The Frisco RoughRiders, Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, fall to the Tulsa Drillers Wednesday night, 12-3. The Drillers scored 10 runs late in the game, sealing their victory in the series opener. Seven Riders managed to get hits, but the Frisco pitching staff couldn’t keep the Tulsa bats quiet.
Texas Rangers top prospect Yohander Mendez took the hill for the RoughRiders, pitching six innings. He allowed six hits and five runs (all earned) while walking one and striking out just three. Mendez allowed one home run, a three-run shot from Quincy Lattimore. That deep shot gave the Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate the lead.
The Frisco RoughRiders relievers couldn’t stop the Tulsa offense either. Shane McCain and Joe Filomeno combined to allow eight hits and seven runs (all earned) while walking one and striking out two.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa drove in a pair of runs with a double for the RoughRiders, tying the game at 2-2 in the third inning. The RoughRiders catcher sent another across the plate in the top of the seventh, to pull the RoughRiders within two at 5-3. Kiner-Falefa finished the night 2-5. Luke Tendler also went 2-5, with a double, and Luis Marte finished 2-4.
News and notes from RidersBaseball.com:
- With two more hits Wednesday, Luis Marte is 9-19 (.474) in his past five games.
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa plated a pair of runs Wednesday, increasing his team lead to 35 runs batted in. He also added to his team lead in doubles (19) and multiple-hit games (25).
- Riders reliever Shane McCain broke a scoreless streak of 5 1/ 3 innings after allowing four runs in the seventh inning.
The Frisco RoughRiders will take on the Drillers Thursday night, at ONEOK Field in Tulsa. Game two of the three-game set is scheduled to start at 7:05 PM. The RoughRiders will start top prospect Ariel Jurado (7-5, 4.08 ERA) against Chris Rearick (0-1, 6.00 ERA).
You can watch the game via MILB.tv, 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 teams and players.
*Featured image courtesy of the Frisco RoughRiders.