Box Scores
AAA: Round Rock 3, Oklahoma City (LAD) 5
Round Rock: 5 hits, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 5 walks, 14 strikeouts
Record: 33-27, 4 GB, 64-71 overall
SP Blake Townsend: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 6 SO, 79 P / 45 S, 3.72 ERA
RP Marc Church: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 6.91 ERA
RP Emiliano Teodo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 3.93 ERA
Once again, AAA hitters couldn’t wait on Blake Townsend, who threw 74 of 79 pitches below 88 MPH. His four-seamer was almost a show-me pitch, usually shelved in favor of 86 MPH sinkers breaking hard right and 74 MPH sweeper breaking hard left. Marc Church was frustratingly good again. The change was of no help, but he generated six misses on nine swings at a slider that painted the glove-side corner.
A two-run homer off Luis Curvelo in the 9th made the difference. The Express are scoring 4.7 runs per game through nine games of the homestand, a little light for the PCL. Obviously, the needs of the parent club take precedent, but the recent losses of Cauley, Freeman and O’Hoppe (and Kelenic) have hurt. 
AA: Frisco 14, Amarillo (ARI) 12
Frisco: 15 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 9 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 30-30, 4 GB, 69-59 overall
SP Cole Stasio: 3 IP, 6 H (2 HR), 7 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 60 P / 37 S, 5.34 ERA
RP Joey Danielson: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 5.65 ERA
1B Arturo Disla: 2-3, HR (15), 2 BB, .289/.366/.503
3B Gleider Figuereo: 2-4, 2B, HBP
C Malcolm Moore: 2-4, HR (8), HBP, .217/.311/.416
RF Keith Jones II: 2-3, 2 BB, SB (16), .224/.335/.376
SS Luke Hanson: 2-3, HR (1), BB, .172/.250/.276
Are they secretly playing in Amarillo? The teams have combined for 61 runs in three games. Frisco trailed 6-0 in the 2nd ad led 11-7 entering the 8th. A couple of pitchers whom I recently lauded had rough nights. Josh Trentadue gave up four runs in the 8th. Erik Loomis replaced him with two on and walked four straight.
Bryan Magdaleno escaped a three-on one-out jam and tossed a scoreless 9th despite two walks of his own.
Luke Hanson’s three-run homer in the bottom of the 8th retook the lead for good. 
Hi-A: Hub City 2, Jersey Shore (PHI) 1
Hub City: 6 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts
Record: 25-38, eliminated, 59-70 overall
SP Jormy Nivar: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 0 SO, 75 P / 48 S, 5.19 ERA
RP Cole Roland: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 4.30 ERA
RP Luimy Munoz: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 3.12 ERA
After getting thumped in his high-A debut last week, Jormy Nivar concluded 2026 with six scoreless. Cole Roland, the undrafted former Demon Deacon and indy Hagerstown Sun
Flying Boxcar (?), had proved to be a worthy in-season pickup. He’s fanned 54 in 44 innings. 1B Antonis Macias singled twice. DH Paxton Kling (0-3, BB) stole his 33rd base. 
Lo-A: Hickory 3, Fayetteville (HOU) 2
Hickory: 6 hits, 6 walks, 12 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 46-17, division winner, 80-47 overall
SP Evan Siary: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 71 P / 49 S, 3.30 ERA
RP William Privette: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.73 ERA
SS Yolfran Castillo: 2-3, BB, .287/.388/.417
RF Kaden Carpenter: 1-3, BB, .242/.411/.505
CF Jamaurion McQueen: 1-2, BB, HBP, .316/.435/.342
C Sebastian Baquera: 1-2, BB, .265/.366/.363
13 straight wins. The franchise record is 15 set three years ago. Evan Siary finished with a quintessential outing. I’ve had him in my head as the playoff opener for some time, but that would require pitching on five days rest for only the second time this season. On the other hand, his 71 pitches were his fewest in seven weeks.
Sebastian Baquera threw out three base-stealers including the potential tying run in the 9th.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Veneziano
AA: TBD
Hi-A: DeTaeye
Lo-A: Morales
Five Years Ago Yesterday
Round Rock’s Yerry Rodriguez threw two scoreless innings in his second relief outing after being a starter to that point. At the time, I couldn’t say whether the move was related to a change in role or just workload, but he looked good and I was fine with the change. In the 9th, Down East’s Luisangel Acuna reached on an infield single, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored the game-ending run on a Thomas Saggese single.