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TL1 Frisco RoughRiders

Riders Game Notes - 7:05 p.m. at Springfield Cardinals - May 27, 2016

May 27, 2016 - Texas League (TL1)
Frisco RoughRiders News Release


Riders: LHP Yohander Mendez (1-0, 5.40 ERA)

Drillers: RHP Daniel Poncedeleon (2-4, 4.22 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. Today's pregame show guest is with right-hander pitcher Adam Parks.

LAST TIME OUT:

For the second straight night, the Riders lost a game in which they led, getting swept with a 3-1 loss to the Tulsa Drillers on Thursday...Frisco took an eary 1-0 lead on PRESTON BECK's RBI triple in the second...Beck finished 4-for-4, falling a homer shy of the cycle...Tulsa got all three of its runs on two swings: a pair of Cody Bellinger home runs in the fifth and sixth innings...SAM WOLFF took the loss for the RoughRiders, despite delivering a quality start (six innings, three runs)...The Riders were swept for just the second time this season and were outscored in the three-game set, 12-5.

QUALITY AND QUANTITIY:

After going 15 games between quality starts, Riders starting pitchers have posted four starts in their last five outings, which inludes a rehab start from YU DARVISH. Only Victor Payano on Wednesday (5.1 IP, 4ER) failed to earn a quality start during this recent run. During this run of five starts, the Riders are just 2-3, however, despite a starters ERA of 2.37. Additionally, losses on Tuesday and Thursday were the first losses this year when the Riders got a quaility start (12-2).

NOT EXACTLY MAY FLOWERS:

Even with four quality starts in their past five 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 5.00 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 3.99 here in May (6th in the league), dropping from the top spot in ERA for the year to 3.51 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 last night, 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 three straight losses, however, the 30-16 record is a game back of the 2008 RoughRiders who were 31-15 through 46 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, .322), home runs (3rd, 10), slugging percentage (3rd, .608), 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 105 multi-hit performances out of a possible 414 lineup spots (25.4%). 27 of the 105 multi-hit performances (25.7%) 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.

"ONE"-DERFUL IN CLOSE GAMES:

Despite leading the Texas League in run differential (+57), Frisco has played in 13 one-run contests over the last 28 games (7-6). The Riders have a 9-6 record in games decided by one run this year and are 5-3 in games decided by two runs. Only Midland has played more one-run games than the Riders (17) this season.

CUT THEM SOME SLACK:

Reliever RYNE SLACK has been one of the most reliable RoughRiders reliever, allowing earned runs in just two of his 12 outings, and his .102 opposing average is best in the Texas League. Earlier this year, he had a 14 1/3 scoreless innings and a 12 1/3 hitless streak.

RANGER DANGER:

The RoughRiders aren't the only Rangers affiliate with a winning record. Overall, the Rangers farm system is 113-74 (.604), 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-Advanced High Desert enters the day at 30-18, Class A Hickory is 28-19, and Triple-A Round Rock is 25-21. 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:

Taken just two years ago, Daniel Poncedeleon is moving quickly through the Cardinals ranks and dominating along the way. Entering the year, the California native was 14-5 with a 2.20 ERA across two minor league seasons of Class A-Short Season, Class A, and Class A-Advanced competition...Drafted in the ninth round out of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (the same school as Rangers infielder coordinator Kenny Holmberg), Poncedeleon features a four seam fastball (low to mid 90s), sinker, slider, and a curveball...Drafted four times, Poncedeleon attended four different schools (Arizona, Cypress College, Univ. of Houston before Embry-Riddle)...He failed a physical with the Cubs after being drafted in 2013 that required surgery.

Check out the Frisco RoughRiders Statistics



Texas League Stories from May 27, 2016


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