TL1 Frisco RoughRiders

Riders Game Notes - 7:05 p.m. vs. Springfield Cardinals - June 3, 2016

Published on June 3, 2016 under Texas League (TL1)
Frisco RoughRiders News Release


Riders: RHP Sam Wolff (4-3, 5.12 ERA)

Cardinals: RHP Andrew Morales (4-4, 3.39 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.

LAST TIME OUT:

Frisco's series finale with Tulsa Thursday was rained out. The game will not be made up...On Wednesday, the RoughRiders lost both games in a doubleheader against Tulsa, 4-0 and 3-1...GAME ONE: Riders starter CONNOR SADZECK worked four scoreless innings to begin the game, but allowed a pair of runs in the fifth, including a solo homer from Paul Hoenecke...His counterpart, Brock Stewart, was dominant, working six scoreless innings, while allowing just one hit...GAME TWO: Both teams scored an early run, with Tyler Ogle launching a solo homer in the second, and the Riders tying the game in the third on a RBI double from LEWIS BRINSON...The game remained tied until the seventh, when reliever JOE FILOMENO issued three consecutive walks, including two with the bases loaded, to break the tie...The losses moved Frisco's losing streak to eight games.

THE CHOO TRAIN ARRIVES IN FRISCO:

Rangers outfielder SHIN-SOO CHOO joins the RoughRiders tonight, beginning a rehab assignment. Choo is recovering from a left hamstring injury suffered May 20 in Houston, his first game back from a strained right calf injury earlier in the season. Choo is a career .281 hitter over his 12 years in Major League Baseball. He is expected to play with the RoughRiders tonight, Sunday, and Wednesday at San Antonio.

LOOKING UP FOR THE FIRST TIME:

With Frisco's losses Wednesday and Corpus Christi's sweep at Arkansas, the Riders are in second place in the South Division for the first time all season. They shared the top spot with Corpus Christi and Midland on the first day of the year, but held sole possession of first place for the next 54 days. The Riders still have a chance to control their own fate in the South Division, though, with five remaining first-half matchups against the Hooks and six more against third-place Midland.

NORTH DIVISION WOES:

After a 9-1 start to the season against North Division opponents, the RoughRiders have been on a skid against teams from the Texas League's other division. Frisco has lost ten consecutive games against the North, with the last win coming in the first game of a home series against Arkansas on April 18. The Riders play their next three games against the North Division, all against the Cardinals, who swept the Riders in a three-game set at Hammons Field last weekend.

A STREAK OF CLOSE CALLS:

Despite being stuck in an eight-game losing streak, the RoughRiders have been competitive in all eight losses. Their four-run loss to Tulsa in game one Wednesday was the most lopsided loss of the skid. In the other seven losses, Frisco fell twice by one run, three times by two runs, and twice in three-run games. The RoughRiders are only averaging 1.4 runs per game during the losing streak, but are only allowing 3.3 runs per contest in that span.

SCORING POSITION STRUGGLES:

A big component of Frisco's issues scoring runs on the losing streak has been the club's failure to hit with runners in scoring position. The Riders are just 5-for-42 (.119) hitting with runners in scoring position during the losing streak, and the club is 2-for-its-last-30 (.067) in such at-bats. Prior to this losing skid, the club was hitting .322 (125-for-388) in those spots and are now hitting .302 for the year.

STARTERS STAYING STRONG:

While the offense has struggled on the current eight-game losing streak, Riders pitching - especially the starters - has been very effective as of late. Starting pitchers have worked at least five innings in all eight games on the current skid, with three quality starts (Sadzeck, Wolff, and Payano). No starters have allowed more than four earned runs during the current skid. In the eight games, the combined starter's ERA is 3.60 (18 ER/45.0 IP).

ROARING RONALD GUZMAN:

Riders first baseman RONALD GUZMAN has gotten off to a torrid start this season. The slugger put together the first two-homer game of his career Saturday night, and his season-high nine game hitting streak ended Sunday. During the run, Guzman hit .400 (14-for-35) with five extra-base hits (2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR) and 3 RBI. Of the nine games during the streak, four were multi-hit games, including a three hit-game on May 23 against the San Antonio Missions.

TRIO OF RIDERS EARN MONTHLY HONORS:

On May 19, 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.

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 (T-1st, 14), and extra-base hits (28). Cordell is also on the leaderboard in average (4th, .316), home runs (T-4th, 10), slugging percentage (3rd, .594), and triples (2nd, 4).

MULTI-HIT MADNESS:

Multi-hit performances have become a consistent trend up and down the Riders lineup this year. There have already been 108 multi-hit performances out of a possible 459 lineup spots (23.5%). 27 of the 108 multi-hit performances (25.0%) are with three or more hits. RONALD GUZMAN leads the Riders with 18 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 122-89 (.578), which is the third-best winning percentage among all Minor League systems behind Cleveland and New York (AL). Every full-season affiliate in the organization has a record above .500, as Class A-Advanced High Desert enters the day at 33-21, Class A Hickory is 30-23, and Triple-A Round Rock is 29-24. 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 the Texas 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, 11), EVAN VAN HOOSIER (18, 23),RONALD GUZMAN (22, 29), SAM WOLFF (26, NR), and CONNOR SADZECK (27, 26) rank among Texas' top 30 prospects.

OPPOSING STARTER:

The Cardinals surprised some in 2014, making today's starter Andrew Morales, who had gone undrafted every year from 2010-2013, their second-round selection out of UC Irvine as a senior in 2014. As a collegiate pitcher, he went 42-3 between Rio Hondo Community College and UC Irvine and was the DI leaded in strikeouts (141) before the start of the College World Series, helping the Anteaters to the series. Entering the season, Morales was ranked the 30th-best prospect in the Cardinals farm system by MLBPipeline.com. He faces the Riders for the second time in a week, after working seven impressive innings in a victory against the RoughRiders Sunday at Hammons Field...Repertoire: works with a 89-93 mph fastball, a 79-82 mph slider, and a changeup with a high arm slot and some deception.

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Texas League Stories from June 3, 2016


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