THE MAJOR TEST
Chemistry of team after roster changes likely to be key to success as Round Rock begins postseason quest against Oklahoma City.
When breaking down postseason baseball matchups, insiders peruse all sorts of metrics and intangibles. Power, speed, pitching, defense, momentum, coaching, ballparks.
As the Round Rock Express face their fifirst playoffff game in four years Wednesday night at Dell Diamond, one 12-year veteran of minor league contests suggests another dynamic is in play.
“In Triple-A, it can come down to the players who want to be here,” said Ed Lucas, 33, selected the team’s MVP after batting .316. “When major league rosters expand Sept. 1, a lot of
guys get upset if they’re not called up. They sometimes lose focus, and it can disrupt the whole team.
“We’ve got no problem with that in this clubhouse. Sure, we’d all like to be in the big leagues, but we have a nice blend of veterans who carried the team this far and want to see it through and younger guys just up from Double-A who are excited to be here.”
Round Rock (78-66) will need to tap every advantage it has because the Oklahoma City Dodgers (86-58) have the No. 1 record in the Pacific Coast League and dominated the season series against the Express, winning 11-5.
Yet this best-of- five series — Astros farm club Fresno (8459) plays El Paso (78-66) in the other semifinal — will be won or lost with many new faces on the rosters.
“We aren’t the same ballclub,” Express manager Jason Wood said, “but neither is Oklahoma City. For all the changes we’ve endured, they’ve dealt with even more.”
The Texas Rangers have already promoted six Round Rock players this month. The Express had 245 season transactions, breaking last year’s franchise record. But OKC shattered a PCL mark with
more than 300 transactions and has lost seven players to the Los Angeles Dodgers since
Sept. 1, including star shortstop Corey Seager.
Wood said versatile infielders Lucas and Austin native Tommy Field, catcher- first baseman Brett Nicholas and center fielder Jared Hoying make up the position-player core of his team. Each is at least 26 years old.
“They’re invested in this team. They’ve accepted their environment and excelled in it,” said Wood, who has reached the playoffs in all five years as a manager.
Lucas led the team in full-season batting average, Nicholas drove in the most runs (63), Field was second in extra-base hits (40), and Hoying tops the team in runs (66), extra-base hits (54) and homers (23). He ranks second in stolen bases with 20.
Hoying, 26, the first PCL player in 32 years to post backto-back seasons of 20 homers
and 20 steals, will be flanked in the outfield by two of the Rangers’ premier prospects, Nomar Mazara, at 20 the youngest player in Triple A,
and Lewis Brinson, 21. Brinson is batting .433 in his fifirst 30 at-bats, Mazara .358 in 81 ABs.
“I’m not worried about them on this stage,” Hoying said, “and in the playoffffs, you throw development out the window. You do whatever it takes to help win a game.”
Said Wood: “Mazara and Brinson bring energy and excitement. Drew Robinson is along those lines, too.”
Robinson, 23, hit 21 homers at Frisco before earning a trip to Round Rock last week.
Pitching, as always, will be vital. The Dodgers have a rotation edge as three left-handers could neutralize an Express lineup that was 55-37 vs. righties but 23-29 vs. lefties. In the bullpen, the Dodgers led the PCL in saves; the Express topped the league in holds.
Chi Chi Gonzalez (7-6, 4.18) will start the opener for Round Rock against Zach Lee (11-6, 2.70).
“Our starters have been reliable getting us through at least fifive or six innings, and that’s certainly been ( the Dodgers’) strength,” Wood said. “I like our bullpen with four lefties for matchup purposes.”
His players expect a tight series. Half of the 16 games were decided by two or fewer runs.
“Winning the opener at home is big, so we want to come out aggressive,” Field said.
‘We aren’t the same ballclub, but neither is Oklahoma City.’
Express manager Jason Wood,
on the teams’ changes this season