at Frisco 2, Corpus Christi 9

By Scott Lucas

AA: at Frisco 2, Corpus Christi 9
Record: 7-8, -1.0

The folks in Frisco were gracious hosts, as always, but this game was a dud. Unfortunately, I caught Blake Beavan (4.18 ERA) on what was easily his worst night of the young season.

The early going was nearly spotless; Beavan allowed a leadoff single but needed only 14 pitches to complete two innings. In the third, Beavan walked two – an eclipse-rare event for him – and gave up a couple of liners gapped to right center. RF Joey Butler nailed one runner attempting to stretch his hit to two bases, but the Hooks still scored three. The 4th inning was like the first two: over barely after it began. Corpus Christi scored twice more in the 5th, and a hard triple, sac fly and walk ended Beavan’s night with two out in the 6th. All told, on 84 pitches (55 strikes) Beavan allowed six runs on eight hits and three walks. Per usual, he flashed a terrific pickoff move (especially for a righty) and fielded his position well, but that would carry him only so far last night.

No one pitch type of Beavan’s stood out, for better or worse. He lost his fastball command in the 3rd. His slider bit hard in the 4th and was tattooed in the 5th. His one strikeout came on a nice changeup. Beavan’s fastball ran anywhere from 87 to 93 MPH, mostly 91, and his change and slider were usually 81-83.

He didn’t get much help, as the RoughRiders managed only four hits against Sergio Perez, Henry Villar, and former Ranger Matt Nevarez. 2B Matt Lawson walked twice and was hit by a pitch. Wes Bankston also walked twice and had a couple of possible hits robbed by the right side of the infield. Johnny Whittleman’s double down the right field line off Nevarez was the only extra-base hit and the only hard-hit ball that comes to mind.