Riders Game Notes - 7:05 p.m. vs. San Antonio Missions - May 21, 2016
Published on May 21, 2016 under Texas League (TL1)
Frisco RoughRiders News Release
Riders: LHP Yohander Mendez (---, -.-- ERA)
Missions: RHP Bryce Morrow (0-5, 7.00 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 6:30 p.m. prior to the first pitch at 7:05 p.m. with game coverage from Nathan Barnett and Ryan Rouillard. Today's pregame show guest is Riders outfielder Preston Beck.
LAST TIME OUT:
The RoughRiders lost their first game to the Missions this season, 5-4, in the series opener...A five-run sixth inning proved to be the difference for San Antonio, scoring all five runs in the inning against starting pitcher SAM WOLFF and reliever JOSE VALDESPINA...The Riders had an early 3-0 lead, including a solo home run from PRESTON BECK, who finished 2-for-4 in Friday's loss...The defeat marked the first loss for the Riders against San Antonio this season (8-1).
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.
YU READY FOR MORE?:
Right-handed pitcher YU DARVISH is scheduled to make his third rehab start with the Riders Sunday 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.
RIDING INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS:
Frisco's 27-13 record is the best through 40 games in team history, one game ahead of the 2008 RoughRiders who were 26-14 at this point. The 2008 squad finished with an 84-56 record and lost to Arkansas in the Texas League championship series.
MOVIN' ON UP:
Friday, the Rangers promoted two of the top young arms 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. Lefty YOHANDER MENDEZ (No. 14, MLBPipeline.com) also earned a promotion after going 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA with the Mavericks.
GOING STREAKING:
RYAN CORDELL had his impressive 37-game on-base streak snapped in game two of Thursday's doubleheader. With his single Friday, Cordell started a new streak and has reached base in 37 of 38 games he played, recording hits in 34 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 (34), and extra-base hits (24). Cordell is on the leaderboard in average (3rd, .336), doubles (T-3rd, 11), home runs (T-2nd, 10), slugging percentage (2nd, .651), and triples (T-2nd, 3).
STRIKEOUT FEVER:
After striking out 180 hitters in the first 23 games (7.8 per game), Riders pitching has amassed 149 punchouts in the last 17 games (8.8 per game). In addition, three starters have set career-highs in single-game strikeouts during that stretch (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.
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 (+47), Frisco has played in 12 one-run contests, winning seven, over the last 23 games. The Riders have an 8-6 record in games decided by one run this year and are 5-1 in games decided by two runs. Six of the nine games between the Riders and Missions this season have been decided by two runs or fewer.
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.
HOW SWEEP IT IS:
The Riders have swept three four-game series already this season (two against San Antonio, one against Midland. Coming into the season, the Riders hadn't swept a four-game set since May 2011.
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 101-61 (.623), 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 26-14, Class A-Advanced High Desert is 27-15, and Triple-A Round Rock is 21-19. 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:
The RoughRiders face Bryce Morrow for the second time this season. Morrow has lost all five of his starts this year, including both of his outings against the RoughRiders. The Central Michigan University product will make his 10th career start against the Riders tonight. He holds a career 4-5 record with a 7.32 ERA in his first nine outings against the RoughRiders.
Texas League Stories from May 21, 2016
- Who You Gonna Call? Brett Vertigan ... Streak-Buster - Midland RockHounds
- Cardinals Blast Three Bombs to Top Travs, 6-4 - Springfield Cardinals
- Streak Ends at 11 - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Travs Fight But Cards Blast Way to Win - Arkansas Travelers
- Mendez Earns Victory in Double-A Debut - Frisco RoughRiders
- Missions Top Riders 5-4 - San Antonio Missions
- Five-Run Sixth Sinks Riders in Game One - Frisco RoughRiders
- Skoglund Dominant as Naturals Shut out Drillers - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Drillers Shut out for Second Night in a Row - Tulsa Drillers
- Riders Game Notes - 7:05 p.m. vs. San Antonio Missions - May 21, 2016 - Frisco RoughRiders
- "Old School" Night at the Ballpark: We're Going Streaking - Midland RockHounds
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