Riders Game Notes - 6:10 p.m. at Springfield Cardinals - May 28, 2016
May 28, 2016 - Texas League (TL1)
Frisco RoughRiders News Release
Riders: RHP Reed Garrett (1-0, 4.76 ERA)
Drillers: RHP Trey Neilsen (5-3, 2.91 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 6:35 p.m. prior to the first pitch at 7:10 p.m. with game coverage from Nathan Barnett and Ryan Rouillard.
LAST TIME OUT:
The Riders were shut out for the second time in four days on Friday night, dropping a 1-0 decision to the Springfield Cardinals...Harrison Bader broke a scoreless tie in the eighth inning with a solo home run off of RYNE SLACK...The Riders had allowed just one hit, an infield single, to that point across 7 1/3 innings of work...Frisco's offense collected six hits, although all were singles, and managed multiple hits in only the sixth, leaving seven on base and going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position...YOHANDER MENDEZ fired five shut out frames in his second Double-A start, allowing just the one infield single, three walks, a pair of hit batters, while striking out three. He took no decision.
SHUT DOWN IN SPRINGFIELD:
The shut out defeat last night was the second for the Riders in four days after being shut out just twice in the first 43 games this year. The offense has totaled just five runs in this 0-4 start to the road trip, by far the lowest four day total this season. The previous four-game low was nine runs from May 13-16, going 1-3 during the four contests. The Riders followed up that dearth with an 11-run, 16-hit, three-homer barrage of Midland.
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 0-for-5 in those spots last night, the Riders are now just 3-for-29 (.103) hitting with runners in scoring position on the road trip, and the club is 0-for-its-last-17 in such at-bats. All three hits came in the first three innings on Wednesday in a 6-4, come-from-behind loss to Tulsa.
QUALITY AND QUANTITY:
After going 15 games between quality starts, Riders starting pitchers have posted four starts in their last six outings, which includes a rehab start from YU DARVISH. Only VICTOR PAYANO on Wednesday (5.1 IP, 4 ER) and YOHANDER MENDEZ on Friday (5.0 IP, 0 ER) failed to earn a quality start during this recent run. During this run of six starts, the Riders are just 2-4, however, despite a starters ERA of 2.80. Additionally, losses on Tuesday and Thursday were the first losses this year when the Riders got a quality start (12-2).
NOT EXACTLY MAY FLOWERS:
Even with four quality starts in their past six starts, Frisco starting pitchers have had a tough time in the month of May. After a stellar 3.10 ERA in the month of April, the group has posted a 4.81 ERA in May. In fact, the staff as a whole has leveled off after its tremendous start with a league-best April ERA of 2.95 and an ERA of 3.89 here in May (6th in the league), dropping from the top spot in ERA for the year to 3.46 and fourth place.
SHAKE AND BAKE:
The Texas Rangers announced roster moves affecting the Riders roster on Wednesday, with left-handed pitcher JUAN GRULLON heading to Extended Spring Training and right-hander ADAM PARKS coming off the DL. Parks is second on the team with three saves and his 14.2 SO/9.0 IP is the best rate on the team despite missing 16 games. Parks made his return on Thursday, working one scoreless inning.
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:
The RoughRiders have had the best record in team history at almost every point this season. With four straight losses, however, the 30-17 record is now two games back of the 2008 RoughRiders who were 32-15 through 47 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, .314), home runs (T-3rd, 10), slugging percentage (3rd, .594), 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 106 multi-hit performances out of a possible 423 lineup spots (25.1%). 27 of the 106 multi-hit performances (25.5%) are with three or more hits. RONALD GUZMAN leads the Riders with 17 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 114-77 (.604), 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 30-19, Class A Hickory is 28-20, and Triple-A Round Rock is 26-21. 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:
Primarily a third baseman for the Utes of the University of Utah, today's starter Trey Nielsen rarely pitched in college, dealing with an elbow injury his junior season...The Cardinals took a flyer on Nielsen (30th round, 2013), and the righty underwent Tommy John Surgery, not making his pro debut until late in 2014, working primarily out of the bullpen for the State College Spikes...Since the beginning of 2015, Nielsen has mostly worked as a starter and has pitched well with good command...The son of the former big leaguer Scott Nielsen, Trey works with a power sinker in the low 90s, a changeup, and a slurvy mid-to-upper 70s curveball.
Texas League Stories from May 28, 2016
- Drillers Bounce Back with 8-2 Win over Midland - Tulsa Drillers
- Rodriguez Sharp But Missions Drop a Close One to Travs - San Antonio Missions
- Two-Out Offense Vaults Naturals to 6-5 Win in Extras - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Cards Rally Late for 5-4 Walk-Off Win on Saturday - Springfield Cardinals
- Three Homers Not Enough for Riders as Cards Rally Late - Frisco RoughRiders
- Naturals Even Series - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Riders Game Notes - 6:10 p.m. at Springfield Cardinals - May 28, 2016 - Frisco RoughRiders
- Meet Louie at the AT&T Store on Saturday and Make Dreams Come True - Springfield Cardinals
- Young Guns - Midland RockHounds
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