The Frisco RoughRiders, Double-A affiliate to the Texas Rangers, are continuing their away stretch. This time, they are heading to Tulsa. The RoughRiders will take on the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Drillers.
Coming into this series, the RoughRiders sit at 4-5 on the season. The club’s starting pitching has finally found their rhythm. In the first four outings, starters went 1-3. They amassed an ERA of 13.17, allowing a 20 earned runs and 29 hits over 13.2 innings pitched. Batters were hitting a whopping .433 average.
In their last five starts, RoughRiders starters improved their stats significantly. They have gone 3-1, with an era of 3.46. Over the 26 innings, they have allowed just 10 earned runs and 23 hits. Even more impressive, the RoughRiders rotation more than doubled their strikeouts. They fanned 27 batters in this stretch, versus just nine in the first four games.
The RoughRiders bullpen has been essential from day one. The relievers are continuing their success of phenomenal pitching. The bullpen went 18 2/3 innings pitched before allowing a single earned run. To date, the ‘pen has allowed just six earned runs in 39 1/3 innings. That comes to an impressive ERA of 1.37. James Dykstra, Nick Gardewine, David Ledbetter, and Shane McCain have yet to allow an earned run so far this season.
Offensive production has been successful as well, for the RoughRiders. In the Texas League, the team sits 1st in average (.279), runs per game (4.8), and hits per game (9.6). They are tied for first in stolen bases (9). Scott Heineman is entering the series with an eight-game hitting and on-base streak.
The RoughRiders will send Collin Wiles to the hill for the first game. He has appeared in two games this season, starting one of them. He sits with a 3.00 ERA, giving up two earned runs and striking out seven in 6.0 innings. Wiles will face Drillers pitcher Josh Sborz, who is making his first appearance of the season.
Connor Sadzeck and Ariel Jurado are the probable pitchers for games two and three. Tulsa has Scott Barlow and Isaac Anderson slated for the matchups.
You can catch the first game in this series tonight. First pitch is at 7:05 PM CT, from ONEOK Field in Tulsa, Oklahoma.