The Frisco RoughRiders, Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, outshined the Hooks in a 6-2 victory last night. Ariel Jurado led a dominating performance from the hill, while the RoughRiders offense gave plenty of run support. It was a nice change to the previous loss for Frisco. This dual effort on both aspects of the game have brought the RoughRiders to 19-23 on the season.
Frisco’s offensive production came early, as they scored five runs in the first three innings. Corpus Christi, affiliate of the Houston Astros, pulled their starter after just three innings of play. He was taken for eight hits and five runs (four earned). Juremi Profar led the bats in last night’s win. He went 3-4, had a triple, two runs, and one RBI. Michael De Leon had a sacrifice fly and two RBIs, as he went 3-3. Finally, Jose Cardona continued to impress from plate, as he went 3-5 with a run.
Ariel Jurado, the RoughRiders starting pitcher, looked every bit as good as the scouts claim. He currently ranks as the No. 3 prospect within the Texas Rangers organization. Last night’s performance showed why. He tossed 6.1 innings, giving up six hits and two runs (both earned). Jurado didn’t allow a run until the final batter he faced, which resulted in a two-run dinger. He finished his outing with four strikeouts, one walked batter, and an ERA of 3.96.
The Frisco bullpen was able to seal the deal after Jurado made his exit. Clayton Cook, Ryne Slack, and Reed Garrett threw for 2 2/3 scoreless innings. This lowered the RoughRiders bullpen ERA to 1.55 over the past nine games.
The RoughRiders will continue their series versus the Hooks today. Frisco will send David Ledbetter to the hill. He sits at 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA. The Hooks will have Akeem Bostick as their starter. He’ll enter with a 1-1 record, and a 8.44 ERA. First pitch is at 4:05 PM CT, from Dr. Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas.
Player To Watch: Jose Cardona (CF)
He leads team with 16 multi-hit games. In his last 13 outings, he is batting .411.
You can watch today’s game at MiLB.tv, or hear the broadcast at RidersBaseball.com.