TL1 Frisco RoughRiders

Frisco RoughRiders Game Notes

Published on June 28, 2014 under Texas League (TL1)
Frisco RoughRiders News Release


Early ambush: The series finale between Frisco and Arkansas followed a similar pattern as the middle game and those early Traveler runs proved to be enough for the visitors to leave Dr Pepper Ballpark with a 3-2 decision last night. The RoughRiders once again tallied a single run in the first inning after a Ryan Strausborger triple and RBI single by Patrick Cantwell, but another second inning error opened the door to a pair of Arkansas unearned runs. A fielding error by Guilder Rodriguez and a wind-induced pop-up single helped load the bases for Kyle Hudson, whose infield single off Edwar Cabrera tied the game. A double play ball off Maikol Gonzalez' bat pushed the Travs in front and then Arkansas added another tally in the third inning thanks to former 'Rider Jimmy Swift's RBI single. It stayed a 3-1 game until the ninth, when Odubel Herrera stroked an RBI single off Cam Bedrosian to put the tying run on base, but Drew Robinson struck out looking at a 3-2 pitch to end the game.

Today's Pitching Matchup: Frisco welcomes the Northwest Arkansas Naturals to town tonight to begin a three-game series. Alex Claudio gets the start for the RoughRiders against fellow southpaw Sam Selman. Claudio was promoted from Advanced-A Myrtle Beach on Wednesday and is making his 2014 Texas League debut. He was dominant as a long reliever and spot starter for the Pelicans, going 4-0 with a 1.09 ERA, four saves and 56 strikeouts in 49.1 innings. He spent the last half of 2013 with Frisco and was 1-5 with a 2.84 ERA in 21 games in the TL. Selman is making his 15th start of the year and his second against the RoughRiders. His season debut came against Frisco on April 11 and he allowed just an unearned run on two hits in five innings. He yielded four runs in five innings in his last outing on Sunday against Tulsa and has not gotten a win since May 26 (five starts). Advanced-A Wilmington's 2013 "Pitcher of the Year," Selman went 11-9 for the Blue Rocks with a 3.38 ERA, 128 strikeouts, 85 walks and 88 hits allowed in 125 innings. The Austin, Texas native was the Pioneer League's "Pitcher of the Year" in 2012 after going 5-4 with a 2.09 ERA, 89 strikeouts, 22 walks and 45 hits allowed in 60 innings. He was drafted in the second round in 2012 out of Vanderbilt and possesses an 88-93 mph fastball that can touch 98, a curveball and a changeup. He helped the Commodores reach the 2011 College World Series and captured All-SEC honors in 2012. The Angels orginally drafted Selman in the 14th round out of St. Andrews Episcolpal School (Austin). He went unrecruited by any of the big baseball colleges in Texas.

We Arkansas that before: Last night's loss to Arkansas marked the first time Frisco had lost a home series since April 7-8, which was coincidentally the last time the Travelers came to town. The RoughRiders also dropped two of three in that set to Arkansas and had won or split the next eight series at Dr Pepper Ballpark until Friday night.

Strau Poll: While he was sent down a level from Triple-A, it has been a great homecoming for Frisco outfielder Ryan Straus- borger. The Indianan had a season-best in hits last night, going 3 for 4 with a triple and a run scored and in his first three games back with the RoughRiders he is 7 for 12 with a home run, double, triple, three RBI and three runs scored. The dinger on Thursday was Strausborger's first of the season at any level and first since August 9, 2013, ending a string of 81 games and 297 at bats without a home run.

World's Strongest Man: After not homering in a home game for the first time in a Frisco uniform, Joey Gallo restored the world to order on Thursday with his seventh Double-A home run in the seventh inning against lefty Carmine Giardina. In a statistical oddity, Gallo has hit 90 career home runs and 90 career singles. Minor League Baseball's reigning home run king, the 20-year-old once again leads all of professional baseball with 28 round-trippers this season. Gallo is second in slugging percentage (.714), second in OPS (1.153), second in total bases (177), seventh in RBI (66) and tied for fifth in extra-base hits (42).

A new era for Herrera: Frisco's Odubel Herrera did not let his bat cool off from a red-hot road trip over the break. The All- Star second baseman went 2 for 4 with an RBI last night and was 6 for 12 in the series against Arkansas. Over the last 14 games, Herrera is batting .453 (24 for 53) with four doubles, a triple, five RBI, seven runs scored, a walk, four steals a .463 on-base percentage and a 1.029 OPS. Since June 11, he leads the Texas League in batting average, on-base percentage and OPS. Prior to this offensive burst, the Venezuelan was batting .158 in his previous ten games.

All-Star Recap: The Texas League North Division bested the South Division 3-1 in last night's All-Star Game at Dickey- Stephens Park in North Little Rock last night. RoughRiders pitcher Luke Jackson started the game and struck out two in a scoreless first inning, while Alec Asher allowed a run in fifth, his only frame. Frisco hurlers Edwar Cabrera and Phil Klein did not pitch in the contest. Offensively, Ryan Rua and Tomas Telis each went 0 for 4 while Jake Smolinski was 1 for 4, Guilder Rodriguez was 0 for 2 and Odubel Herrera was 1 for 1 with a pinch-hit single. Before the game, Rua won the home run derby by stroking eight dingers in both rounds.

AshTag: Winner: After his offense failed to score for him in back-to-back losses in which he allowed single runs, Alec Asher took things into his own hands and decided he would not let Corpus Christi score against him in his six inning performance on Saturday. The only problem was that his offense did not get him any runs until the top the seventh, when Joey Gallo launched a tie-breaking three-run homer, ensuring Asher a victory. The longball accounted for the first runs scored during an Asher start since the sixth inning of Frisco's win over San Antonio on June 6. The offense had gone 17 straight scoreless innings while Asher was in the ballgame between runs. In his last six starts, the Lakeland, Florida native owns a 0.77 ERA (3 ER/35 IP). Since posting a 5.61 ERA in April, Asher is 6-3 with a 1.75 ERA. He ranks tied for second in the Texas League in wins (7), ninth in ERA (2.89), fifth in strikeouts (73), fifth in innings pitched (87.1), fourth in WHIP (1.04), fourth in average against (.221), second in walk rate (2.06/9 IP) and second in baserunners/9 IP (9.38).

Playing not to lose: Frisco's all-time record is 862-742 (.537) following a 70-70 2013 campaign. It was the eighth straight season that the RoughRiders finished with a non-losing record. The last time Frisco finished below .500 was the only time in team history, back in 2005 when it finished 58-82. The streak of non-losing seasons is by far the longest in the Texas League; every other team in the circuit has had at least one losing season in the last three years. The streak is the longest in Double-A and the third-longest among all 120 full-season minor league clubs, exceeded only by the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats (11 straight non-losing seasons) and the Advanced-A San Jose Giants (ten). Including teams that play in short- season leagues, Frisco's streak is the sixth longest; the Elizabethton Twins (25), Brooklyn Cyclones (13) and AZL Giants (13) have the longest such streaks in stateside Minor League Baseball.

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Texas League Stories from June 28, 2014


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