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Box Scores
AAA: Round Rock 4, Sugar Land (HOU) 7
Round Rock: 9 hits, 8 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 15-16, 5.5 GB, 52-53 overall
SP Adrian Sampson: 4 IP, 9 H (2 HR), 7 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 99 P / 66 S, 6.23 ERA
RP Robby Ahlstrom: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Owen White: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 5.79 ERA
2B Justin Foscue: 0-2, 3 BB, .267/.446/.444
3B Dustin Harris: 2-4, BB, .282/.366/.395
Owen White’s second relief appearance this week proceeded much better. His four-seamer averaged 96.1, well above his standard rate, but with no loss of control.
Robby Ahlstrom made his AAA debut, featuring a low-to-mid-80s slider, 91-94 FB, upper-70s curves and even a couple of changes. Ahlstrom was drafted by the Yankees in 2021 but never pitched in anything pinstripe-adjacent before being traded with pitcher Albert Abreu for catcher Jose Trevino.
AA: Frisco 4, @ San Antonio (SDP) 2
Frisco: 9 hits, 5 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts
Record: 20-12, , 64-37 overall
SP Winston Santos: 6 IP, 3 H (2 HR), 2 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 7 SO, 81 P / 55 S, 6.64 ERA
RP Ricky DeVito: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3.63 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 1.80 ERA
CF Alejandro Osuna: 2-4, 2B, BB, .302/.398/.531
3B Cody Freeman: 2-4, HR (13), BB, .274/.336/.467
In AA, Winston Santos has reverted to the proneness for homers and hit batters that afflicted his first run through low-A in 2023. That year, he surrendered 19 long balls and plunked 16 in 99 innings, taking the shine off a splendid walk rate. Returning to Hickory, he amazingly reduced both rates by roughly three quarters. In just 20.1 AA innings, however, seven balls have become souvenirs, and he’s hit five in addition to a very reasonable five walks. It’s far from a crisis, as Santos was probably beginning 2025 in Frisco regardless of how these recent outings transpired, and but it’s worth watching.
Nevertheless, Frisco improved to an absurd 15-2 against San Antonio. Both homers off Santos were solos, the HBP and only other hit amounted to naught. Cody Freeman’s 13th homer tied his previous high in 2022, and he already has his most doubles with 23.
Hi-A: Hickory 1, @ Asheville (HOU) 0
Hickory: 5 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 2 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 19-16, 2.5 GB, 47-54 overall
SP Kohl Drake: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 SO, 84 P / 58 S, 2.78 ERA
RP Jacob Maton: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3.98 ERA
DH Cam Cauley: 1-4, HR (9), .245/.295/.426
Kohl Drake matched a career-best ten strikeouts absent a single walk. He’s an interesting story, spending what was in spirit his junior season (technically redshirt sophomore because of covid) at Walters State Community College, 22 by the time Texas called his name in the 11th round of 2022. He received a $175,000 bonus, $50,000 of which counted against the bonus cap. Last year at the complex and Down East was indistinct; he was fairly hittable. This year has been a very different story. The fastball is reaching 95 instead of 92, it moves, and he adds a curve, slider, and change.
Cam Cauley’s solo homer was enough for a rare 1-0 score in the Sally League’s hitter-friendliest park.
Lo-A: Down East 7, @ Augusta (ATL) 0
Down East: 13 hits, 2 walks, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 2 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts
Record: 19-15, 2.5 GB, 54-45 overall
SP David Davalillo: 6.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 83 P / 63 S, 1.79 ERA
RP Justin Sanchez: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 5.14 ERA
LF Jose De Jesus: 4-5
SS Echedry Vargas: 2-4, 2B, HR (12), BB, .275/.327/.470
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 2-3, 2B, BB, SB (3)
1B Pablo Guerrero: 2-4, 2B
The hits keep coming for the recent rookie additions. De Jesus, Cabrera and Guerrero combined for eight of the team’s 13. Not one to be upstaged, “veteran” shortstop Echedry Vargas thumped his 12th homer and 16th double.
Augusta has a dreadful offense (.199/.298/.282, 3.3 runs per game), and the Woodies are making sure the Green Jackets don’t get any cute ideas.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Brennan
AA: Teodo
Hi-A: Montalvo
Lo-A: TBA
Five Years Ago Yesterday
In his organization debut, Kolby Allard fanned seven of his first 11 opponents and completed five scoreless innings for AAA Nashville. Allard had been acquired for reliever Chris Martin. Allard is back in the bigs as a spot starter and long reliever for the Phils. He’d endured such a rough patch that Philadelphia dropped him to AA Reading for a while. Allard and Tyler Phillips pitching for the NL’s best team in 2024 was conceivable in 2019 but not any other time from early 2021 until last week when they became teammates.