The reason for all the hype around Mauer is quite simple: good catchers are hard to come by, and a truly great catcher, like Mauer, can be once in a generation. Which helps to explain why only one catcher in the last 32 years — the Rangers’ own Ivan Rodriguez in 1999 — has earned an MVP award in either league (though that could  change in a month if Mauer is named A.L. MVP, as expected). It’s also why rookie catcher Matt Wieters, who the normally conservative PECOTA system pegged for a .949 OPS this year, received a standing ovation as he approached the plate for his first major league at-bat back in May.

There just aren’t many guys that can withstand six month’s worth of beatings behind the plate and still crank out a hit or two per game. So when Texas traded Gerald Laird, a solid starting catcher with two controllable years left, because they seemingly had too much catching last December, quite a few teams looked on in envy. The parting was mutual: Laird wanted a chance to be “the man” behind the plate, and the Rangers were ready to show off a deep farm system that boasted prospects like Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Taylor Teagarden, and Max Ramirez, as well as Tomas Telis, Manny Pina, and Leonel De Los Santos at the lower levels of the minors. But less than a year later, things aren’t so rosy. After a season in which none of their young catchers established themselves at the big league level, the Rangers have been left to wonder if their future backstop is even on the current roster.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia

Past

Jarrod Saltalamacchia entered the season as Laird’s heir apparent because, despite being younger than both Teagarden and Ramirez, Saltalamacchia had more than five times as many major league at-bats as the other two combined. One of the key components of the Mark Teixeira trade in 2007, Saltalamacchia was touted as a switch hitter with rare power for a catcher. In 1405 career minor league at-bats, Salty showed solid power (48 homers), a good eye (197 walks), and a slightly concerning strikeout rate (324 Ks). Though he didn’t appear to be a threat for any batting titles and his defense was still a work in progress, his 6’4″, 235 pound frame suggested that he could continue to add power to his stroke and draw 50-70 walks a year.

Present

While parts of that scouting report were visible in the 2009 version of Salty, he certainly wasn’t the player the Rangers expected this season. At the plate, he seemed to seriously regress from 2008. Some pointed to a high strikeout rate (97 Ks in 283 ABs) as a major source of his problems, but oddly, Saltalamacchia actually improved his K rate, striking out once every 2.92 at-bats versus once every 2.67 at-bats in ’08. The most obvious factors in Saltalamacchia’s offensive regression were a major drop in walks and a plummeting BAbip. Despite 85 more at-bats in 2009, Salty actually drew nine fewer walks than he did last year, failing to fluff his fledgling batting average like he did in 2008.

But the biggest culprit could be a short run of luck, as his BAbip (batting average on balls in play) dropped 65 points from last season. Batting average on balls in play is, quite simply, a player’s batting average on any ball put in play except home runs, since the defense can’t track down a ball that leaves the park. Mostly, it’s a stat that’s used to gauge if a player is getting lucky by having a lot of bloopers and dribblers fall in for base hits.

An average BAbip is about .290. In 2008, Saltalamacchia’s BAbip was .385. Not only is that high, it’s considered unsustainable, so a drop was expected and, frankly, statistically probable. This year, Salty had a BAbip of .320, which is still above average but much closer to the mean. Consequently, he saw a 20 point drop in his batting average which, combined with a lack of walks, led to a 62 point drop in on-base percentage. Some players get by with consistently high BAbip’s as a result of hitting the ball on the screws nearly every time. The aforementioned Mauer, for example, had a BAbip of .373 this season and a .344 mark for his career. But those players are the exception, not the rule that Saltalamacchia appears to be a part of.

On the bright side, Saltalamacchia took tremendous strides defensively, improving his caught stealing percentage from 18.4 percent in 2008 to 23.8 percent in 2009. That number is still below the MLB average of around 27 percent, but it’s much closer. He also reduced his errors from nine a year ago to seven this season, as well as passed balls from six to two despite logging 250 more innings behind the plate. Most importantly, his CERA (catcher’s ERA) dropped from 5.14 in ’08 to 4.08 in ’09. It’s important to note that at least a part of that decrease was due to improved defense by the Rangers, but it was obvious that he had a much better handle the pitching staff than last year.

Future

Saltalamacchia is still only 24-years-old and he showed flashes of his power potential with nine homers in 2009. He also slightly improved his strikeout ratio and took significant strides defensively, although that’s not saying much considering where he was a year ago. But, as it doesn’t appear that he’ll ever make enough contact to be a .300 hitter, Saltalamacchia’s going to have to continue to grow into his power and absolutely must increase his walk totals and cut down on the Ks. The defense, though better, was still below average in many respects. He’s a work in progress, but he’s still got plenty of tools to work with.

Taylor Teagarden

Past

When the Rangers snagged Taylor Teagarden in the 3rd round of the 2005 amateur draft, it looked like they had gotten a steal. Teagarden was widely regarded as a 1st or 2nd round talent coming out of the University of Texas, and he backed it up by mashing Northwest League pitching to the tune of .281/.426/.635 in 96 at-bats in his pro debut. After missing almost all of the 2006 season following Tommy John surgery, Teagarden continued his impressive tear through the minors by smoking the Cal League (.315/.448/.606) for 81 games, and keeping it going for double-A Frisco (.294/.357/.529) for another 29 contests. Teagarden seemed to have all of the best and worst qualities of Saltalamacchia, multiplied. He struck out 249 times in just 756 minor league at-bats, but countered that with plenty of power (43 homers) and an impeccable eye (143 walks).

Present

The problem for Teagarden was that he brought all the bad and forgot the good. In 2009, Teagarden  struck out once every 2.605 at-bats, which was just a tick worse than Chris Davis. I’ll let that sink in for a minute…

He showed decent power, but nothing particularly noteworthy, as he homered six times in 198 at-bats. He also failed to show the discipline that earned him so many walks in the minors. Teagarden had one of the lowest contact percentages in baseball, making contact with only 62 percent of the pitches he swung at last year. By contrast, Saltalamacchia had a contact percentage of 71 percent, and Michael Young was at 80 percent.

Defensively, Teagarden was much more successful than Salty at throwing out runners, owning an excellent caught stealing rate of 38.3 percent, well above league average. He did, however, have have three more passed balls and only one fewer error than Saltalamacchia in over 200 fewer innings. His CERA of 4.56 was also about half a run higher.

Future

Teagarden got the short end of the stick in many regards this year. His playing time was sparse and inconsistent, and he was assigned the unenviable task of taking on a tired, overachieving rotation when Saltalamacchia went down for the season. When he was drafted, many thought Teagarden was ML-ready defensively. Although his defense may have been better than Saltalamacchia’s in 2009, the difference was fairly negligible. And while Teagarden was never expected to be a good offensive catcher, hitting .217 and striking out 40 percent of the time obviously isn’t going to cut it. At this point, Teagarden could still turn into a solid defensive catcher with a little pop, but his offensive upside appears to be significantly limited.

Ivan Rodriguez

Past

Pudge’s past is full of goodies: 14 All-Star appearances, 13 Gold Gloves, seven Silver Sluggers, a World Series title, and an already mentioned A.L. MVP award. His more recent past, however, doesn’t look so nice. Pudge’s offensive skills have been, understandably, on the decline since mid-decade. Prior to this season, Pudge had four straight years of a sub-.800 OPS, and his .276 average last year was his lowest since 1993.

Present

The fact that Pudge laid claim to the record for most games caught in baseball history this year is a testament to his durability and toughness, but also to just what a beating his body has taken for nearly two decades. At the plate, 2009 was the worst year for Rodriguez since his second big league campaign back in 1992, posting a season .664 OPS. He was quick to rekindle old chemistry when Houston traded him to Texas, going 10 for his first 29 with 5 doubles and a homer to start his Ranger revival. But Rodriguez was dreadful the rest of the way, hitting .203 with a .515 OPS over the final month and not even playing in any of the Rangers’ last four games.

Pudge’s offensive woes were the result of a line drive percentage of 16 and a strikeout percentage of 20.5, both easily career worsts. Essentially, that means Rodriguez wasn’t putting the ball in play as much as in years past, and when he was, he was making weak contact more often. Unless there was  some major unknown injury he was battling through, both of those stats appear to be the result of age and wear, things that certainly won’t get better with time.

He’s still a threat behind the plate, throwing out 6 of 13 would-be base stealers while with the Rangers, and an excellent 35 percent overall for the season. Obviously, he’s not the defensive catcher he was ten or fifteen years ago, but even at 37, runners take heed to whose in the chest protector. His CERA was the highest of all regular Rangers catchers at 4.88, but a portion of that could be attributed to unfamiliarity and pitcher fatigue.

Future

After an ugly late-season run with the Yankees in 2008, Pudge needed an outstanding showing at the World Baseball Classic last spring just to earn a tryout with the Astros. The result was another significant step back in his production in ’09. From preliminary reports, it seems as though both sides remain interested in a possible reunion next year, presumably because Rodriguez lacks options and the Rangers remain uncertain in their catching situation. But the truth is the Rangers should be able to get out of Teagarden and Saltalamacchia what they could get out of Pudge, or at least they better hope so. And with a number of prospects becoming eligible for the Rule V draft, the Rangers might need the space on the 40-man roster.

Max Ramirez

AP Photo

Past

He’s probably one of the easiest names of the ’07 deadline haul to forget amidst guys like Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison, and David Murphy. But ever since Max Ramirez first picked up a bat, all he’s done is hit. Starting with two years in rookie ball as a 19- and 20-year-old, Ramirez hit .314 with 16 homers and 50 walks in 443 at-bats. He started 2007 with the advanced-A Kinston Indians and switched to the Bakersfield Blaze mid-season after the Rangers acquired him for Kenny Lofton. But it wasn’t until 2008 that he absolutely broke out, posting a .354/.450/.646 line with 17 homers and 37 walks in just 243 at-bats during his first stint at double-A, earning a prompt promotion to triple-A Oklahoma City. Since then, however, he hasn’t quite been the same.

Present

After his call-up to Oklahoma City, Ramirez posted a .725 OPS in 10 games with the RedHawks before making the jump to the big leagues, where he posted a nearly identical .715 OPS in 17 appearances. A strong winter league showing didn’t seem to help Ramirez’s 2009 campaign, which was a struggle from the onset, marred by a wrist sprain that hampered him all season. Ramirez started out very slowly, and after a DL stint and a very brief rehab assignment in the Arizona League, he started making small progress. But his final line in ’09 was nowhere near where we’re used to seeing from him, going .234/.323/.336 with just five homers in 274 at-bats.

Defense has been a major question mark for Ramirez since his acquisition, with most experts projecting him as a DH or 1B at the ML level. Quite simply, his defense doesn’t quite stack up for a catcher by major league standards, and the Rangers have struggled to find a position that suits his glove any better. But, if he can get his bat back to where it was for Frisco in 2008, Texas would put him where ever they had to to get him at-bats.

Future

The lingering questions about his defense took a back seat to offensive concerns in 2009, but it seems a nagging wrist injury had as much to do with Ramirez’s struggles this year as anything physically or psychologically wrong with his approach. Ramirez will have a chance to return to form in 2010, but having just turned 25-years-old on October 11, he’s starting to outgrow the “prospect” label. If Ramirez can’t put it together next year, he’ll be treading dangerously close to Jason Botts territory.

On the last day of the minor league season, RHP Brian Corey (7-9; 5.34) came within one out of getting his first complete game of the season, but a two out error in the 9th and a pitch count of 112, gave RHP Josh Rupe the opportunity to get a one out save. Corey went 8.2 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk before Joaquin Arias’ fielding blunder forced him from the game.

LF Casey Benjamin (.231/.349/.341) finished the season strong, going 4-5 with a homer, three RBI, and his third stolen base of the season. The bottom four hitters for Oklahoma City — CF Greg Golson, 3B Travis Metcalf, RF Jared Bolden, and 2B Adam Fox — all singled once in four trips to the plate. C Max Ramirez (.234/.323/.336) walked, singled, and stole a base.

Double-A: @Midland 3, Frisco 0

Save for one inning, LHP Martin Perez (1-3; 5.57) made a very successful final start of the year, going six innings and surrendering three runs on five hits while not walking a batter. But Perez gave up a pair of singles and a triple to lead off the 2nd inning which led to all three Midland runs. In his other five innings of work, Perez shut the RockHounds out on two hits and two Ks.

1B Chad Tracy (.279/.333/.488) slugged a pair of singles to account for half of Frisco’s hit total, with RF Guilder Rodriguez also singling and LF Dustin Majewski doubling. DH Jonathan Greene’s (.172/.258/.397) rough first stint at double-A didn’t end well, with Greene earning a Golden Sombrero.

Advanced-A: @Bakersfield 3, Rancho Cucamonga 2

LHP Tim Murphy (10-10; 6.80) pieced together his second straight strong start, going seven innings and allowing two runs on six hits and two walks. LHP Richard Bleier and RHP Tyler Tufts each followed with a scoreless inning of relief.

The offense wasted little time in getting Murphy run support. 2B Matt Lawson (.293/.350/.418) tripled to lead off the 1st and SS Davis Stoneburner (.273/.333/.404) followed with a two-run homer. 1B Ian Gac (.238/.295/.468) provided the other run with a 2nd inning solo homer.

Low-A: @Kannapolis 4, Hickory 1

RHP Jacob Brigham (2-11; 5.52) picked up his 11th loss despite not allowing an earned run in 4.1 innings. Two unearned runs came across on Brigham’s ledger, who also surrendered three hits and four walks while fanning four. RHP Carlos Pimentel (5-4; 2.93) allowed a lone hit in 2.2 innigs of relief, but LHP Yoon-Hee Nam (9-1; 3.77) gave up two runs — one earned — in one inning.

2B Andres James, 3B Matt West, and 1B Ed Koncel all doubled, with Koncel scoring Hickory’s only run on a passed ball in the 6th. The Crawdad’s only other hit came from SS Leury Garcia, who was 1-3. CF Aja Barto became the second Ranger minor leaguer of the day to go 0-4 with 4 Ks.

RHP Elizardo Ramirez (9-11; 4.63) ended his season on a sour note, going five innings and allowing five earned runs on nine hits and two walks. The bulk of the trouble came in the first, when Ramirez gave up a pair of singles and a two-out walk to load the bases for Brian Barden, who knocked it out to give Memphis an early 4-0 lead. RHP Mike Wood came on in relief and improved his infinite ERA with two perfect innings, during which he fanned three. Wood’s only other appearance saw him allow two runs without recording an out.

CF Greg Golson (.258/.299/.344) managed the RedHawk’s only extra base hit, tripling to lead off the second and scoring their only run. 1B Royce Huffman (.297/.382/.411) and RF Jared Bolden (.375/.444/.563) both went 2-4 with a pair of singles, and the team’s only RBI came from C Zach Zaneski at the bottom of the order.

Double-A: Frisco 6 @ Midland 2

LHP Michael Ballard (7-6; 3.71) won his third straight start after going seven strong innings Sunday. Ballard surrendered a run on seven hits and a walk, and despite the fact that he recorded 21 outs, it was his shortest effort since August 12. Ballard finished the regular season with four very strong starts, posting a 0.91 ERA over 29.2 innings while allowing just 23 hits.

The offense struggled through the first four innings, managing just two base runners in their first 15 batters. But 2B Guilder Rodriguez (.267/.332/.322) got his big night going in the 5th, as he went 3-4 with a triple and three RBI for the game. C Chris Gradoville (.227/.253/.271) double twice and drove in a run of his own, while 1B Chad Tracy (.277/.332/.488) tried to break out of a recent slump with two hits in five at bats.

Advanced-A: @Bakersfield 4, Rancho Cucamonga 1

The pitcher-by-committee approach Bakersfield took to this game worked perfectly, as RHP Kennil Gomez (8-10; 5.27) started things out with a perfect 1st, striking out two Quakes. RHP Michael Main followed with two more shutout innings, giving him four scoreless frames in the Cal League since returning from a mystery illness a week ago. But the win, deservedly, went to RHP Dustin Brader (4-0; 5.49) who went four scoreless, giving up just three hits and a walk.

The offensive player of the game was DH Mike Bianucci (.232/.290/.515), who belted two solo home runs in four at bats. Bianucci, who has homered in three straight games, now has 15 big flies in just 194 Cal League at bats struggling with strikeouts (69) and hits that don’t clear the wall (30). SS Jacob Kaase (.266/.285/.367) and LF Erik Morrison (.321/.406/.536) both singled, doubled, and scored a run on the night, but 1B Mauro Gomez (.286/.334/.537), who went 7-9 with 11 RBI in his last two games, was hitless.

Low-A: Hickory 7 @ Kannapolis 3

RHP Wilmer Font (8-3; 3.49) broke out of his recent pitching slump with a more familiar performance, going five innings and striking out six while allowing three hits and walking no one. Both runs Font surrendered were unearned. RHP Mark Hamburger (2-9; 4.75) pitched a pair of perfect innings in relief, although RHP Andrew Doyle struggled again, allowing a run on three hits in the 8th.

The offensive burden was shared pretty equally among the Crawdads, with CF Aja Barto standing out by going 3-4 with a solo homer and a walk. RF Eric Fry (.261/.339/.430) also had a good game, getting on base four times and driving in two runs on a double and a sac fly.

Short-season: @Spokane 11, Yakima 2

Spokane’s last game of the year was backed by the excellent pitching of  RHP Trevor Hurley (7-2; 3.36), who allowed two runs on three hits in seven innings. He also stuck out 10 batters. RHP Johnny Gunter (1-4; 4.94) was even better in relief, recording six straight outs to finish the game, three by way of the K.

C Tomas Telis (.400/.400/.750) nailed his second homer in just seven games for Spokane after getting just two in 46 games for the Rangers’ rookie club in the Arizona League. Telis also singled to make him one of four Indians with two hits in the game, with the others being LF Jason Ogata, 2B Daniel Lima, and 3B Edward Martinez. Lima and Martinez each had a pair of RBI, while Ogata knocked in a single run with a 4th ining triple.

Game 1 – @Memphis 7, Oklahoma City 2  F/7

RHP Brian Gordon (7-3; 3.49) was roughed up for five runs on six hits and a walk in just four innings. LHP Mike Hinckley (1-1; 3.26) finished the game off with two unremarkable innings, allowing three hits, a walk, and two earned runs while striking out three.

SS Joaquin Arias and 1B Royce Huffman each walked and singled in four plate appearances, and Arias stole a pair of bases and scored on a wild pitch in the 3rd. RF Jared Bolden got Oklahoma City’s lone RBI with his first triple-A homer in the 7th inning.

Game 2 – @Memphis 5, Oklahoma City 3  F/7

The nightcap wasn’t much more successful with LHP Chris Cooper making his first start for the RedHawks, going 4.1 innings and letting four runs score on seven hits. RHP Jailen Peguero (0-1; 3.86) fared a bit better, allowing a run in 1.2 frames while striking out two.

DH Justin Leone (.211/.318/.474) was the offensive star of the game, driving in all of Oklahoma City’s runs with a three-run homer in the 4th. SS Casey Benjamin (.221/.344/.324) went 2-3 with a pair of singles and a run scored, and 2B Adam Fox (.194/.242/.290) tried to boost his fledgling average with a double in three at bats.

Double-A: @Midland 4, Frisco 3

RHP Danny Gutierrez, just acquired from the Royals for Manny Pina and Tim Smith, made a very solid RoughRiders debut. Gutierrez needed 84 pitches to work through five innings, allowing just three hits, two runs, no walks, and fanning three. LHP Zach Phillips (0-0; 1.60) took over for Gutierrez, surrendering a run in three innings from the pen, but RHP Clayton Hamilton (1-4; 4.47) couldn’t get through the 9th, allowing a two-out homer to end the game.

Frisco got its runs on a pair of homers. RF Steven Murphy belted a two-run shot in the 4th but struck out in his three other at bats, and 3B Jonathan Greene followed in the 5th with a solo blast. Greene also singled.

Advanced-A: @Bakersfield 8, Rancho Cucamonga 4
RHP Tanner Roark (10-0; 2.70) may not have much else to prove in the hitter friendly Cal League. Roark fired off seven masterful innings, shutting the Quakes out on five hits, a walk, and 11 strikeouts. Roark now has eight wins in his last nine appearances and has earned a win in six consecutive starts. For the season, he’s struck out 91 batters in 86.1 innings while holding Cal League opponents to a .217 average. All of Rancho Cucamonga’s runs came across against LHP Glenn Swanson (1-1; 3.12), who tossed a rough 8th inning, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks.

DH Mauro Gomez (.288/.336/.542) was a one-man wrecking crew for the second straight night, going 3-4 with a homer and six RBI. His combined numbers over his last two games are as follows: 7-9 with a double, a triple, three homers, and 11 RBI. He turns 25 tomorrow.

LF Mike Bianucci also homered, and CF David Paisano drove in Bakersfield’s second run with a double in the 2nd inning.

Low-A: @Kannapolis 10, Hickory 3

A game that started well for RHP Joe Wieland (4-6; 5.31) turned ugly quickly in the 5th. Wieland shut Kannapolis out for three frames before allowing his first run in the 4th inning. But in the 5th, the Intimidators led the inning off with a triple, a single, and a homer before Wieland could get a pair of groundouts to seemingly curb the damage. But a two-out error by SS Leury Garcia opened the floodgates, as Wieland allowed the next three batters he faced to reach before getting pulled. His replacement, RHP Fabio Castillo, walked the first batter he faced and then hit Lee Fischer before giving up a bases clearing double.

Of Hickory’s six hits, two came from 2B Andres James (.272/.287/.347), and two more came from 3B Matt West (.234/.338/.335), who also had the Crawdads’ only two RBI. In addition to his costly fielding error, SS Leury Garcia went 0-4 with 4 Ks.

Short-season: Yakima 5 @ Spokane 2

RHP Ben Henry (2-5; 6.04) surrendered four hits and three walks in 4.1 innings which led to 3 Yakima runs, although none of them were earned. Henry managed to strike out six batters. RHP Reinier Bermudez (1-2; 1.67) followed with a strange 2.2 inning stint of his own, allowing three hits and a walk, but recording six of his eight outs via the K.

RF Jared Prince (.287/.390/.426) belted a two-run homer in the 3rd to account for all of Spokane’s offense. CF Joey Bonadonna and C Alberto Puello each had a single and a double to go with a walk.

RHP Kris Benson (4-5; 5.24) was the sacrificial lamb last night, needing 120 pitches to get the eight inning complete game. Benson allowed five runs on twelve hits and two walks while striking out five batters.

LF Jared Bolden, in his second game up from Hickory, got his first hits in triple-A by singling twice in four trips. CF Greg Golson (.260/.302/.344) was 1-4 with a double, the RedHawks’ only extra base hit, while 1B Royce Huffman (.296/.380/.413) got a single, walk, and RBI. He also stole his fifth base of the season.

Double-A: @Frisco 4, Corpus Christi 1

RHP Omar Poveda (11-5; 4.07) was the second Ranger minor leaguer to throw a complete game, but his went a little better than Benson’s. Poveda surrendered only five hits, and the one run that came home was unearned. He didn’t walk a batter, struck out seven Hooks, and only needed 106 pitches to get 27 outs.

1B Chad Tracy (.276/.332/.489) was a perfect 1-1 with two walks, doubling and driving in a run on a sacrafice fly. 2B Marcus Lemon (.269/.333/.342) was 3-4 with a triple from the leadoff spot. LF Guilder Rodriguez, 3B Jonathan Greene, DH Johnny Whittleman, and SS Renny Osuna all got a hit, with Osuna driving in a run with a 1st inning double.

Advanced-A: @Bakersfield 15, Rancho Cucamonga 9

In a typically high-scoring Cal League game, RHP Ryan Tatusko (7-6; 4.64) got roughed up for six runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks. LHP Ryan Falcon (2-2; 2.44) allowed a two-run blast in 1.1 innings and RHP Justin Miller (1-1; 2.35) gave up a run on a hit and a walk in one frame.

The offense exploded for 15 runs on 15 hits, with the top six hitters combining for all the runs batted in and five of the top six getting multiple hits. DH Mauro Gomez (.284/.333/.534) was the star of the night, going 4-5 with a double, a triple, and a pair of homers to go with five RBI. 1B Ian Gac (.240/.298/.466) doubled twice, homered, and walked in five trips while driving in three runs, and LF Mike Bianucci (.226/.286/.473) had a three-run homer of his own to go with a walk.

Low-A: Hickory 2 @ Kannapolis 1  F/10

RHP Wilfredo Boscan (6-8; 3.59) was strong despite failing to fan a single Kannapolis hitter in six innings. Boscan gave up a lone run on four hits was outdueled by the Intimidator’s Stephen Sauer, who shut out Hickory for six innings. RHP Jorge Quintero (3-0; 1.38) got the win with three scoreless frames, allowing two hits and a walk.

The Crawdads managed just five hits, all singles, and got their first run across on a wild pitch in the 8th. LF Michael Hollander (.247/.313/.323) and CF Aja Barto (.174/.208/.196) picked up four of Hickory’s hits, each going 2-4 but neither scoring or driving in a run. 3B Matt West (.231/.336/.332) got the lone RBI, going 1-4 with a single and a walk.

Short-season: @Spokane 3, Yakima 0

RHP Braden Tullis (4-3; 3.04) started the shutout for Spokane, going five scoreless frames of four hit, one walk baseball. LHP Joseph Ortiz (2-0; 2.95) and RHP Kyle Ocampo (2-2; 5.02) completed it with a pair of shutout innings each.

DH Tomas Telis (.417/.417/.750) had a breakout night for Spokane, doubling and homering for his first extra base hits as a member of the Northwest League. 3B Edward Martinez (.225/.275/.255) went 2-3 with a double and a walk. 1B Michael Ortiz, 2B Daniel Lima, and C Billy O’Conner all had 1-3 nights.

RHP Luis Mendoza (6-7; 4.53) was a bit wild, walking four and giving up seven hits in 6.2 innings, but he was effective in the end, allowing only three runs and fanning six. LHP A.J. Murray (2-2; 3.28) and RHP Josh Rupe (5-7; 6.78) combined for 3.1 innings of hitless relief, with Rupe earning the win.

CF Greg Golson, SS Casey Benjamin, and 1B Royce Huffman each smacked a single from the top three spots in the lineup, with Benjamin and Huffman walking as well. C Max Ramirez (.235/.322/.340) homered in the second and knocked in another run with an 8th inning sac fly to tie the game. Ramirez drew an intentional walk with one out in the 10th and Casey Benjamin at second, and 3B Travis Metcalf (.235/.333/.441) brought Benjamin home with his second single of the night.

Double-A: @Frisco 3, Corpus Christi 2

RHP Blake Beaven allowed seven base runners in 3.1 innings, but it was the weather that ultimately cut his night short. The only run that came around to score on Beaven’s six hits and one walk allowed was a solo blast in the 3rd inning by Corpus CF Nick Moresi.  Then the rain came, stopping play for nearly an hour and a half and knocking out both starters.

LHP Beau Jones (2-4; 4.53) came in for 2.2 impressive frames, allowing only a solo homer and striking out four. RHP Beau Vaughan (3-0; 2.35) pitched a perfect 9th for the save.

3B Jonathan Greene (.152/.259/.370), who entered the game 1 for his last 15, was 2-4 with a double. 1B Chad Tracy (.274/.329/.486) didn’t get a hit but drew two walks, including one in the bottom of the 6th that was followed immediately with a two-run homer by DH Johnny Whittleman (.229/.350/.370) to give Friso the lead for good.

Advanced-A: @Stockton 7, Bakersfield 5

LHP Richard Bleier (7-11; 4.54) was nearly flawless through four innings, allowing just two hits and facing only 13 batters to record 12 outs. But the 5th inning quickly turned into a nightmare. After a leadoff single, the next two Stockton hitters reached on errors, followed by a double, a single, and two more errors. In total, four of the six runs the Ports scored in the inning were unearned. Bleier tossed one more inning, putting his final line a six innings, six hits, six hits, two earned.

3B Tommy Mendonca, SS Davis Stoneburner, and 1B Mauro Gomez all managed two-hit nights, with Gomez knocking one of Bakersfield’s two extra base hits on the night. DH Ian Gac (.234/.292/.450) also doubled in four trips.

Low-A: Greensboro 7 @ Hickory 3

RHP Neil Ramirez (3-6; 4.75), who was nearly unhittable with a 2.86 ERA in the month of August, started September off on a bad note.  Ramirez only lasted four innings, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five. LHP Yoon-Hee Nam (9-1; 3.71) continued his recent rough stretch with two runs on three hits and three walks in two innings. Nam has surrendered 10 runs in his last 10.1 innings.

RF Eric Fry (.263/.335/.433) double and singled in four at bats, while DH Vin DiFazio (.327/.433/.755) belted his fifth homer in just 14 games for the Crawdads. 3B Matt West and 1B Ed Koncel each went 1-4 with a double and a pair of Ks.

Short-season: @Boise 5, Spokane 4

Starting RHP Matt Thompson (4-4; 4.38) capped off his season with a 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K effort. He was relieved by RHP Chris Matlock (1-7; 4.46), who allowed only three base runners in three innings of work. Unfortunately for Matlock, all three of them came home on a 5th inning homer by Boise’s Robert Wagner.

3B Edward Martinez (.212/.257/.232) socked two singles for Spokane’s only multi-hit performance, while SS Edwin Garcia got the Indians’ only extra base hit with a double in his first game in the Northwest League.

RHP Bryan Corey (6-9; 5.52) was rocky at the onset, but ended up going eight strong innings. He needed 111 pitches to power through almost the entire game, allowing ten hits and three runs along the way. 30-year-old LHP Chris Cooper, who was just signed three days ago, made his season debut with an inning of one hit, scoreless baseball. Cooper spent the last two years playing in Italy.

But despite the solid pitching effort, the RedHawks never had a chance. They never got a runner past second base, and only combined for three singles and three walks all night. 3B Travis Metcalf (.207/.324/.448) accounted for half the team’s base runners, going 1-2 with a pair of walks. The only other Oklahoma City hits belonged to 1B Royce Huffman (.295/.378/.414) and 2B Adam Fox (.212/.268/.308), who also stole his first base at triple-A this year. LF Justin Leone, also signed on Monday, had a rough night going 0-4 with three Ks.

Double-A: @Frisco 1, Corpus Christi 0  F/11

Despite a wonderful start from LHP Michael Kirkman (5-7; 4.19) — 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K — he got a no-decision due to a lack of run support. Same story for LHP Zach Phillips (0-0; 1.47), who tossed three perfect innings with a strikeout for each. It was RHP Beau Vaughan (2-0; 2.57), of Beau Knows Diddly fame, who finally earned the win after punching out a pair of Hooks in the 11th.

The bats spent much of the game looking, but 1B Chad Tracy (.276/.328/.487) was the first to find any offense. Tracy stepped to the plate in the bottom of the 11th with three strikeouts to his name and having only a walk to show for his four plate appearances to that point. But he belted his 26th homer of the year off Texas native Ryan McKeller to win it in walkoff fashion for the RoughRiders. CF Engel Beltre got his first hit for Frisco with a 10th inning double, but he also struck out for the first time as well.

Advanced-A: Bakersfield 2 @ Stockton 0

It was another pitcher’s duel for a Ranger affiliate, with this one getting started by unpredictable RHP Kennil Gomez (8-10; 5.31) lasted five scoreless innings and allowed four hits and a walk while striking out four. It was Gomez’s third straight strong performance, a span during which he’s 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA, 11 hits allowed and 13 strikeouts in 18.2 innings. But perhaps the more intriguing story was the return of RHP Michael Main to the Cal League. In his first appearance for Bakersfield since allowing eight runs in four innings on June 7, Main (4-6; 7.07) fired off two scoreless frames in which he surrendered only a walk.

Offense, as it seemed to be for most of the affiliates, was tough to come by. 1B Ian Gac (.234/.292/.449) homered for the second straight night, sandwiched between a walk and two strikeouts. RF Joey Butler (.280/.344/.419) drove in the Blaze’s other run with a 6th inning sac fly. He also singled.

Low-A: Greensboro 6 @ Hickory 3

RHP Jacob Brigham (2-10; 5.80) had a rough night to go with his rough season. Brigham lasted just 3.1 innings, during which Greensboro scored four runs on seven hits and three walks. RHP Guillermo Pimentel (5-4; 2.99) was effective for 4.2 innings out of the bullpen, allowing five hits, a walk, and two runs while striking out four.

RF Eric Fry (.258/.332/.428) and 1B Ed Koncel (.137/.137/.255) had nearly identical nights, both going 2-4 with a double and a run scored, with Koncel also netting a RBI. LF Michael Hollander (.247/.312/.324) walked and homered from the leadoff spot.

Short-season: @Boise 4, Spokane 3

A game that started as yet another defensive struggle saw six of its seven runs scored in the last two innings. LHP Robbie Ross (4-4; 2.66) retired 14 of the 17 batters he faced, shutting Boise out for five frames on three hits and three Ks. LHP Gueris Grullon (0-1; 7.57) surrendered a run on a hit and a walk in one inning before things got ugly for RHP Johnny Gunter (1-4; 5.33). Two errors in the 8th helped a pair of unearned Boise runs come across on Gunter’s ledger, and a leadoff single in the 9th led to a two-out walk off hit for Burundi Davis.

RF Miguel Velazquez (.297/.359/.517) got on base four times in five plate appearances, netting three singles and a walk to go with an RBI, and CF Kyle Rhoad (.240/.340/.269) also had three singles from the leadoff spot. SS Denny Duron (.279/.322/.382) and 1B Clark Murphy (.233/.298/.337) each drove in a run on a double.

RHP Elizardo Ramirez (9-10; 4.47) gave Oklahoma City six shutout innings, allowing just five hits and striking out three while earning his ninth win of the season. LHP Mike Hinckley (1-1; 3.02) bridged the gap between Ramirez and RHP Jailen Peguero with a scoreless 7th, and Peguero (0-1; 3.60) fired off two bizarre innings in which he walked five, fanned three, and didn’t allow a run.

SS Joaquin Arias (.269/.296/.341) and CF Greg Golson (.263/.306/.347) both went 2-5 with an RBI as the 1 and 2 hitters in the order, while 1B Royce Huffman (.296/.379/.416) doubled and walked twice from the 3 spot. The only other RedHawk run was driven in by C Max Ramirez (.258/.325/.333), who singled once in four trips to the plate.

Former Ranger John Koronka got the loss for New Orleans.

Double-A: Corpus Christi 6 @ Frisco 1

RHP Andrew Laughter (3-2; 4.95) didn’t last long, getting chased after four innings in which he surrendered three runs on three hits and two walks. RHP Brennan Garr (3-3; 4.25) suffered a similar fate with three runs of his own in three innings of relief until LHP Beau Jones (2-4; 4.53) finally shut the Hooks down in the 8th and 9th.

As a team, Frisco hammered out eight hits, but none went for extra bases. 1B Chad Tracy (.276/.327/.483), 3B Johnny Whittleman (.230/.352/.367), and 2B Guilder Rodriguez (.255/.325/.306) all singled twice, and DH Andruw Jones singled and walked twice in his second rehab game. CF Engel Beltre, exactly two months from his 20th birthday, went 0-3 in his double-A debut, although he reached on a HBP, stole a base, and avoided striking out.

Advanced-A: Bakersfield 3 @ Stockton 1

LHP Tim Murphy (9-10; 7.03) got off to an inauspicious start, allowing a run and loading the bases before getting a groundout to end the 1st inning. But he was excellent the rest of the way, allowing only one hit and three walks while shutting Stockton out over four more frames. LHP Glenn Swanson (1-1; 3.12) got his first win of the season after fanning four batters in two scoreless innings of relief and RHP Evan Reed (2-2; 3.04) earned his 23rd save despite loading the bases with two outs in the 9th.

The Blaze made the most of their five hits, taking two of them out of the park. DH Mauro Gomez (.277/.328/.513) hit a solo shot in the 7th to give Bakersfield the lead, and 1B Ian Gac (.233/.290/.442) drove in a pair of runs on a 3rd inning homer and a 9th inning double. The only other Bakersfield hits belonged to LF Mike Bianucci (.223/.280/.469), who was 2-4 with a couple of singles and a strikeout.

Low-A: Greensboro 10 @ Hickory 1

RHP Wilmer Font (7-3; 3.66) continued his recent slump with a 4.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 1 K performance. Over his last three starts, Font has only lasted 12.1 innings and posted an 8.03 ERA while issuing 11 walks. The bullpen didn’t fare any better, with RHP Andrew Doyle (1-1; 11.57) allowing three runs in 1.1 innings and RHP Corey Ragsdale (1-1; 2.60) giving up two more in 2.1 frames.

The offense was inept, singling four times and drawing a pair of walks as a team. 2B Andres James (.290/.306/.374) stayed red hot, going 2-3 and moving a runner over with a sac bunt. James is 8-10 in his last three games. DH Vin DiFazio (.326/.423/.721) drove in Hickory’s only run with an RBI single in the 8th, his only hit of the game.

Short-season: Spokane 5 @ Boise 1

Starting RHP Robert Wilkins (0-0; 0.00) didn’t allow a run in his fist Northwest League start, but didn’t last the requisite five innings to qualify for a win. Wilkins’ final line was 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K. The win went to RHP Sam Brown (2-1; 3.56), who only allowing two hits in 3.1 frames.

1B Clark Murphy (.232/.294/.332) got a much needed big game, going 2-4 with a homer and two RBI.  Spokane’s only other multi-hit performance came from C Alberto Puello (.208/.263/.264), who singled, doubled, and drove in a run in four at bats. DH Jason Ogata (.386/.450/.561) saw his absurd numbers drop after going 1-4 with a double.

Despite four strong innings in a spot start, RHP Brian Gordon (7-2; 3.07) didn’t get a win because he didn’t pitch the necessary five innings to qualify. He left with a 3-0 lead after going four innings of scoreless two hit baseball. RHP Josh Rupe (4-7; 6.93) was the winning pitcher despite allowing a pair of runs on two hits and three walks in 2.2 innings. RHP Willie Eyre (0-0; 2.10) got a save after two perfect innings, striking out three.

C Max Ramirez (.237/.327/.335) had two singles and two walks with an RBI, while LF Casey Benjamin (.215/.336/.321) reached base five times with a double and four walks. 1B Royce Huffman (.295/.377/.414) was the only starter to not drive in a run, but he still managed a 2-4 effort, walking and doubling in the process.

Double-A: Midland 5 @ Frisco 2

LHP Martin Perez (1-2; 6.00) labored through 86 pitches in 3.1 innings, allowing six hits, two walks, and three runs, although only one was earned. Each of the two relievers that followed allowed a run on two hits, with RHP Clayton Hamilton (1-3; 4.50) lasting 3.2 innings and LHP Corey Young (1-0; 9.00) pitching two frames.

Of the five hits Frisco managed, two of them came from leadoff man CF Dustin Majewski (.275/.364/.366) including the RoughRiders only extra base hit, an 8th inning double. LF Jonathan Greene (.128/.239/.359) tried to get his stint in double-A off the ground by going 1-2 with a walk and an RBI, while DH Chad Tracy (.275/.327/.484) went hitless for the third straight night, fanning three times. 1B Andruw Jones singled in four trips during his first rehab start.

Advanced-A: OFF

Low-A: @West Virginia 4, Hickory 2

The pitching staff had a good effort wasted by an awful defensive game from the Crawdads. Six Hickory errors led to three of their four runs allowed being unearned, including both of the runs that went against starting RHP Joe Wieland (4-5; 5.17). Wieland went five innings, allowing three hits and one walk, while striking out six. RHP Fabio Castillo (3-6; 3.89) got the loss after giving up an unearned run in two innings.

Both of Hickory’s runs came on a 3rd inning single by LF Cristian Santana (.224/.275/.458) that was his only hit of the game. DH Eric Fry (.259/.335/.430) went 2-4 with a double, Hickory’s only extra base hit, while SS Andres James (.281/.298/.367) was 4-4 for the second straight game.

Short-season: @Yakima 4, Spokane 3  F/12

RHP Eric Trevor Hurley (6-2; 3.28) struggled with his command, walking four and allowing four hits and three runs in 4.2 innings. RHP Kyle Ocampo (2-2; 5.67) came in and dominated for 2.1 perfect innings, striking out four Bears. The loss went to RHP Chris Matlock (1-6; 4.02), who allowed a run on two hits in 2.2 innings.

DH Tomas Telis (.333/.333/.333) and 3B Daniel Lima both (.297/.331/.342) both singled twice, and Lima added a walk. Despite going 0-4, SS Denny Duron (.280/.325/.382) had Indians’ lone RBI, as the other two Spokane runs came on a throwing error in the 5th after a third strike got away from the catcher.

RHP Kris Benson (4-4; 5.19) earned a loss despite allowing only one run on four hits and two walks in seven innings. He also struck out seven Cubs. RHP Warner Madrigal (2-2; 2.57) continued his recent slide, surrendering a run in his one inning of work. In his last three appearances, Madrigal has allowed five earned runs in 2.2 innings.

CF Brandon Boggs (.268/.380/.399) managed the RedHawks’ only extra base hit, going 1-3 with a double. He also managed Oklahoma City’s only walk. Newly acquired RF Ryan Freel (.333/.429/.333) was singled once in his second game for the Hawks. Justin Smoak wasn’t in the lineup.

Double-A: @Frisco 7, Midland 0

LHP Michael Ballard (6-6; 3.86) tossed his third straight gem, shutting Midland out for 7.1 innings on four hits and seven strikeouts. Over his last three starts, Ballard has a 0.79 ERA in 22.1 innings. LHP Zach Phillips (0-0; 1.63) got a save after he fired off 1.2 scoreless innings, striking out three.

DH Johnny Whittleman (.229/.352/.368) blasted a three-run homer for his only hit as part of Frisco’s five run 8th inning. The only other extra base hit for the RoughRiders came from LF Dustin Majewski (.271/.362/.361), who was 2-4 with a double, while CF Craig Gentry (.303/.378/.418) singled twice from the top of the order. C Jarrod Saltalamacchia walked, but went 0-2 to stay hitless in his rehab assignment with Frisco.

Advanced-A: Bakersfield 8 @ Modesto 4

RHP Tanner Roark (9-0; 2.94) earned his ninth win after seven innings of three hit, two run baseball. Modesto brought two more runs home in as many innings on RHP Dustin Brader (3-0; 6.12), but they could overcome the Blaze’s potent offense.

SS Davis Stoneburner (.272/.329/.401) went 3-4 with a double, a homer, and two RBI. 2B Matt Lawson (.292/.348/.415) also had three hits, doubling and driving in two runs of his own. C Doug Hogan (.250/.375/.450) doubled twice in four at bats, while LF Mike Bianucci (.223/.280/.469) was 2-5 with a double and an RBI.

Low-A: @West Virginia 9, Hickory 8

RHP Wilfredo Boscan (6-8; 3.71) got rocked, allowing seven runs (five earned) on six hits and three walks in just 2.2 innings. RHP Mark Hamburger (2-9; 5.22) lasted nearly as long as the starter, shutting West Virginia out for 2.1 innings, but RHP Jorge Quintero (2-0; 1.80) gave up a pair of runs over the final three frames.

Hickory entered the 9th in a big hole, trailing 9-2, but a couple of singles to lead off the inning were followed by a walk and a pair of HBPs. That set up LF Eric Fry (.254/.332/.424) to clear the bases with a two-out grand slam for his second homer of the game. But the Crawdads came up just a run short in their comeback.

C Vin DiFazio (.371/.477/.857) continued to mash Sally League pitching by reaching base four times. DiFazio singled, doubled, walked, and was hit in five plate appearances, while 2B Andres James (.258/.276/.347) went 4-4 with two doubles.

Short-season: @Yakima 3, Spokane 2

RHP Ben Henry (2-4; 6.60) only gave up two earned runs despite allowing seven hits and a walk in four innings. LHP Joseph Ortiz (2-0; 3.12) followed with three dominant innings out of the bullpen, shutting Yakim down on a hit and a walk while fanning three. RHP Johnny Gunter (1-3; 5.56) pitched a perfect 8th.

It was a rough night offensively for the Indians, who only managed two hits as a team. 3B Jason Ogata (.393/.455/.571) homered to lead off the 2nd, and C Zach Zaneski (.264/.355/.368) singled home Spokane’s other run in the 5th. He also walked.