AAA: Round Rock 2, @ Sacramento (SFO) 7
Round Rock: 3 hits, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 36-36, eliminated
SP Gerson Garabito: 4 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 4 R, 1 BB, 2 HBP, 3 SO, 71 P / 42 S, 2.62 ERA
2B Justin Foscue: 0-1, 3 BB, .188/.458/.188
3B Jonathan Ornelas: 1-3, HR (3), .250/.320/.361
Justin Foscue is 0-3 with five walks and a hit-by-pitch since joining the Express. He’s swung at 11 of 43 pitches since joining the Express. Jonathan Ornelas’s average and slugging percentage are nearly identical to last year. The different is fewer walks, 20 compared to 37 last year over a comparable number of games. He’s always been a reluctant swinger on first pitches, but in 2024 he’s seeing more 0-1 counts. The reasons for the walk drop run deeper, I’m sure, but I need to rebuild my messy 2023 spreadsheet to do a legitimate study.
AA: Frisco 1, @ Midland (OAK) 2
Frisco: 6 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 44-23, division champion
SP Nick Krauth: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 89 P / 55 S, 4.75 ERA
RP Ricky DeVito: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 3.42 ERA
C Liam Hicks: 3-3, 2B, BB, .281/.392/.386
RF Josh Hatcher: 1-3, BB, .300/.343/.455
Last week’s division-clinching obliteration of Amarillo staved off what could have been an anxious week at Midland, as the second-place RockHounds have a shutout and two 2-1 victories so far. Liam Hicks singled but was stranded in scoring position his first three trips to the plate.
Hi-A: Hickory 10, Bowling Green (TAM) 3
Hickory: 10 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 15 strikeouts
Record: 1-0, 29-38 overall
SP Joseph Montalvo: 4.2 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 3 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 93 P / 57 S, 2.79 ERA
RP Adrian Rodriguez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 4.01 ERA
LF Alejandro Osuna: 3-5, 2 SB (10), .261/.326/.453
SS Cam Cauley: 1-4, BB, SB (13), .217/.276/.319
RF Yeison Morrobel: 2-4, 2B, BB, .245/.317/.356
In the first half, the Crawdads scored eight runs in the their first nine games. In the second-half opener, they surpassed that total in the span of three innings. Down 3-0 in the 6th, Hickory pinned a couple of twos and a six on the board.
I guess I’ll recycle yesterday’s Ben Anderson summary: Joseph Montalvo didn’t have a bad night but faced a bunch of hitters determined to hang around, so he surpassed 90 pitches without finishing the 5th.
Hickory had one hit through five but instigated a comeback with consecutive doubles from Yeison Morrobel and Sebastian Walcott (0-4). Morrrobel also singled in two in the 7th. The next inning, the Crawdads plated six on just three singles and a host of Hot Rod miscues. Morrobel could use a few more nights like this, as he’s not actively participated in Hickory’s recent prowess at the plate. He’d collected only two hits in the last seven games.
Lo-A: Down East 0, @ Fredericksburg (WAS) 4
Down East: 4 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts
Record: 0-1, 35-31 overall
SP Paul Bonzagni: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 55 P / 36 S, 4.26 ERA
RP Jose Gonzalez: 4 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 7 SO, 2.03 ERA
RF Tommy Specht: 2-3, .199/.291/.244
A duel between Paul Bonzagni and Jarlin Susana, the final but still valued name in the first Juan Soto trade. Susana is still seeking his way out of low-A nearly two years after joining the Nats and might escape with some recent strong performances including tonight. Bonzagni matched Susana for four innings, his longest scoreless outing since mid-April. Alas, Jose Gonzalez was feast or famine, striking out seven but allowing eight hits against the other 14 batters.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Sampson
AA: Teodo
Hi-A: Santos
Lo-A: TBA (Rosario)
Five Years Ago Yesterday
In his fourth game back after a two-month absence, high-A OF Bubba Thompson suffered an ankle injury and would miss another three weeks. 2019 was pretty close to a lost year for him, with only 57 games played including a profound offensive decline during the last 25 or so. In 2024, Thompson made Cincinnati’s opening roster but was optioned to AA Chattanooga (no idea why) and then designated for assignment for the fifth time in nine months. Unlike the previous four, he wasn’t claimed, and he still resides in AA.