Box Scores
AAA: Round Rock 5, Salt Lake (LAA) 7
Round Rock: 8 hits, 10 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 22-33, 11 GB
SP Nolan Kingham: 3.1 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 5 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 75 P / 44 S, 13.50 ERA
RP Joe Ross: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 4.73 ERA
RP Ryan Brasier: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 2.91 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 4.81 ERA
CF Cameron Cauley: 2-3, 2 BB, SB (17), .247/.362/.369
RF Aaron Zavala: 1-2, 3 BB, .264/.368/.426
Texas signed 29-year-old righty and Nolan Kingham and gave him last night’s start. He dominated for three innings, fanning five and allowing a lone single. He unraveled in the 4th, though, as some slight mechanical difficulty (to my eyes) led to more erratic location followed by some unlucky hits and then some scarier shots culminating in a night-ending homer from Omar Martinez. Kingham’s fastball-heavy repertoire included a mid-90s four-seamer and sinker, an effective low-80s slider and some mid-80s split-changes. The Texas-Ex Kingham was drafted in 2018’s 12th round but released in the spring of 2024, and he’d worked for Mexico’s Monterrey squad ever since.
Up to Round Rock are infielders John Taylor and Keyber Rodriguez. The 25-year-old Taylor was undrafted and in indy ball just 11 months ago, so he’s already a successful signing come what may. Taylor batted .322/.454/.517 in Frsico, tripling last year’s two homers in 50 fewer plate appearances. He’s spent most of his 2026 on the corners (and once in left) versus last year’s heavy dose of short followed by second. Taylor went 1-for-5 at second last night, curling a hard grounder inside the line for a triple. He also had two three-pitch strikeouts, because many AAA pitchers have weapons-grade breakers.
The 25-year-old K-Rod is a little stockier than I recall, which might explain the shocking .503 slugging percentage in AA versus his career mark of .359.He’s in his ninth year in the organization and spent a few days in AAA last year. Assuming he’s a regular, I expect he’ll be the primary shortstop.
Texas released OF Dairon Blanco, who’d been claimed off waivers from KC. Righty Marc Church hit the IL. 1B Nick Pratto and IF Richie Martin are on the development list. 
AA: Frisco 0, at Arkansas (SEA) 4 (7)
Frisco: 4 hits, 0 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
SP Winston Santos: 5.2 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 3 R, 3 BB, 8 SO, 82 P / 52 S, 8.26 ERA
1B Arturo Disla: 3-3, .400/.492/.660
Santos’s line took a beating when reliever Eric Loomis couldn’t stranded either of two bequeathed runners with two out in the 6th. His control wasn’t great, but the eight strikeouts were his most since the 2024 playoffs, and in a rough season to date, last night was most reminiscent of what brought his name to our attention.
AA: Frisco 8, at Arkansas (SEA) 0 (7)
Frisco: 9 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts
Opponent: 3 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 25-22, tied for 1st
SP Dalton Pence: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 68 P / 51 S, 2.20 ERA
RP Austin Roberts: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 4.64 ERA
CF Dylan Dreiling: 1-4, HR (7), .298/.393/.475
C Ian Moller: 2-3, HR (4), BB, .239/.369/.424
SS Frainyer Chavez: 2-5, 2B, HR (7), .263/.366/.447
The Riders returned Arkansas’s disfavor with a shutout of their own. Pence’s first five strikeouts came on his rising fastball, the last on a nifty split.
Texas promoted 3B/1B Rafe Perich to AA, and he was 0-3 with a walk in the second game as the third baseman. Perich stood out to me in March 2025, and my thought at the time was that we could wait until Frisco to really learn about him. Unfortunately, his regular season was underwhelming, and in the first few weeks of 2026 he was sitting twice a week, playing first twice as often as third, and still not hitting much. He caught fire in May, though, hitting .345/.448/.747 with ten homers (including seven outside Asheville). Perich should see more time at third in Frisco. 
Hi-A: Hub City 0, at Greensboro (PIT) 4
Hub City: 0 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
Record: 25-23, 10 GB
SP Caden Scarborough: 4 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 1 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 49 P / 32 S, 2.25 ERA
After a couple of Arizona outings, Scarborough made his first full-season start of 2026 nearly two months into the season. He’d been diagnosed with and treated for melanoma last in the offseason, and he pitched yesterday with a long-sleeve turtleneck under his jersey. Scarborough completed three strikeouts on angry sweepers. He also dealt his usual fastball, split, and also what looked to me like a cutter. Irrespective of results, it’s great to have him back.
As for the game, well, three Hoppers combined on a no-hitter and flirted with perfection. 2023 4th-rounder Carlson Reed, entering with a 5.91 ERA, retired 21 straight, seven via strikeout. He departed with only 79 pitches, not even his season high. (Welcome to minor league ball in the mid-2020s.)
In the 8th, Paxton Kling ruined perfection by fouling off four two-strike pitches to draw a ten-pitch walk. Quincy Scott and Carter Garate would walk as well, but the game ended when Malcolm Moore took called second and third strikes that (arguably) grazed the zone.
Lo-A: Hickory 9, at Salem (BOS) 3
Hickory: 6 hits, 9 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 28-19, 1 G up
SP Aidan Deakins: 4.1 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 3 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, 80 P / 50 S, 1.83 ERA
RP Michael Trausch: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1.13 ERA
RP Geury Rodriguez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0.59 ERA
CF Hector Osorio: 0-1, 2 BB, HBP, .301/.431/.564
SS Yolfran Castillo: 3-4, BB, SB (22), .302/.390/.430
A very low-A kind of night: Hickory reached base ten times via walk or hit batter, six scored. Castillo’s 22 steals are fifth-most in the league, eighth in low-A and 22nd in all of minor league ball.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Supak
AA: TBD
Hi-A: Agreda
Lo-A: Russell
Five Years Ago Yesterday
Catcher Yohel Pozo went 3-5 with a homer for Round Rock to improve to .388/.388/.796. Zero walks and four strikeouts (despite a crazy 69% swing rate) in 49 trips to the plate. Pozo wouldn’t take a free base for another couple of weeks, but he would hit well enough (and Texas would be bad enough) to reach MLB in mid-August.
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