The Frisco RoughRiders, Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, fell to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals Friday night, 4-0 in the series opener. The runs were all scored in the first inning after Northwest Arkansas’ Mauricio Ramos launched a grand slam off Frisco’s starter, Richelson Pena. The RoughRiders were unable to rally during the rest of the matchup, ending up facing the shutout.
Jose Cardona and Michael O’Neill each finished their night 2-4. Andy Ibanez went 1-4, with a double. They were the only three RoughRiders with hits in the matchup. The club went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, leaving eight men on base. The Naturals pitching staff was keyed in. Foster Griffin earned the win, throwing 5 2/3 innings of just four-hit baseball. The lefty punched out three and walked five, pitching into three double plays.
News and notes from RidersBaseball.com:
- Riders pitching fired eight scoreless innings following a first-inning grand slam. Over the past two days, Frisco’s arms have not allowed a run in 17 of 18 frames.
- Jose Cardona recorded his sixth multi-hit performance in his past 11 games, hitting .341 (15-44) in the stretch.
- The Riders have dropped five consecutive games against Northwest Arkansas after taking four of the first five head-to-head meetings. Frisco has not scored a run in the last 22 innings against the Naturals.
The Frisco RoughRiders will continue their three-game series against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Saturday night. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM, from Dr. Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas.
Frisco will send right-hander Pedro Payano (2-4, 4.06 ERA) to the mound. He will take on lefty Emilio Ogando (8-8, 3.20 ERA). 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.