AAA: Round Rock 6, at Salt Lake (LAA) 3
Round Rock: 10 hits, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 28-30, 7.5 GB
SP Michael Plassmeyer: 4 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 75 P / 48 S, 3.41 ERA
RP Peyton Gray: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 2.51 ERA
RP Robbie Ahlstrom : 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.45 ERA
3B Cody Freeman: 2-5, 2B, HR (5), .307/.352/.466
RF Kellen Strahm: 2-3, 2 BB, SB (21), .259/.373/.385
IF Justin Foscue and OF Trevor Hauver were activated. Only Hauver played (1-4, walk). OF Marcus Smith transferred to Frisco. Outrighted catcher Tucker Barnhart elected free agency.
AA: Frisco 2, Springfield (STL) 7
Frisco: 4 hits, 7 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 31-20, 0.5 G up
SP Florencio Serrano: 3 IP, 7 H (1 HR), 5 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 55 P / 38 S, 5.40 ERA
RP Bryan Magdaleno: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 8.27 ERA
RP Ryan Lobus: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 4.61 ERA
CF Cam Cauley: 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, .239/.312/.389
Florencio Serrano replaced Daniel Missaki as the Monday starter but fared no better. Frisco converted two of their seven walks into runs but was otherwise pretty quiet.
Hi-A: Hub City 1, @ Greensboro (PIT) 4
Hub City: 3 hits, 8 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 27-25, 1.5 GB
SP Leandro Lopez: 5.1 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 5 SO, 80 P / 48 S, 2.34 ERA
LF Keith Jones II: 2-2, 2 2B, 2 BB, SB (10), .245/.395/.377
Leandro Lopez cruised through five on just 60 pitches, but his 80th and final pitch left the yard and plated three. Unfortunately, Hub City would have the league’s worst offense if not for hapless Wilmington, so comebacks are a challenge, and the Burgers mustered (mustard? sorry, sorry) only three walks and no hits after Greensboro took the lead. Also unfortunate is the presence of league-leading Bowling Green. Terms like “tradition” and “powerhouse” seem out of place describing low-level clubs, but Tampa Bay’s high-A entry hasn’t posted a losing record since 2016, and a win last night pushed their lead to 1.5 games.
Lo-A: Hickory 10, Columbia (KAN) 1
Hickory: 11 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 27-24, 1.5 GB
SP Ismael Agreda: 5 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 1 R, 1 BB, 8 SO, 78 P / 49 S, 2.10 ERA
RP Michael Trausch: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.70 ERA
SS Chandler Pollard: 3-5, HR (1), .277/.362/.349
LF Maxton Martin: 3-4, 3 2B, BB, .272/.329/.450
3B Rafe Perich: 2-5, 2B, .233/.352/.358
DH Marcos Torres: 1-3, 2B, BB, SB (7), .237/.348/.368
Hickory’s offense rates below average as well but has been in better form lately and more capable of rolling off a double-digit run total. The Crawdads stand alone in second place; a month ago, they were seven games back.
21-year-old Chandler Pollard sat on an inside fastball and tallied his first homer of the year. Given his hitting style (not many homers), he could definitely stand to draw more walks (currently 6% of PA), but he gets plunked enough to boost his free-pass rate to league-average. In a repeat session at the level, he’s striking out much less and turning some of that contact into extra hits. At the least, he’s shown enough for a promotion to high-A at some point.
Elsewhere
San Francisco designated catcher Sam Huff for assignment. By chance, I’d looked him up just last night and wondered how he’d survived to this point with a .208/.259/.340 line. Replacing him is former Ranger Andrew Knizner, who’d signed recently after leaving Washington’s AAA squad. The Nats signed OF Delino DeShields Jr., who’d been in Mexico without much success. Outrighted Pittsburgh utility man Nick Solak too free agency.
Today’s Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Drake (vs TK Roby)
Hi-A: Curry
Lo-A: Segura