Sebastian Walcott was promoted to AAA Sunday morning and debuted as the DH. That is the story more than the the game itself, in which accomplishments were limited. Against ex-Ranger Nolan Kingham, Walcott grounded medium-hard to third his first time up, then waved at two low-outside sliders for strikeouts. Later, he topped a grounder to third for an infield hit and took a five-pitch walk.
The takeaway? Baseball is hard, and even someone of Walcott’s caliber isn’t necessarily going to stroll into the Dell Diamond and lord over opposing pitchers. Kingham probably isn’t the best pitcher Walcott has faced in a real game this season, but he’s up there. As for Walcott’s future after today’s concluding game, who knows. I’ve always felt he would have been handled more aggressively if Arlington were in the cards, but I’m not certain, even today.
Box Scores
AAA: Round Rock 6, Tacoma (SEA) 2
Round Rock: 13 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 42-32, 73-76 overall
SP Joe Ross: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 29 P / 18 S, 4.76 ERA
RP Josh Sborz: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 5.95 ERA
RP Alexis Diaz: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.58 ERA
RP Gavin Collyer: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.37 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 3.73 ERA
3B Cameron Cauley: 2-5, 2 2B, SB (39), .276/.367/.464
DH Sebastian Walcott: 1-4, BB, SB (1)
LF Michael Helman: 3-5, 2B, .211/.297/.367
1B John Taylor: 2-4, SB (18), .249/.380/.390
SS Keyber Rodriguez: 3-4, 2 2B, 2 SB (11), .243/.311/.439
Winston Santos was scratched about 20 minutes before the start of the game, coinciding with Cal Quantrill’s injury removal. No word yet on whether Santos will actually replace him. Santos has been intermittently okay lately (sorry, that’s the best I can do). His primary qualifications are being 1) on the 40, and 2) fully rested. He’s evidently considered more trustworthy than Emiliano Teodo or Gavin Collyer, the other reasonably rested 40 members. Carter Baumler is in that group too, but he’s on injury rehab with the complication of his Rule 5 status. Just-purchased Michel Otanez suffered an injury without pitching and was IL’ed. Adam Macko took his place.
As for the game, the bullpen was terrific, both keeping the game well in control and preventing the aggravation of an undermanned staff on the final day of the season. Sunday was already intended as a bullpen day. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a transaction for a reinforcement.
The Express named Cauley the team’s MVP, and he played like it. Logan O’Hoppe was hitless but drilled two pitches well over 100 MPH into waiting gloves. Following Friday’s stout homer, John Taylor had the night’s hardest contact (107.4) for a single.
Round Rock is tied for the second-best second-half record and will finish with the second-best run differential (currently +31) barring something ridiculous.
Today’s Starter
AAA: Bullpen
Five Years Ago Yesterday
Down East won 5-2 on the last day of the regular season to finish 72-48 and advanced to the postseason when Salem lost 9-7 after blowing a 6-1 lead. Owen White tossed 7.2 innings with two runs, no walks and 11 strikeouts. Through seven, the only safe batter reached on an error. Over his final three starts, White walked two and struck out 33 in 18.2 innings.
Frisco suffered what I still consider the most painful regular-season loss in my 20 years on the beat. Needing a victory (or losses by two rivals that weren’t forthcoming) to advance to the postseason, Frisco recovered from an early 6-2 deficit and then scored three in the top of the 9th to take a 10-7 lead. Having already recorded four outs, Chase Lee’s attempt to lock down the win was thwarted by a three-homer by Ryder Jones. Diosbel Arias singled home David Wendzel to put Frisco back ahead in the 10th. In the bottom half, Daniel Robert took the mound on no rest for the first time in his career. (Frisco’s bullpen was perilously thin behind Lee and Robert.) Alas, the tank was empty, and the Poodles attacked his enervated stuff. A first-pitch double tied the game, and after a hit-by-pitch, Stone Garrett took Robert deep (again on the first pitch) to knock Frisco out.
Hickory didn’t play the finale or the two prior games because of threatening weather and a covid outbreak.
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