Riders Game Notes - 4:05 p.m. vs. San Antonio Missions - May 22, 2016
Published on May 22, 2016 under Texas League (TL1)
Frisco RoughRiders News Release
Riders: RHP Yu Darvish (0-0 0.00 ERA)
Missions: RHP Luis Diaz (2-3, 4.98 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 3:30 p.m. prior to the first pitch at 4:05 p.m. with game coverage from Nathan Barnett and Ryan Rouillard. Today's pregame show guest is Riders manager Joe Mikulik.
LAST TIME OUT:
The RoughRiders evened their four-game series against San Antonio with a 6-5 win over the Missions Saturday night...Left-handed pitcher YOHANDER MENDEZ earned the win for the Riders in his Double-A debut, giving up three runs over five innings of work...After falling behind early, the Riders pulled even with a three-run third inning and took a 4-3 lead in the fourth...EVAN VAN HOOSIER, also making his Double-A debut, drove in the decisive runs with a two-run single in the fifth.
YU READY FOR MORE?:
Right-handed pitcher YU DARVISH is scheduled to make his third rehab start with the Riders today against San Antonio. Darvish re-joined the Riders to continue his Major League rehabilitation assignment Tuesday in Midland. The three-time American League All-Star worked five innings and allowed just three hits and an unearned run, while walking one and striking out six. Of Darvish's 68 pitches, 47 were strikes. Darvish made his first rehab start May 1 with Frisco before making two starts with Triple-A Round Rock.
MOVIN' ON UP:
Friday, the Rangers promoted a trio of top prospects in the farm system to Frisco. Right-handed pitcher LUIS ORTIZ, the fifth-ranked prospect in the farm system by MLBPipeline.com, highlights the group of newcomers. Ortiz was 3-2 with a 2.60 ERA in seven outings with Class A-Advanced High Desert this year. Left-handed pitcher YOHANDER MENDEZ (No. 14, MLBPipeline.com) and infielder EVAN VAN HOOSIER (No. 19) were also added to the roster.
TRIO OF RIDERS EARN MONTHLY HONORS:
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:
Frisco's 28-13 record is the best through 41 games in team history, one game ahead of the 2008 RoughRiders who were 27-14 at this point. The 2008 squad finished with an 84-56 record and lost to Arkansas in the Texas League championship series.
GOING STREAKING:
RYAN CORDELL had his impressive 37-game on-base streak snapped in game two of Thursday's doubleheader. With a single Friday, Cordell started a new streak and has reached base in 38 of 39 games he's played, recording hits in 35 of them. Cordell's streak was the longest for Frisco since Jurickson Profar put a 50-game string together in 2012.
VIEW FROM THE TOP:
In addition to Cordell's impressive on-base streak, he also leads the Texas League in numerous categories. The Riders outfielder leads the Texas League in RBI (36), runs (35), and extra-base hits (24). Cordell is on the leaderboard in average (3rd, .333), doubles (T-3rd, 11), home runs (T-2nd, 10), slugging percentage (2nd, .641), and triples (T-2nd, 3).
STRIKEOUT FEVER:
Although the Riders were last in the league in strikeouts early this season, the K's are beginning to come more frequently for Frisco pitching. Already this season, three Riders starters have set single-game career-highs in strikeouts (VICTOR PAYANO, 13; SAM WOLFF, 10; CONNOR SADZECK, 9), with Payano and Sadzeck setting their career-high against San Antonio May 3 and 6, respectively. In 10 games against the Missions, Frisco has struck out 86 San Antonio hitters, including 16 on May 3.
STARTING SERIES STRONG:
The Riders have gotten off to great starts in series this season, winning nine of their first 12 series openers.All three series-opening loss have been one-run defeats. The Riders have won seven of their first 11 series, including two sweeps of Northwest Arkansas and San Antonio and one of Midland.
"ONE"-DERFUL IN CLOSE GAMES:
Despite leading the Texas League in run differential (+48), Frisco has played in 13 one-run contests, winning seven, over the last 24 games. The Riders have a 9-6 record in games decided by one run this year and are 5-1 in games decided by two runs. Seven of the ten games between the Riders and Missions this season have been decided by two runs or fewer, including five one-run games.
HOME IS WHERE THE 'PEN IS:
Right-handed pitcher JOSE LECLERC has made a marked improvement since transitioning from the starting rotation to the bullpen. Leclerc had an ERA of 7.88 in two starts but has allowed just two earned runs in 14.0 innings of relief, good for a 1.29 ERA.
CUT THEM SOME SLACK:
Reliever RYNE SLACK saw an impressive stretch come to an end in the eighth inning of Saturday's game in Corpus Christi. The southpaw began the season with 14 1/3 scoreless innings between April 8 and May 8 until the Hooks finally tagged him for two runs Saturday. However, his .098 opposing average is still the best in the Texas League.
RANGER DANGER:
The RoughRiders aren't the only Rangers affiliate with a winning record. Overall, the Rangers farm system is 103-63 (.620), which is the second-best winning percentage among all Minor League systems behind Cleveland. Every full-season affiliate in the organization has a record above .500, as Class A Hickory enters the day at 26-15, Class A-Advanced High Desert is 27-16, and Triple-A Round Rock is 22-19. 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 enter the season with six players ranked in either Baseball America or MLBPipeline.com's Rangers Top 30 Prospects. 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. Brinson is joined by five other players named in the lists- RYAN CORDELL (No. 15 in MLB, No. 11 in BA), RONALD GUZMAN (23, 29), JOSE LECLERC (25, 21), SAM WOLFF (26, NR), and CONNOR SADZECK (27, 26). They have since added three players in the Top 30, LUIS ORTIZ (5, 4), YOHANDER MENDEZ (14, 24), and EVAN VAN HOOSIER (19, 23).
OPPOSING STARTER:
Right-hander Luis Diaz makes his third start of the season against the RoughRiders this afternoon. He has lasted at least six innings in six of his eight starts this season, including a season-high 7.1 innings May 1 at Midland. Diaz, 24, is in his first year in the Padres organization after spending the first seven seasons of his career as a Red Sox farmhand.
Texas League Stories from May 22, 2016
- Jon Daniels Joins 11 AM Fox Sports Southwest Broadcast on Monday - Frisco RoughRiders
- Darvish Dominates as Riders Roll over San Antonio - Frisco RoughRiders
- Drillers Rally Late, Win on Bellinger's Blast - Tulsa Drillers
- "Walk-Off" Wade / "Mariano" Kirkland - Midland RockHounds
- Hooks Fight, Fall in Extras - Corpus Christi Hooks
- All-Around Production for Travs in Sunday Win - Arkansas Travelers
- Drillers Rally Late, Beat Naturals in Extras - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Travs Hang on for 6-4 Win on Sunday - Springfield Cardinals
- Riders Game Notes - 4:05 p.m. vs. San Antonio Missions - May 22, 2016 - Frisco RoughRiders
- Missions Rally Comes up Short - San Antonio Missions
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