One Bobble & A 500-Pound Gorilla Escapes
Published on August 4, 2010 under Texas League (TL1)
Midland RockHounds News Release
In baseball, one split second can mean the difference between safe or out.
Tuesday night, with the RockHounds leading, 2-1, a split-second bobble of a bases-empty, two-out ground ball to second base kept the Friso third inning alive. Four batters later, the RoughRiders led, 5-2, and would go on to a 9-3 win in the opener of a 3-game series at Dr Pepper Ballpark in the Metroplex.
Jemile Weeks bobbled Marcus Lemon's bouncer, and Lemon's speed made the miscue a costly one, beating the throw and extending the inning. James Tomlin followed with a bloop single to left, and the RoughRiders then busted loose for four runs, scoring two each on 400-foot doubles by Emerson Frostad and Johnny Whittleman.
The RoughRiders' win got the proverbial "500-pound gorilla" off the club's back, as the Texas League South first half champs snapped an 8-game losing streak. Three of the eight defeats came at Citibank Ballpark against the RockHounds, and Frisco had just been swept at home by San Antonio in a 4-game series.
Joey Butler added a 3-run home run in the seventh, putting the game out of reach. Not only did Frisco break its 8-game slide ... the RoughRiders climbed back within one game of the RockHounds in a Texas League South race that has become increasingly tighter, top-to-bottom, in the last five days (see next paragraph and above).
The pennant race & the wild card: The 'Hounds now lead Frisco by one game in the South, with San Antonio four games out and Corpus Christi seven games back. San Antonio also stays within four games of the RockHounds in the wild card race with Corpus now six games out in the wild card race, which takes effect if Frisco wins the second half.
Personnel moves: Pitcher Justin Souza has been placed on the disabled list (right elbow) and catcher Gabriel Ortiz has been re-assigned to Stockton of the (Advanced-A) California League.
Catcher Jared Price has been assigned to the RockHounds from (Triple-A) Sacramento. A former draft choice of the Los Angels Dodgers (in 2000 out of high school in his home of Rupert, Idaho), Jared has spent the last two seasons in the Chicago White Sox organization. He signed with Oakland in late June and had played briefly (five games) with the RiverCats.
Also joining the RockHounds from Sacramento is pitcher Graham Godfrey, who helped lead the 'Hounds to the 2009 Texas League championship, going 11-8 with a 3.50 ERA and being named the club's pitcher of the year. Graham will pitch out of the bullpen, at least initially, for the RockHounds. He was 4-7, 4.12 in 22 games (16 starts) with Sacramento.
Texas League Stories from August 4, 2010
- Hooks Battle Back in Triumph - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Travs Give Brasier Support in 6-1 Win - Arkansas Travelers
- 9th Inning Error Dooms Drillers - Tulsa Drillers
- Ninth Inning Error Gives Naturals Win - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Cardinals Baffled by Travelers, 6-1 - Springfield Cardinals
- Midland Evens Series with 7-2 Win Over 'Riders - Frisco RoughRiders
- Montgomery Activated, Santiago to DL - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- One Bobble & A 500-Pound Gorilla Escapes - Midland RockHounds
- Drillers Lose, Rosario Injured - Tulsa Drillers
- Cards' Hill Rips Travs With Two Homers - Arkansas Travelers
- Naturals use big flies in comeback - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Hooks Chip Missions - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Springfield Blow Out Travs - Springfield Cardinals
- 'Riders snag a win to end skid - Frisco RoughRiders
- Beltre blazing a trail to the majors - Frisco RoughRiders
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