AAA: Round Rock 6, at Sugar Land (HOU) 7
Round Rock: 10 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 8 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 5-4, 1 GB, 39-45 overall
SP Ty Blach: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 70 P / 43 S, 4.07 ERA
RP Cole Winn: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Robbie Ahlstrom: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2.96 ERA
CF Dustin Harris: 2-4, HR (6), .255/.345/.385
2B Cody Freeman: 2-5, 2 HR (12), .317/.370/.509
1B Blaine Crim: 2-4, BB, .296/.381/.513
LF Trevor Hauver: 1-3, 2 BB, .276/.384/.435
Craig Kimbrel allowed two walks and a game-tying homer in the 9th before recording an out. He preserved the tie, but the Express couldn’t score in extras while Sugar Land advanced the gift-runner home on a flyout and single. Kimbrel has surrendered only four hits in eight innings, but three have left the yard. Combined with some errant pitches, Kimbrel sports a weird .138/.342/.448 opposing line. That obviously won’t get him to Arlington.
AA: Frisco 5, Arkansas (SEA) 8
Frisco: 9 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 3-6, 1.5 GB, 41-36 overall
SP Josh Stephan: 5 IP, 8 H (1 HR), 7 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SO, 86 P / 57 S, 5.86 ERA
LF Wyatt Langford: 1-3, HR
DH Abi Ortiz: 1-3, 2B, BB, .219/.329/.383
Langford homered 425′ to center. Nine of the first 16 batters reached against Josh Stephan, who was nevertheless efficient enough to provide five innings. In five of 13 starts, his runs have exceeded his innings.
Hi-A: Hub City 9, @ Winston-Salem (CHW) 7 (10)
Hub City: 14 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 7 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 6-6, 1 GB, 37-40 overall
SP Dylan MacLean: 4.2 IP, 3 H (1 HR), 3 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 71 P / 47 S, 4.18 ERA
RP Eric Loomis: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 2.13 ERA
DH Anthony Gutierrez: 3-5, BB, 2 SB (23), .241/.310/.309
2B Casey Cook: 3-5, SB (19), .197/.273/.256
LF John Taylor: 4-5, 2 2B
Hub City led 5-3 in the 9th, but Adonis Villavicencio hit two batters, balked and allowed two hits, resulting in extras. The Burgers responded with four in the 10th and made them stick, albeit with difficulty. Eric Loomis has fanned 14 of his last 21 opponents.
Lo-A: Hickory 7, at Kannapolis (CHW) 2
Hickory: 10 hits, 5 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 9-3, 1 GB, 42-35 overall
SP Brooks Fowler: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 56 P / 31 S, 1.29 ERA
RP Brock Porter: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO, 3.40 ERA
2B Antonis Macias: 2-4, 2B, .271/.411/.336
3B Beycker Barroso: 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, .213/.364/.270
CF Yeremi Cabrera: 2-4, BB, 2 SB (25), .245/.361/.330
I had a note about IF Devin Fitz-Gerald written up but forgot to insert it. He appeared to injure his left shoulder diving for a grounder Wednesday and was pulled. Initially, he was writhing on the ground, and out of sympathy, so was I. After a few minutes, he could extend his arm and make some rotational motions, so perhaps the news won’t be too bad. He didn’t play yesterday, but as of my time of writing, he remains on the active roster.
Brock Porter has five consecutive walk-free outings. He hasn’t necessarily been great during this period, but the basic control is there.
Complex
We have a Jose Corniell sighting. In his first real action since September 2023, Corniell allowed a walk and single in an inning. Now 22, Corniell underwent elbow surgery last June. He’s on the 40-man roster and is using his second option. Aidan Curry struck out eight, walked none and allowed one hit in five innings. Although never listed as injured, Curry disappeared from high-A Hub City three weeks ago and has pitched twice with the rookies since.