective, Joseph Montalvo especially so, besting by four his previous high in strikeouts. He did surrender two solo homers, but on the whole he’s struck out 40 and walked only nine.
We’ll see how much longer Alejandro Osuna lasts in Hickory. He’s been there since late 2022, but injuries have limited him to just 111 games out of possible 210 or so. He’s slugging better than ever, but his walk rate has crashed.
Sebastian Walcott: Kevin Youkilis Jr.? The Bahamian God of Walks? I’m workshopping some ideas. After drawing four freebies in seven trips to the plate last night, Walcott has 27 walks, an 18% rate, compared to 23 hits.
Lo-A: Down East 6, @ Charleston (TAM) 4
Down East: 10 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 5 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 23-19, 3.5 GB
SP Kyle Larsen: 1.2 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 4 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 40 P / 23 S, 6.75 ERA
RP Jose Gonzalez: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 SO, 1.35 ERA
1B Arturo Disla: 3-4, HR (3), .287/.391/.457
RF Wady Mendez: 4-4, 2B, SB (9), .232/.338/.362
The Woodies recovered from an early 4-0 deficit. Arturo Disla has nine of his 16 extra-base hits in the last two weeks, during which time he’s hitting .375/.432/.750. Jose Gonzalez stifled the RiverDogs for five inning and has been among Down East’s best pitchers in 2024. He’s struck out 34 against just seven walks in 26 innings.
Today’s Starters
AAA: White
AA: Acker
Hi-A: Santos
Lo-A: TBA
Five Years Ago Yesterday
JP Martinez homered but was off a to .145/.197/.265 start in high-A. He’s batting .272/.346/.401 for AAA Gwinnett. Had he stayed in Texas, I suppose he would have received the call last week instead of Derek Hill, but I seriously doubt that would make any difference in Texas’s current situation. If the Rangers lose tonight, they’ll be under .500 in their last 162 games.