A's Affiliate Nearly Tosses Perfect Game Against L.A. Dodgers Prospects

Jason Burke | May 12, 2024

Jun 29, 2023; Oakland, California, USA; An Oakland Athletics hat on top of a glove during the eighth / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The Midland RockHounds have the best pitching staff in the Texas League (Double-A) and nobody knows it. Perhaps what they did to the Tulsa Drillers, a Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate, on Saturday will open some eyes just like when Mason MIller dominated the Yankees in New York.

The 'Hounds hold a 3.31 team ERA 32 games into the season, which is tops in the TL by just over half of a run. The Arkansas Travelers rank second with a 3.84 ERA. Midland took that pitching staff, coupled with the highest run-producing offense in the league, and obliterated Tulsa 14-0.

Not only was the final score a laugher, but the way that Midland won was the attention grabber. Starter Jack Cushing, a 22nd round selection in 2019, tossed five scoreless innings last night, didn't walk anyone, didn't allow any hits, and struck out six. He needed just 53 pitches, 37 of which were strikes.

Chase Cohen took on the sixth and seventh innings and tossed another two scoreless innings (it was a shutout after all). He also didn't allow any hits or walks and struck out one.

In the eighth, Seth Elledge continued the trend with a perfect inning of work. He was signed by the A's just over a week ago after being in the Atlanta Braves system for the second half of last season.

Then in the ninth, 23-year-old Grant Holman took the mound and struck out the first batter he faced. The second batter recorded the first hit of the game, a one-out single that broke up the combined perfect-o. The third batter of the inning also singled, putting runners at first and second, and then Holman was charged with a wild pitch that advanced the runners. Holman dug in and struck out Alex Freeland for the second out, and then got Taylor Young to fly out to end the game.

In 13 innings pitched this season, Holman has yet to allow a run to cross the plate and he has saved five games. He's allowed ten hits and five walks in those 13 innings, leading to a 1.15 WHIP, and has also struck out 22 batters, giving him a 43.1% strikeout rate. That is the second-highest strikeout rate in the Texas League, behind teammate Pedro Santos' 44%.

With the win, the Midland RockHounds are 21-11, which is tied with the Frisco RoughRiders atop the Southern Division. Both clubs are tied for the best record in the entire TL, and hold a 6.5 game lead over third place San Antonio in the South.

Not only was Midland absolutely dominant on Saturday night, but they also drew 13 walks as a team, with five of the team's nine starters drawing at least two free passes. Only Colby Thomas, arguably the team's best hitter now that Jacob Wilson is in Triple-A Las Vegas, didn't record an RBI in this game. Thomas was selected by the A's in the third round of the 2022 Draft and is batting .293 with eight homers, eight stolen bases, and a .348 OBP this season.

Midland will attempt to go 5-1 on the week against Tulsa with a win on Sunday.