Box Scores
AAA: Round Rock 6, Albuquerque (COL) 5
Round Rock: 5 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 6-2, tied for first, 37-46 overall
SP Marco Gonzales: 5.2 IP, 7 H (4 HR), 5 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 89 P / 60 S, 7.89 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 3.86 ERA
RP Luis Curvelo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 8.79 ERA
LF Aaron Zavala: 1-3, HR (5), .265/.355/.420
SS Keyber Rodriguez: 1-3, HR (5), BB, .184/.267/.382
With two outs and two strikes in the 9th, Keyber Rodriguez knocked a ghastly slider from TJ Shook over the fence for a walk-off homer. He’s reached ten homers for the first time. Earlier this season I said I’d eat a shoe if Keyber Rodriguez slugged .500 this season. He’s at .466 now including .382 In Round Rock after never slugging over .385 in any full season. I did notice that he appeared a little more filled out when I saw him in person this year.
Emiliano Teodo missed on half his 28 pitches. He’s walked or hit 12 in his last five outings. Those back-to-back outings were over a month ago, and he’s not an option right now.
As I’ve mentioned, Marco Gonzales isn’t in Round Rock as an MLB depth option, although he probably has a different opinion. He’s just there to give the squad some desperately needed innings. Hot prospect Charlie Condon homered twice against him.
OF Jarred Kelenic and RHP Joe Ross elected free agency. When Ross was added to the roster, my analysis was “Joe Ross is Joe Ross,” and I probably should have done the same for Kelenic. The latter, though, was hitting well in Round Rock, seemed to have an opportunity for semi-regular play when he joined, and had his name mentioned in the context of potential “spark” to a moribund offense by manager Skip Schumaker. Instead, he started only three games (twice getting pulled) and joined late in four others.
Kelenic did at least provide some reassurance as a depth option. The most experienced minor league OF in the system is now Gilberto Celestino, who batted .222/.292/.300 in 145 games for the Twins across 2021-2022. 
AA: Frisco 5, Midland (ATH) 6
Frisco: 9 hits, 8 walks, 17 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 4-4, 1 GB, 43-33 overall
SP Chris Martin: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 14 P / 10 S, 0.00 ERA
RP Blake Townsend: 5 IP, 7 H (2 HR), 6 R, 4 BB, 3 SO, 5.37 ERA
RP Eric Loomis: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3.75 ERA
RP Austin Roberts: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.16 ERA
3B Rafe Perich: 3-3, 2 2B, 2 BB, SB (4), .303/.410/.606
DH Malcolm Moore: 1-5, HR (3), .283/.358/.543
Malcolm Moore went deep for his third Frisco homer and 13th overall in 60 games.
I neglected to mention yesterday that A’s outfield prospect Ryan Lasko was critically injured in a collision with teammate Devin Taylor Tuesday night. He was carted off the field and underwent spinal surgery yesterday. At last word, he doesn’t have any feeling in the lower half of his body, but there is hope it will return. 
Hi-A: Hub City 8, at Asheville (HOU) 10
Hub City: 8 hits, 8 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 14 hits, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts
Record: 4-6, 3 GB, 38-38 overall
SP Izack Tiger: 2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 49 P / 32 S, 11.12 ERA
RP Brock Porter: 3 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 4 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 3.56 ERA
RP Owen Proksch: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 3.38 ERA
DH Maxton Martin: 2-4, HR (8), BB, .221/.286/.401
1B Quincy Scott: 1-5, HR (6), .216/.372/.346
In 2026, the park-adjusted average runs scored in a game in Asheville is 6.7, so I don’t have anything to say about Izack Tiger other than “glad he’s back.” Likewise, control-averse Brock Porter walked just one of 15 batters.
Hub City trailed 10-0 after six but managed to bring the tying run to the plate in the 9th. Lowly Asheville, the worst team in the minors in the first half and 24-52 overall, currently leads the second-half division race at 7-4. 
Lo-A: Hickory 6, at Myrtle Beach (CHC) 2
Hickory: 7 hits, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 7 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 10-1, 1 G up, 44-31 overall
SP Moises Morales: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 64 P / 42 S, 3.88 ERA
RP Wily Villar: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 3.34 ERA
RP JD McReynolds: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 3.16 ERA
CF Marco Argudin: 1-2, 2 BB, .297/.458/.453
DH Braylin Morel: 1-4, HR (2), .224/.237/.397
Moises Morales condescended to allow a couple of hits unlike his last time out.
I hadn’t written lately about Wily Villar, signed by Texas at the tender age of 26 and reportedly dealing upper 90s and touching 100 last year with the rookies and in the Dominican Republic. He’s had a decent season, just not especially noteworthy. He has a 3.34 ERA in 29.2 innings with a 14% BB+HBP rate and 24% K rate, both near the league averages. According to the Myrtle Beach gun, Villar’s fastball entered at 92-93 before settling at 94-95 and touching 97 a couple of times. He also offered a mid-80s slider and occasional upper-70s curve.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Stephan
AA: TBD
Hi-A: Perry
Lo-A: Lafalaise
Five Years Ago Yesterday
I saw Ronny Henriquez’s best AA start to date: seven strikeouts, three hits, one walk and one run in six innings. Having seen Yerry Rodriguez three days prior, I said I liked Rodriguez’s fastball more than any single Henriquez offering, but Henriquez looked more like a starter. Ronny finally clicked as a stellar reliever for the Marlins last year, but he’ll miss all of 2026 following brace surgery.
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