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Road To Arlington: Rangers Minor League Report (7/9)

Vin DiFazio at Bama

Every year after the draft, I try to identify one late-rounder who for some reason or other I choose to just flat out root for — deliberately choose to be totally unobjective about — and this year that guy is 12th rounder Vin DiFazio.

A catcher from the University of Alabama, DiFazio grew up in Jersey and lost his uncle Vin — a baseball mentor — in the World Trade Center attacks of September 11, 2001. He went to the University of Connecticut for a year, transferred to a JUCO in Florida and then moved on to Bama where he spent three years, two of which were marred by injuries including a torn meniscus which then spawned a strange neurological disorder that cost him the entire 2007 season and most of the 2008 season.

This spring, DiFazio hit .329 / .421 / .593 for the Tide and Rangers area scout Jeff Wood was paying attention.

DiFazio has a reputation as an enthusiastic, energetic leader and in reading a few stories about him, it’s clear that nobody is going to appreciate the opportunity to play pro baseball any more than DiFazio will. And so far, he’s making Jeff Wood look like a genius.

Triple-A: Off

Double-A: Off

Advanced-A: @ Bakersfield 10, Modesto 7

DH Mauro Gomez (.2266 / .321 / .493) went 3-for-3 with his 12th homer of the year and an RBI sac fly to drive in four overall as the Blaze took a slugfest from the Nuts.

2B Matt Lawson (.287 / .335 / .416) slammed his ninth dinger of the season, had a sacrifice and an RBI sac fly in four plate appearances while 3B Jonathan Greene (.263 / .340 / .470) doubled twice and walked once in four trips.

Bakersfield starter LHP Tim Murphy (6.47 ERA) gave up six runs on nine hits through five and RHP Dustin Brader (3-0; 5.14) picked up the victory, allowing one hit — a solo homer — and fanning two in 2.2 innings of relief.

Class-A: Lake County 8 @ Hickory 4

Five days after fanning nine and walking none in five innings of work, RHP Joe Wieland (2-1; 3.50) walked three and fanned none in five innings during which he surrendered three runs on six hits.

C Doug Hogan (.228 / .301 / .537) went 2-for-4 with a homer and 1B Jared Bolden (.238 / .330 / .275) tripled, walked and stole a base in four trips.

RHP Fabio Castillo (2.56 ERA) allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits and no walks, striking out three in 2.2 innings of relief.

Short Season-A: @ Spokane 11, Vancouver 2

Spokane starter RHP Trevor Hurley (1-0; 4.67) limited the Canadiens to a pair of runs while scattering ten hits and a walk over five innings and got monster support from his lineup, led by RF Miguel Velazquez (.400 / .409 / .650) who homered in a 2-for-4 outing to drive in three.

2009 12th rounder DH Vin DiFazio (.339 / .457 / .679) went 4-for-5 with a double, scoring twice while 2B Danny Lima (.333 / .373 / .396) drove in three runs with a 3-for-4 outing that included a double.

Talented but erratic LHP Geuris Grullon (4.82 ERA) fanned four and allowed two hits in two scoreless innings of relief.

Rookie: Off

Dominican Summer League Note:

RHP Randol Javier Rojas (4-0; 0.89), an 18 year old righty from Venezuela, extended his scoreless streak to 22 innings with six shutdown frames yesterday.

Though he’s only struck out 31 in 40.2 innings of work this year, he’s limited opponents to just 27 base hits and allowed only two walks. And over his most recent 12 innings of work, he’s fanned 16.