The Rangers announced their minor league award winners:
Player: OF Alejandro Osuna
Pitcher: Alejandro Rosario
Reliever: Bryan Magdaleno
Defender: IF Cody Freeman
True Ranger: IF Jax Biggers
Box Scores
AA: Frisco 0, @ Midland (OAK) 2
Frisco trails best-of-three semifinals 0-1
Frisco: 2 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 2 walks, 15 strikeouts
SP Winston Santos: 6 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 12 SO, 90 P / 59 S,
RP Ryan Lobus: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO
RP Josh Sborz: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO
SS Max Acosta: 2-4, 3B
1B Abi Ortiz: 0-3, BB
DH Sebastian Walcott: 0-2, BB
Winston Santos was sublime, generating a career-high 23 swinging strikes and tying a previous best of 12 strikeouts set in April against high-A Greensboro. Leaning heavily on a mid-90s fastball that reached 98, Santos fanned seven the first time through the order and missed 10 bats out of 16 swings. Santos won’t pitch again unless the Riders reach the finals, and playoff stats aren’t added to season totals, but as it stands, he’s struck out 150 in 116.1 innings. After a month to acclimate to AA, his last seven starts are 37.2 IP, 24 H, 14 R, 11 BB, 53 SO, 35% strikeout rate.
That said, he’d love do-overs on a couple of batters. 1B Will Simpson, fresher to the level than Santos, drilled the first pitch he saw over the alley for a solo homer in the 2nd. In the 6th, two gentle grounders resulted in an error and single. Santos then walked Jack Winkler on four pitches to load the bases. Winkler had a decent overall season but compressed most of his production into the first half and had batted a paltry .182/.259/.265 since August 1st. With the bases now loaded, Jordan Groshans propelled the next pitch to center for a sac fly.
As for the other part of the winning-at-baseball equation, themes mentioned in the preview included Midland’s ability to turn opposing contact into dust, the Frisco offense’s particular struggles against the Hounds, and Midland closer Seth Elledge’s annoying knack for mowing down hitters without missing bats. All were on display Tuesday. Frisco batters not named Max Acosta were zero-for-26 with two walks, and the team was 2-for-21 on balls in play. In the 9th, Elledge retired the side in order without a swinging strike.
The Riders essentially had two chances to do some damage. In the 6th, Acosta tripled over the head of RF Henry Bolte with two out, but Josh Hatcher struck out. The next inning, Cody Freeman reached on an error and Abi Ortiz walked (and tripped over himself on the way to first). Sebastian Walcott had the right idea on a high curve but swung a little underneath it for the first out. Cooper Johnson struck out, and Keyber Rodriguez lined gently to center to end the threat. Walcott was Frisco’s first baserunner, ignoring an outside breaker for a full-count walk in the 2nd.
Springfield (STL) defeated Arkansas (SEA) 4-1 in the other Texas League opener.
AAA: Round Rock 12, @ Tacoma (SEA) 14 (10)
Round Rock: 17 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 19 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 32-37, eliminated, 69-74 overall
SP Adrian Sampson: 4.2 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 3 SO, 80 P / 49 S, 5.71 ERA
RP Daniel Robert: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2.83 ERA
1B Blaine Crim: 1-4, 2B, 2 BB, .275/.371/.465
RF Kellen Strahm: 2-6, 2B, HR (), .246/.365/.352
SS Jax Biggers: 3-5, 2B, .271/.389/.381
3B Frainyer Chavez: 3-5, 2B, .233/.292/.301
Round Rock led 8-3, trailed 11-8, led 12-11. In the bottom of the 10th, rehabbing Avery Weems entered and threw three sliders resulting in a single, flyout, and game-ending three-run homer by Jake Slaughter.
Jonathan Hernandez threw a scoreless inning despite three runners. LF Nick Solak was 3-5 with a double.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Garcia
AA: off, Drake starts Thursday