AAA: Round Rock 3, Tacoma (SEA) 13
Round Rock: 6 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 20 hits, 8 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 33-35, eliminated
SP Adrian Sampson: 2.1 IP, 8 H (1 HR), 4 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 51 P / 32 S, 4.80 ERA
3B Josh Jung: 2-3
In his first rehab outing, Josh Jung had a lined single, bloop single, and a very hard GIDP. As it stands, his eventual return won’t require a 40 move, since the Rangers designated Jesus Tinoco yesterday to make room for Cole Winn.
Josh Sborz was less fortunate, surrendering two runs on to hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning. Like earlier this year, the pitch velocities were 1-2 MPH below last year’s averages.
Since peaking at 26-20, Round Rock is 7-15. In that recent span, the offense has scored 3.5 runs per game with a slash of .212/.314/.314, and a host of several players (Crim, Huff, Knapp, Hauver, Harris) suffer from whatever afflicted Hickory in April and May.
AA: Frisco 12, Amarillo (ARI) 0
Frisco: 12 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 4 hits, 3 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 43-20, 8 G up, division champion!
SP Emiliano Teodo: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 SO, 68 P / 47 S, 1.88 ERA
LF Aaron Zavala: 1-3, BB, HBP, .212/.332/.311
3B Cody Freeman: 2-5, 2B, 3B, .269/.325/.433
RF Abi Ortiz: 1-4, HR (5), .181/.250/.324
2B Max Acosta: 3-4, 2B, SB (11), .259/.322/.348
The magnanimous Midland Rockhounds granted Frisco the first-half title Sunday afternoon by losing 6-0 to Wichita in a scant two hours and four minutes. Furthermore, the Riders don’t play today, so there will be no hangover game. They should send the Rockhounds a gift card.
Frisco didn’t relax last night, scoring three in the 1st and and least one in five other innings. Abimelec Ortiz has homered on consecutive days. There’s no sugar-coating his season to date, but he’s at least displaying better plate discipline and power this month after a nearly empty May.
Emiliano Teodo fanned 11 of 17 batters. A high K totals often means a high pitch count, but Teodo breezed through five innings on just 68 pitches. Sunday was his second outing this season with fewer than two combined walks/HBPs, and in seven of 11 starts including yesterday, he hasn’t allowed an extra-base hit. Most of the positive news on the farm this season has involved pitching, and Teodo might be the headline.
Hi-A: Hickory 12, @ Aberdeen (BAL) 15
Hickory: 17 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 12 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 28-35, eliminated
SP Aidan Curry: 4 IP, 7 H (2 HR), 6 R, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 6 SO, 82 P / 43 S, 8.58 ERA
RP Adrian Rodriguez: 1 IP, 0 H (4.37 HR), 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
2B Cam Cauley: 1-5, BB, SB (12), .219/.274/.323
SS Sebastian Walcott: 4-5, .234/.343/.383
1B Luis Mieses: 3-6, 2 2B, .338/.359/.465
LF Quincy Scott: 3-5, 2B, .193/.270/.260
Yipes. Hickory led 8-0 and 12-6. Aberdeen batted 11 and scored seven in the 7th featuring by two doubles from ex-Ranger Randy Florentino. Texas lost him in the minor phase of the 2022 Rule 5 draft. The next inning, 3B Jayce Easley looked askance at two strike calls from home ump Christian Argueza, called time, and then was rung up for not entering the box punctually. As you might guess, Easley expressed his feelings and was given the rest of the day off. That kind of day.
Hickory’s offense, historically poor in the early going, has been amazing of late, scoring at least four runs in 17 of the last 18 games.
Luis Mieses is an offseason signing formerly with the White Sox. He spent most of 2022-2023 in AA.
Lo-A: Down East 0, Charleston (TAM) 4
Down East: 3 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 8 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 34-28, 4.5 GB, eliminated
SP Kolton Curtis: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 1 SO, 60 P / 37 S, 2.72 ERA
RP Willian Bormie: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 3.79 ERA
The official standings claim Down East’s elimination number is one, but I’m pretty sure they’re eliminated. The upcoming series at Fredericksburg (like Down East, a quasi-contender until recently) won’t have any divisional importance. Still, the Woodies took four of six from Charleston.
Five Years Ago Yesterday
High-A Down East completed the first half with a 50-20 record, best by a Texas full-season affiliate since at least 2005 (when modern record-keeping commenced).