Kumar Rocker pitched two inning in Arizona, allowing a run on two hits and a sac fly, walking none, and striking out one. Based on current usage, he could pitch twice in the complex league before presumably heading to a full-season squad.
Pitchers Winston Santos and Emiliano Teodo of Frisco and IF Sebastian Walcott of Hickory are on the temporary inactive list in anticipation of the Futures Game.
Box Scores
AAA: Round Rock 7, @ Reno (ARI) 6
Round Rock: 8 hits, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 8-8, 5 GB, 45-45 overall
SP Peter Solomon: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 61 P / 37 S, 9.19 ERA
RP Aidan Anderson: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 2.62 ERA
RP Grant Wolfram: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3.44 ERA
DH Ezequiel Duran: 2-5, 3B, .194/.237/.250
C Sam Huff: 2-5, 2B, .244/.323/.445
LF Dustin Harris: 1-3, 2B, BB, .277/.363/.387
The Express trailed 4-1 early but mounted a gradual comeback. Davis Wendzel doubled in the go-ahead run in the 10th. In the bottom half, Andres Chaparro led off with a single to left-center, and Reno curiously chose to send the gift-runner against Sandro Fabian, who has scant CF experience but plenty in right along with a healthy number of outfield assists. Fabian unleashed a 92 MPH throw to beat the runner by several feet.
Reno entered the series with an 11-1 record and was threatening to develop a commanding lead over the Express and everyone else, but the Express have fashioned a split of the first four games despite shaky starting pitching in the unfriendly confines of northern Nevada. Jack Leiter was listed as Friday’s starter yesterday morning but had been replaced by Solomon in the late-afternoon press notes.
Three of Round Rock’s five games with the most balls in play of at least 95 MPH have occurred in the past week:
30, 7/09 at Reno (14-10 Reno)
29, 7/12 at Reno (7-6 RR)
29, 5/03 at Albuquerque (13-1 RR)
26, 6/08 at OKC (10-9 OKC)
26, 7/06 at Sugar Land (9-7 RR)
AA: Frisco 10, NW Arkansas (KAN) 8
Frisco: 13 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 10-6, 1.5 GB, 54-31 overall
SP Nick Krauth: 5 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 3 BB, 3 HBP, 4 SO, 87 P / 50 S, 5.33 ERA
RP Andy Rodriguez: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 1.96 ERA
RF Josh Hatcher: 4-4, 2B, 2 SB (2), .288/.327/.424
1B Abimelec Ortiz: 3-4, 2B, .203/.276/.325
Hatcher and Ortiz were the only Riders with multiple hits, but four joined with doubles: C Liam Hicks (1-4, BB), DH Cody Freeman (1-4, BB, SB), SS Keyber Rodriguez (1-4), and 2B Max Acosta (1-4).
Hi-A: Hickory 4, @ Bowling Green (TAM) 3 (10)
Hickory: 8 hits, 2 walks, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 10-9, 1.5 GB, 38-47 overall
SP Ryan Lobus: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 HBP, 7 SO, 69 P / 43 S, 4.10 ERA
RP Adrian Rodriguez: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 3.82 ERA
C Ian Moller: 2-5, .238/.362/.309
RF Anthony Gutierrez: 2-4, .251/.300/.326
Ryan Lobus had his best lengthy outing since the beginning of June, albeit one that doubled his HBP total for the season. Adrian Rodriguez was effective overall but has issued a walk in 14 consecutive appearances and sports a wild .123/.405/.281 opposing line with 25 walks, two hit batters, and just seven hits in that 17.1-inning span.
Dating back to May 5, Ian Moller has a line of .275/.400/.359.
Lo-A: Down East 0, Salem (BOS) 3
Down East: 2 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 7 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 7-10, 6.5 GB, 42-40 overall
SP Jose Gonzalez: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 8 SO, 89 P / 54 S, 2.37 ERA
RP Victor Simeon: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 2.95 ERA
3B Esteban Mejia: 1-2, BB, SB (2), .163/.281/.286
Rain shortened the scheduled doubleheader to one game. They’ll attempt two today. Jose Gonzalez walked four, equal to his total in the the previous eight outings.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Brennan
AA: Acker
Hi-A: Rosario
Lo-A: TBA x 2
Five Years Ago Yesterday
High-A infielder Anderson Tejeda suffered a shoulder injury that would sideline him the rest of the season. His next game would be 13 months later as a Major Leaguer. 15 months after that, the Rangers released him, and five months after that, he would be released again and (apparently) out of affiliated baseball for good for a few weeks prior to his 24th birthday. One of the strangest careers I’ve covered. Tejeda signed with independent Charleston (WV) of the Atlantic League in February but hasn’t played. I don’t see a release or any other transaction involving him.