AAA: Round Rock 2, Oklahoma City (LAD) 1 (10)
Round Rock: 5 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 2 walks, 15 strikeouts
Record: 9-10, 5 GB, 46-47 overall
SP Tyler Mahle: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 46 P / 28 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Dane Dunning: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Grant Wolfram: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 3.26 ERA
RP Grant Anderson: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 2.12 ERA
3B Davis Wendzel: 1-3, BB, .277/.375/.495
1B Blaine Crim: 1-3, 2B, BB, .242/.353/.379
C Matt Whatley: 1-4, HR (4), .198/.293/.370
OKC scored the game’s first run in the 10th. With the gift-runner aboard, Matt Whatley hit a pitch 108.7 MPH, harder than any of his previous 279 contacts in Round Rock. It carried the wall at an 18-degree angle, tied with six others for the lowest-angled homer by an Express hitter during the past three seasons.
As for the rehabbers, Tyler Mahle had a shaky 2nd, unable to control much and reaching at least three balls to four of five hitters. The other innings were fine. Dane Dunning’s velocity was down perhaps half a tick, but otherwise from my viewpoint he could have pitched in Arlington.
Facing the Express was recently optioned Bobby Miller, who after a sparkling rookie season has had trouble throwing strikes but landing mid-mid when he does. Round Rock was patient but couldn’t take genuine advantage of his in-zone offerings outside of Blaine Crim’s double.
AA: Frisco 1, @ Wichita (MIN) 4
Frisco: 4 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 7 walks, 6 strikeouts
Record: 12-8, 1 GB, 56-33 overall
SP Emiliano Teodo: 3 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 74 P / 40 S, 1.77 ERA
RP Reid Birlingmair: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 3.95 ERA
RP Andy Rodriguez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 1.87 ERA
RF Alejandro Osuna: 1-3, 2B, BB, .317/.388/.583
DH Liam Hicks: 1-3, 2B, BB, .264/.367/.361
Emiliano Teodo is known for the occasional control lapse, but not since last June had his total of walks and hit batters exceeded his strikeouts by three.
SP Josh Stephan has been shut down for a few weeks with elbow inflammation per local reports.
Hi-A: Hickory 7, Greensboro (PIT) 3
Hickory: 10 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 3 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 12-11, 2.5 GB, 40-49 overall
SP Kohl Drake: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 SO, 74 P / 46 S, 3.10 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.74 ERA
DH Cam Cauley: 2-4, BB, .242/.293/.403
RF Yeison Morrobel: 2-5, 2B, .220/.294/.315
CF Anthony Gutierrez: 2-4, 2 2B, SB (27), .253/.304/.332
Kohl Drake has been terrific in three of four starts.
Cam Cauley missed a week (although he wasn’t IL’ed) and has only DH’ed since. Anthony Gutierrez has matched last year’s doubles total of 11 in 24 fewer games. He’s still seeking his first homer.
Lo-A: Down East 5, @ Delmarva (BAL) 3
Down East: 11 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 9-13, 6.5 GB, 44-43 overall
SP David Davallilo: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 71 P / 44 S, 1.82 ERA
RP Izack Tiger: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.45 ERA
RP Alberto Mota: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 3.75 ERA
C Julian Brock: 1-4, 2B, BB, .216/.297/.318
DH Arturo Disla: 4-5, HR (9), .278/.353/.421
LF Jojo Blackmon: 1-2, 3 BB, .169/.257/.285
Izack Tiger had been starting after missing two months with elbow inflammation, but he made his first relief outing last night and retired the side on eight pitches.
Speedy Chandler Pollard has dabbled in center this season. I couldn’t speak to his level of comfort out there, but in the 9th, he and SS Echedry Vargas had a scary collision on a shallow fly in which communication was apparently either missing or unacknowledged. Both stayed in the game.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Leiter
AA: Santos
Hi-A: Lobus
Lo-A: TBA (Gonzalez, maybe)
Five Years Ago Yesterday
Nick Solak, Scott Heineman, and Patrick Wisdom homered for Nashville. “I expect Scott Heineman to make his MLB debut in September, perhaps even earlier. He’s 27 in a few months and enjoying the best stretch of his professional life. It’s getting time to find out what he has to offer.” Heineman would in fact reach the Majors 13 days later and single twice in a 5-4 win.
Ten years ago, I watched Aaron Poreda reach 100-101 MPH a few times in Round Rock (the stadium gun once read 103, but I couldn’t find a scout gun that high.) I’d seen him in the 90-96 range earlier that season, and his MLB fastball average was 95.4. Nine days later, he would throw his final pitch in the United States. He spent 2015-2016 in Japan, never returning stateside.