AA: Frisco 4, Midland (OAK) 3 (11)
Texas League best-of-three semifinals tied 1-1
Frisco: 5 hits, 4 walks, 15 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 1 walk, 12 strikeouts
SP Kohl Drake: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 77 P / 48 S
RP Bryan Magdaleno: 0.2 IP, 3 H (2 HR), 2 R, 0 BB, 0 SO
RP Josh Sborz: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO
RP Skylar Hales: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO
RP Dane Acker: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 SO
3B Cody Freeman: 1-5, HR
1B Abimelec Ortiz: 1-3, HR, BB
SS Keyber Rodriguez: 2-4
One strike away. Three words that might still trigger Rangers fans even after 2023, but in this case the results were glorious. In the bottom of the 9th, down 2-1 with two outs and two strikes, the season on the line, Abimelec Ortiz whipped a Seth Elledge offering into the pool beyond right field for a game-tying homer. (Note: quick bat.)
In the 10th, Midland scored its gift-runner with two out on a soft liner to center. Down to a final out again, if not a final strike, Alejandro Osuna flared the opposite way to score pinch-runner Daniel Mateo from second. Dane Acker, steady once again in relief, shut down the Hounds in the 11th. With Max Acosta on third and one out, Ortiz offered the prettiest ungainly swing you’ll ever see, reaching down to loft a fly deep enough to plate Acosta.
Like Winston Santos Tuesday, Drake was sublime. If not quite as dominant on in whiffs, he seemed even less likely to allow a homer or string of baserunners. One of his two hits was a deep pop that 2B Max Acosta forcefully called for himself but then bailed out in favor of an unprepared RF Josh Hatcher. In summarizing Drake’s night, I first owe an apology. In the preview, I misread the platoon split and saw potential trouble against an expected all-RHB Midland lineup. In fact, the lefty Drake has a crazy reverse split, holding righties to a .164/.232/.270 line while lefties managed a respectable .262/.326/.365. So, with the background properly described, Drake continued to manhandle righties, effective and missing bats with his 94-95 fastball, curve, and change. The fastball/curve combo supplied the vertical trickery; batters weren’t picking up the curve and swung through several weakly. The change isn’t a standard fade/drop. He’ll move it around, bringing it inside or up as desired. Drake missed 16 bats (21% of all pitches, 43% of swings), his most in five AA starts and one shy of his career best. Here’s video.
For the first time since mid-June, Bryan Magdaleno was mortal. In a 20-game span, he’d allowed one run and three hits in 25 innings, holding opponents to an impossible .040/.161/.040 line with a 47% strikeout rate. After two ordinary outs and two more strikes, Magdaleno delivered a slider he’d want back, and Daniel Susac parked it on the grass in left-center to erase Frisco’s 1-0 lead. Next, Will Simpson repeated his Tuesday feat, smacking the first pitch he saw for a go-ahead homer. Magdaleno had previously surrendered only four homers in 116 pro innings, and never two in the game outing, much less on consecutive pitches. A hit batter and single would end his night. Jackson Kelley entered and fanned Henry Bolte to end the threat. Midland wouldn’t put another batter on base until the 10th.
Frisco is expected to tender Mitch Bratt, another lefty, against Midland’s all-righty lineup. Bratt posted a 5.73 ERA in 33 AA innings. He offered better-than-average control (10% BB/HBP) and a decent K rate (22%) but was susceptible to strong contact at times (.420 slug vs. park-adjusted average of .377). He doesn’t have a meaningful platoon split (I double-checked).
Frisco used many of their best relievers in last night’s must-win game, and in AA, nobody (except rehabbing Josh Sborz) has any experience pitching in consecutive games. Acker is almost certainly unavailable after 27 pitches spread across three innings. I wouldn’t expect to see Magdaleno (23 pitches) again, either. Skylar Hales (11) and Jackson Kelley (4) are possibilities, depending on how they feel today, the game situation, and what the organization will permit. Frisco has 17 active pitchers, so manager Carlos Cardoza isn’t wanting for replacements if he has to pull Bratt early. In general, the relievers who haven’t appeared yet have all been reasonably effective but tend to be more walk-prone. Emiliano Teodo has yet to appear.
Frisco opened the scoring with Cody Freeman’s homer. Notwithstanding last night’s heroics, the Riders continue to struggle against Midland’s terrific defense. In 18 regular innings, Frisco has scored twice and is batting .125 (5-for-40) on balls in play.
In the other division, Arkansas used an eight-run 5th to defeat Springfield 9-6 and set up a deciding game tonight.
AAA: Round Rock 7, @ Tacoma (SEA) 11
Round Rock: 14 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 14 hits, 6 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 33-38, eliminated, 70-75 overall
SP Peter Solomon: 1.2 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 6 R, 4 BB, 4 SO, 55 P / 28 S, 6.50 ERA
RP Owen White: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 5.53 ERA
CF Dustin Harris: 2-5, 2B, SB (35), .276/.361/.397
LF Trevor Hauver: 2-3, 2B, 2 BB, .249/.363/.429
3B Frainyer Chavez: 3-5, .259/.309/.319
Trevor Hauver’s on-base streak extended to 25 games with a line of .387/.500/.731.
Today’s Starters
AAA: TBA
AA: Bratt