Texas Rangers Farm Recap: Tovar’s Two-HR Night Highlights Crawdads Comeback
The Texas Rangers' minor league affiliates saw plenty of action on Saturday, April 18, 2026, highlighted by a massive offensive explosion in Hickory and a rain-shortened night in Round Rock. Here are the probable starters for Sunday's games:
- Express: LHP Austin Gomber
- RoughRiders: RHP David Davalillo
- Spartanburgers: RHP DJ McCarty
- Crawdads: RHP Jesus Lafalaise
Round Rock Express
Record: 9-11
Saturday night’s game between the Round Rock Express and El Paso Chihuahuas at Dell Diamond was suspended due to unplayable field conditions following heavy rain and hail. The game was tied 1-1 heading into the top of the third inning.
Prior to the suspension, El Paso first baseman Pablo Reyes drove in RF Jase Bowen with a single to left. In the bottom of the second, RF Aaron Zavala led off with a single and later scored on CF Alejandro Osuna’s base hit through the left side.
The game will resume Sunday, April 19, at 12:05 PM CT and will be played to a complete nine innings. Sunday’s regularly scheduled contest will begin approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the suspended game and will be seven innings in length.
Frisco RoughRiders
Record: 8-6
The RoughRiders pulled out a gritty 5-4 win against the Amarillo Sod Poodles at Hodgetown.
LHP Dylan MacLean delivered a solid start, pitching five innings of one-run ball. He surrendered five hits and struck out six, throwing 52 of his 71 pitches for strikes.
Offensively, Corey Joyce led the charge, finishing 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs. Orlando Martinez provided the only other multi-hit performance, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. John Taylor, Ian Moller, and Marcus Lee Sang each added a hit.
In the bullpen, Zach Bryant earned his second hold after allowing one run in two innings. While Wilian Bormie had a blown save, he earned the win to move to 4-0 on the season. Bormie remains an intriguing arm as he is capable of hitting triple digits.
Hub City Spartanburgers
Record: 6-7
The Spartanburgers fell 10-2 to the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Hub City struggled to find a rhythm at the plate, striking out nine times without drawing a walk.
RHP Ismael Agreda took the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks over 2.2 innings. Agreda threw 71 pitches, 43 for strikes. The bullpen also faced a tough night; Josh Sanders allowed four runs (three earned) and three home runs over 3.1 innings, while LHP Seth Clark gave up two runs in 1.1 innings. Catcher Cal Stark entered the game to record the final two outs.
Bright spots included two-hit games from Paxton Kling, Arturo Disla, and Chandler Pollard. Yeison Morrobel provided some power with a solo home run, his second of the year.
Hickory Crawdads
Record: 12-2
The Hickory Crawdads kept their hot start alive with a 13-7 win, fueled by a massive seven-run rally in the bottom of the eighth inning.
RHP AJ Russell made his third start of the year, pitching two innings and allowing just one hit with three strikeouts. His fastball sat in the mid-90s, effectively setting up his slider and changeup. While the Rangers are carefully limiting his workload, Russell’s dominant stuff suggests he could be in line for a promotion soon.
Deward Tovar has to be the player of the game, finishing 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs. His first home run was an inside-the-parker in the second inning, followed later by a conventional blast. Tovar now has four home runs on the season. He and Frainyer Chavez lead the entire Texas Rangers farm system with four home runs each.
Other offensive highlights included:
- Yolfran Castillo: 2-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI, BB (Raised AVG to .280).
- Marcos Torres: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 R.
- Josh Springer: 2-for-4, RBI, BB.
- Hector Osorio: 1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI.
Moises Morales earned the win, pitching five innings and allowing five runs. Louis Marinaro closed the door with a scoreless ninth; though it wasn't a save situation, he now has 12 strikeouts in six innings this season.
Transactions: Outfielder Dylan Dreiling was placed on the IL yesterday (retroactive to 4/16).
Ticket Discounts
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