Riders Game Notes - 2:10 p.m. at Springfield Cardinals - May 29, 2016
May 29, 2016 - Texas League (TL1)
Frisco RoughRiders News Release
Riders: RHP Luis Ortiz (1-0, 1.50 ERA)
Cardinals: RHP Andrew Morales (3-4, 3.68 ERA)
Today's game can be heard on the RoughRiders Radio Network at Ridersbaseball.com/media, online and on mobile devices via TuneIn Radio, or on the MiLB First Pitch App. The Dr Pepper Pregame Show with Steve Goldberg begins at 1:35 p.m. prior to the first pitch at 2:10 p.m. with game coverage from Nathan Barnett and Ryan Rouillard.
You may access the 2016 Riders Media Guide online here.
LAST TIME OUT:
Up 4-0 in the eighth, the Riders allowed a four-run eighth and another run in the ninth to drop 5-4 in walk-off fashion to the Springfield Cardinals on Saturday night...Frisco has lost five straight on this road trip...All four Riders runs came on homers, as RONALD GUZMAN blasted two solo homers, and KELLIN DEGLAN mashed a two-run home run as well...REED GARRETT (5.0 IP) and JOSE VALDESPINA (2.0 IP) held the Cards scoreless, but JOHN FASOLA could not complete the win, allowing all five runs, four earned...the winning run came in on a fielding error with two outs in the ninth by EVAN VAN HOOSIER.
LUCKY LULU?:
Frisco turns to LUIS ORTIZ today looking to salvage a game from a thus-far winless road trip. The right-hander is the #4 overall prospect according to MLBPipeline.com in the Rangers system and won his Riders debut on Monday (11-1 vs. San Antonio). His team has won five of his last six starts dating back to his time in High-A with the High Desert Mavericks.
HEARTBREAK AWAY FROM HOME:
Over the first 43 games, the RoughRiders had only 13 losses, five of which were come-from-behind, and only one in the opposing team's last at-bat. On this five-game road trip, the Riders have lost all five games, three of which have been come-from-behind efforts by Tulsa and Springfield. Each game in the current series with the Cardinals were lost in the final turn at-bat by Springfield, including last night's walk-off loss. The current five-game losing skid matches the longest of the year, and the five losses have all come by two-or-fewer runs for a combined total of nine runs.
ROARING RONALD GUZMAN:
Riders first baseman RONALD GUZMAN continues his torrid season. The slugger put together the first two-homer game of his career last night and is in the midst of season-best nine game hit streak. During the run, Guzman is hitting .471 (16-for-34) with eight extra-base hits (4 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR) and 11 RBI. Of the nine games during the streak, four are multi-hit games, including a three hit-game on Monday against the San Antonio Missions.
SCORING POSITION STRUGGLES:
A big component of Frisco's issues scoring runs this road trip is the club's failure to hit with runners in scoring position. Going 1-for-6 in those spots last night, the Riders are now just 4-for-35 (.114) hitting with runners in scoring position on the road trip, and the club is 1-for-its-last-23 (.043) in such at-bats.
QUALITY AND QUANTITY:
After going 15 games between quality starts, Riders starting pitchers have posted four quality starts in their last seven outings, which includes a rehab start from YU DARVISH. During this run of seven starts, the Riders are just 2-5, however, despite a starters ERA of 2.45. Additionally, losses on Tuesday and Thursday were the first losses this year when the Riders got a quality start (12-2).
TRIO OF RIDERS EARN MONTHLY HONORS:
Last Thursday, three Riders were awarded monthly honors by the Rangers. RYAN CORDELL earned Player of the Month honors, while ISIAH KINER-FALEFA was named Defender of the Month. Left-hander RYNE SLACK garnered the Reliever of the Month award.
RIDING INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS:
The RoughRiders have had the best record in team history at almost every point this season. With five straight losses, however, the 30-18 record is now three games back of the 2008 RoughRiders who were 33-15 through 48 games. The 2008 squad finished with an 84-56 record and lost to Arkansas in the Texas League championship series.
VIEW FROM THE TOP:
Frisco outfielder RYAN CORDELL has been one of the best offensive players in the league thus far. In addition to an impressive, league-best 37-game on-base streak earlier this year, he also leads the Texas League in numerous categories. The Riders outfielder tops the Texas League in RBI (40), runs (39), doubles (13), and extra-base hits (26). Cordell is also on the leaderboard in average (5th, .316), home runs (4th, 10), slugging percentage (3rd, .593), and triples (T-2nd, 3).
MULTI-HIT MADNESS:
Multi-hit performances have become a consistent trend up and down the Riders lineup this year. There have already been 108 multi-hit performances out of a possible 432 lineup spots (25.0%). 27 of the 108 multi-hit performances (25.0%) are with three or more hits. RONALD GUZMAN leads the Riders with 18 multi-hit games and is one of four players to have at least 10 games with two or more hits.
RANGER DANGER:
The RoughRiders aren't the only Rangers affiliate with a winning record. Overall, the Rangers farm system is 117-78 (.600), which is tied for the second-best winning percentage among all Minor League systems with New York (AL) and behind Cleveland. Every full-season affiliate in the organization has a record above .500, as Class A-Advanced High Desert enters the day at 31-19, Class A Hickory is 29-20, and Triple-A Round Rock is 27-21. Round Rock was recently ranked the fifth-best Minor League team (any level) by MLB.com's Jim Callis.
TOP OF THE CLASS:
The RoughRiders roster includes eight players ranked on either the MLBPipeline.com and/or Baseball America Rangers Top 30 Prospects list. LEWIS BRINSON, the No. 2 prospect in Rangers' farm system according to MLBPipeline.com and Baseball America, returns to Frisco. He appeared in 28 games for the Riders last season, hitting .291 with six home runs and 23 RBI before being promoted to Round Rock. LUIS ORTIZ (No. 4 in MLBPipeline.com, No. 4 in BA) is the highest-ranked pitching prospect on the squad. Aside from Brinson and Ortiz, YOHANDER MENDEZ (13, 24), RYAN CORDELL (14, , No. 11), EVAN VAN HOOSIER (18, 23),RONALD GUZMAN (22, 29), SAM WOLFF (26, NR), and CONNOR SADZECK (27, 26) rank among Rangers top 30 prospects.
OPPOSING STARTER:
The Cardinals surprised some in 2014, making today's starter Andrew Morales, who had gone undrafted every year from 2010-2013, their second-round selection out of UC Irvine as a senior in 2014. As a collegiate pitcher, he went 42-3 between Rio Hondo Community College and UC Irvine and was the DI leaded in strikeouts (141) before the start of the College World Series, helping the Anteaters to the series...Repertoire: works with a 89-93 mph fastball, a 79-82 mph slider, and a changeup with a high arm slot and some deception.
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