Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (7/19)

Triple-A: @ Round Rock 5, Oklahoma City 2

Just how large is the gap between the quality of pitching in Triple-A and the Majors?

Facing off against Astros prospect LHP Polin Trinidad (1.66 ERA; .185 opponent’s average), 3B Chris Davis (.405 / .458 / .762) suggested that the gap must be huge, going 2-for-4 with a double and a dinger, both off of Trinidad.

A fourth-inning error by 1B Justin Smoak led to two unearned runs for RHP Willie Moscoso (3-2; 1.13) who suffered the loss in spite of a solid, if inefficient, performance holding the Express to one earned on six hits and a walk, fanning nine, but needed 115 pitches to get through 6, an unacceptable 19.17 pitches per inning.

Double-A: Frisco 4 @ Corpus Christi 3

The Riders got another outstanding effort from LHP Kasey Kiker (6-5; 2.78) who held the Hooks to three runs on five hits, a pair of walks and an HBP while fanning five. Kiker needed just 96 pitches to get through seven frames (13.71 P/IP), and 63 were strikes.

Behind 3-1 going into the seventh, Frisco rallied for three runs in their half of the frame. 2B Marcus Lemon (.296 / .361 / .362) delivering a decisive blow with a two-run single to highlight his 2-for-4 performance.

Red hot 1B Chad Tracy (.259 / .311 / .440 overall; .345 / .375 / .741 in July) doubled and hit his 15th homer of the year in a 3-for-4 outing. 3B Johnny Whittleman went 0-for-3 with a walk, scoring once.

Look out for RHP Pedro Strop (5.19 ERA), who seems to have suddenly harnessed his somewhat scary stuff. And it really, really needed harnessing. He remains unscored upon in five July appearances after two perfect frames last night, fanning two.

Advanced-A: @ Bakersfield 5, Visalia 4 (10 Innings)

1B Ian Gac (.236 / .295 / .464) led off the bottom of the tenth with his 16th home run of the year, capping a 2-for-4 outing that included a walk and giving the Blaze a walkoff victory.

Bakersfield starter RHP Jared Hyatt (7.17 ERA) went 5.1 innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits and a walk, fanning four. LHP Corey Young (2.29 ERA) allowed a hit, a walk and struck out one in 1.2 innings of relief.

Class-A: @ Savannah 5, Hickory 2

The Crawdads were held to two runs on just two hits in support of starter RHP Wilfredo Boscan (4-5; 3.34) who allowed four runs, three earned, on seven hits and a walk, fanning two in four innings. RHP Fabio Castillo (2.60 ERA) blanked the Sand Gnats over the next two innings, fanning one without allowing a hit.

Short Season-A: @ Spokane 7, Everett 1

Spokane gave the start to an alumnus of Everett Community College, 15th rounder RHP Keith Campbell (0.00 ERA) who is off to a strong start to his pro career. After holding the Aqua Sox to one unearned run on three hits in three innings yesterday, Campbell has fanned seven and walked one through seven scoreless innings this year.

Campbell gave way to 2009 fourth rounder RHP Andrew Doyle (1-0; 0.00) who fanned three over the next two frames, blanking Everett on two hits and no walks. Nineteen year old LHP Geuris Grullon (6.57 ERA) followed Doyle, fanning five while allowing two hits and two walks in two innings of work.

1B Jared Prince (.282 / .378 / .479), the Rangers 34th rounder in the 2009 draft, delivered the decisive blow for the Indians with a sixth-inning grand slam in a 1-for-4 outing, his third big fly of the year.

DH Vin DiFazio (.318 / .430 / .591) went 4-for-4 with a walk, driving in two runs.

Rookie: Off