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Road To Arlington: Rangers Minor League Report (6/27)

Triple-A: @ Oklahoma City 2, Round Rock 1

The Lizard (4-6; 4.81) held the weak-hitting Express to a run on four hits through six innings, fanning eight along the way as the RedHawks posted their sixth straight victory to move within 1.5 games of the PCL American South division lead.

SS Joaquin Arias (.259 / .287 / .293), who went 2-for-3 with a walk and his 14th theft of the year, delivered the game winning RBI with a sixth-inning single to plate LF Steve Murphy (.265 / .340 / .422) who went 2-for-2 and drew a base on balls.

Il Duque followed Lizard with a hitless seventh, walking one and fanning two. He has not allowed a hit or a run in two appearances, one inning apiece, fanning four since joining the RedHawks.

Double-A: Corpus Christi 10, Frisco 3

The Hooks got to RHP Blake Beavan (0-1; 6.48) for nine runs, six earned, on eight hits and a pair of walks before Beavan could get out of the fifth.

RF Mitch Moreland (.309 / .348 / .455) tripled, walked and was hit by a pitch in four trips while DH Chad Tracy drove in one in a 2-for-4 outing.

LHP Zach Phillips made his Texas League debut, holding Corpus Christi scoreless on five hits and three walks over the final 4.2 frames.

Advanced-A: @ High Desert 3, Bakersfield 1

RHP Ryan Tatusko (1-2; 3.68) suffered the loss in spite of giving the Blaze a quality start, allowing three runs on five hits, a walk, two HBPs and a wild pitch through 6.2 innings.

CF Engel Beltre (.225 / .272 / .317) went 2-for-4 with triple from the top of the Bakersfield order.

Class-A: @ Hickory 4, Kannapolis 3 (12 Innings)

My man SS Leury “Furcalito” Garcia (.279 / .309 / .327) capped a 2-for-5 outing with a two-out, two-run triple in the home half of the 12th to give the Crawdads their second walkoff victory over the Intimidators in as many days.

RHP Wilfredo Boscan (2.00 ERA) rebounded from his lone rough outing of the year eight days ago with five shutdown frames to begin the game. The unofficial ERA leader in the Sally League (he’s a few innings short of qualifying) allowed four hits and fanned two without issuing a base on balls.

Sally League All-Star 1B Erik Morrison (.329 / .401 / .595) homered, doubled and drew a pair of walks in five trips .

Short Season-A: @ Everett 5, Spokane 1

Burleson native LHP Matt Thompson made his 2009 debut, allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk through three innings, punching out three along the way. RHP Justin King followed with three shutout innings, fanning five while allowing one run and walking one.

1B Clark Murphy doubled in a 2-for-4 outing, giving Spokane it’s only multi-hit performance.

Rookie: Rangers 6 @ Padres 3

Starter LHP Edwin Escobar (2.25 ERA) — who turned 17 in April (yeah…seven-freakin-teen) — worked the first three, limiting the Padres to a run on three hits while fanning four. The Venezuelan was signed by the Rangers for $350K last July.

When Escobar first appeared on the radar of MLB scouts, he was known as Vicente Escobar. In the months before the international signing date last summer, the lithe 6’2″ southpaw was reportedly sitting at 90 mph with good command. His cousin Alcides Escobar is a well-regarded 22 year old shortstop prospect playing for Triple-A Nashville. Basball America ranked him the top prospect in the Milwaukee system this year.

The Rangers scored their six runs on five singles and a triple by 1B Taylor Vail, a 2009 40th rounder from a California JUCO, who went 1-for-3 with a walk to drive in two. RF Guillermo Pimentel drove in one and scored twice in a 1-for-5 outing.

RHP Ovispo De Los Santos, a 21 year old who spent two seasons in the DSL before finally ascending to the AZL last year for six appearances, earned the victory with a pair of hitless, scoreless innings, walking two and fanning two.

RHP Justin Jamison, a 6’8″ righty from an Ohio high school selected in the 13th round of the 2009 draft, made his pro debut with a perfect inning, fanning one.