KT 90 said:
Saw this minor league recap from last night.
https://www.lonestarball.com/2019/4/9/18304079/taylor-hearn-jason-bahr-yerry-rodriguez-texas-rangers-pitching-prospects
Quote:
The Texas Rangers had several intriguing starting pitching prospects going in the minors today, though given the number of intriguing pitching prospects the Rangers currently have, you can probably say that most days.
The headliner was Taylor Hearn, the 24 year old lefthander who came over from Pittsburgh in the Keone Kela trade last year. Hearn started for Nashville tonight, and went up against Forrest Whitley, the Houston lefthander considered one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball. Hearn allowed a single run on a Derek Fisher home run, walking four and striking out four in 5 innings. Scott Lucas tweeted that Hearn struggled with his location all night, though he managed to fight through it. Hearn was relieved by Brett Martin, who threw 2.1 scoreless with 3 Ks and 2 walks, and Nick Gardewine, who struck out 3 over the final 1.2 innings of a 3-1 Nashville win.Willie Calhoun had a solo homer to contribute to the scoring.
Down East had 24 year old right Jason Bahr on the mound. Bahr, you may recall, was the bribe the San Francisco Giants offered last year to get the Rangers to take Austin Jackson and Cory Gearrin off their hands. Bahr went four shutout innings, allowing 2 hits with an HBP, 3 walks and 3 Ks. Spin rate hero Demarcus Evans got the save for Down East, striking out 2 and walking 2.
Hickory had a doubleheader after getting rained out yesterday, and Yerry Rodriguez, the 21 year old righthander who broke out in short season ball last year, had a stellar full season debut in the nightcap. Rodriguez went 5 shutout innings, striking out 6, allowing 4 hits and hitting a batter.
Chris Seise, who was white hot in the first series of the year for Hickory, was held hitless in the first game and sat in the second. However, Leody Taveras had a single and a walk for Down East, extending his hitting streak to six games.
Also of note among the bats, J.P. Martinez and Sam Huff each homered for Hickory. And Andretty Cordero, infielder for the Frisco Roughriders, had a huge night, going 2 for 3 for Frisco with a walk and a pair of three run home runs.
Here is the more detailed writeup from the Scott Lucas update:
AAA: Nashville 3, at Round Rock (HOU) 1Record: 2-4, 2 GB
SP Taylor Hearn: 5 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 1 R, 4 BB, 4 SO, 4.50 ERA
RP Brett Martin: 2.1 IP, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 1.93 ERA
LF Willie Calhoun: 1-4, HR (1)
Three Sounds combined to limit a prospect-laden Express offense to one run despite severe control problems at times. Taylor Hearn, Brett Martin and Nick Gardewine combined to walk seven and found themselves on the cusp of allowing multiple runs, but all three wriggled out of trouble through a combination of luck and saving their best pitches for the critical moment.
I hadn't seen Hearn in person before. On the stadium gun, which was about a tick high last year, Hearn's fastball ranged from 93 to 98 with a slider and change running from the middle to upper 80s. Hearn threw across his body occasionally, running his fastball outside to lefties and robbing his slider of action. Sometimes, he was visibly upset at his lack of control. In the 3rd, Hearn walked the bases loaded and escaped on a deep fly to right-center that might have caused extensive damage under warmer conditions. Between those walks, Hearn temporarily righted himself fanned Derek Fisher on four pitches. He was intermittently dominant and offered worthy examples of his fastball, slider, and change, just not often enough to his liking. Still, he never, let the game get away from him. This was Hearn's second AAA start.
Brett Martin walked two of his first three batters but escaped on a double-play grounder. In his second inning, he unleashed a curve and fastball to the backstop but still struck out a righty on five pitches. Martin later whiffed OF Myles Straw by showing his entire repertoire: slider (called strike), change (swinging strike), fastball (up), and curve (swinging strike). Martin returned for one batter in the 8th and struck out Fisher on three pitches.
Nick Gardewine replaced Martin and allowed a double and walk. He recovered to force out Kyle Tucker and then froze Nick Tanielu solid on an upper-80s full-count slider. Gardewine also fanned Garrett Stubbs and Straw representing the tying run in the 9th.
Willie Calhoun's solo homer provided insurance in the 8th. He started with a 3-0 count and fouled off the next four pitches (two pretty hard, if I remember correctly). He then launched a 370' rocket to right on as low an angle as possible.
Top pitching prospect Forrest Whitley threw a little bit of everything at the Sounds: 93-98 fastball, 89-91 cutter, 86-87 change and slider, lower-80s curve. For the most part, he dominated, but Nashville managed to square a few fastballs. Danny Santana tripled to left and scored on an Andy Ibanez groundout, and catcher Jett Bandy later took a Whitley heater for a long ride.
