The Frisco RoughRiders, Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, fell to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals Sunday afternoon, 3-0. The Naturals completed the sweep after shutting out Frisco, limiting the club to just six hits. Riders infielder Michael De Leon had a phenomenal performance in the matchup, going 3-3 with a double. However, the RoughRiders couldn’t plate a single run.
RoughRiders starting pitcher Ariel Jurado fell one inning short of a quality start. In five innings pitched, he allowed eight hits and three runs (all earned). He walked two and struck out four, giving up one long ball. Jurado was charged with the loss and now sits at 8-11 on the season. It’s been a disappointing season for Jurado, as expectations for the youngster was high entering 2017. With an ERA over 5.00 and a WHIP of 1.47, he certainly hasn’t lived up to his hype.
The bullpen came through for the RoughRiders. Brady Feigl, Connor Sadzeck, and Nick Gardewine all took the hill in relief. Combined, they pitched a total of three innings and allowed just one hit. No runs were given up, and the trio walked none while striking out four total batters.
Opposite the bullpen’s success, the RoughRiders offense couldn’t generate runs. Michael De Leon’s 3-3 night featured two singles and double. It was the highlight for Frisco, as he solely responsible for half of the hits for the club. Michael O’Neill, Andy Ibanez, and All-Star catcher Jose Trevino accounted for the other hits.
Frisco hit 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, leaving a total of six men on base. This is a stat that has greatly suffered for the RoughRiders, especially in recent outings.
News and notes from RidersBaseball.com:
- Michael De Leon collected a season-high-tying three hits for the third time this season. With Sunday’s performance, the shortstop has 20 multiple-hit games.
- The Riders went 1-20 (.050) with runners in scoring position in the three-game series in Springdale.
- Fourteen of the Riders’ past 16 games have been decided by three runs or fewer. In that stretch, the Riders are averaging 2.4 runs per game.
After getting swept in the three-game series, the RoughRiders have lost eight of their last 12 games. They now sit at 51-69 on the season, last in the Texas League South and carrying the worst record in all of the Texas League
The Frisco RoughRiders have a day off Monday, before beginning a six-game homestand starting Tuesday night. The club will have a three-game set against the Arkansas Travelers, and a three-game set against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.
You can watch the action via MiLB.com, or listen to the broadcast at RidersBaseball.com.
Follow Blake Cole on Twitter (@blakeacole) for more on the Frisco RoughRiders, and other MiLB Texas League Double-A teams and players.
*Featured image courtesy of the Frisco RoughRiders.