RoughRiders Lose In Midland
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MIDLAND, TEXAS – For the second straight day, Frisco led in the ballgame against the Midland Rockhounds, but for the third consecutive game the RoughRiders were bested by their opposition, losing 8-5 at Citibank Ballpark Tuesday afternoon.
The RoughRiders (17-15) mustered just two runs off of RockHounds starter Arnold Leon in his five innings of work, but they went right after the Midland bullpen when he gave way in the sixth.
Down 3-2, Brett Nicholas launched his sixth home run of the year, this one an opposite-field homer, to tie the game at 3-3 off of Mike DeMark, the first RockHounds reliever. Zach Zaneski and Chih-Hsien Chiang followed with a single and a walk, setting things up for the bottom of the order to give Frisco their first lead. Ryan Strausborger grounded out, but Teodoro Martinez came through with his second hit of the ballgame, driving home two runs to make it 5-3 RoughRiders.
Martinez went two-for-four with two RBI and two stolen bases. He has hit safely in seven of the last eight ballgames and has six RBI in his last six contests.
The two-run lead proved not enough. Jimmy Reyes began the seventh inning for the RoughRiders. The fourth pitcher in for Frisco, who started Tyler Tufts, Reyes surrendered a solo home run to Jeremy Barfield in the seventh inning to tie the game, and things
went south for the lefty in the eighth. With two aboard and two down, Darwin Perez cracked a three-run home run to give Midland (16-16) an 8-5 lead that would hold up as the final score.
Frisco was held silent in the final three innings again Tuesday; the team scored just one run in the final three innings of the four games in the series combined.
In relief, Reyes took the loss (0-1) and the blown save. Kyler Newbie (2-3), who got the final five outs, earned his second win of the series.
Frisco is off Wednesday and returns to action Thursday night in Corpus Christi.
Neil Ramirez (2-0, 3.07 ERA) returns to the mound Thursday at 7:05 at Whataburger Field. Corpus Christi gives the ball to Jake Buchanan (2-0, 1.31 ERA) to start the game. Fans can tune in to the play-by-play broadcast on www.RidersBaseball.com beginning at 6:40.
Frisco will return to Dr Pepper Ballpark Monday, May 13 at 7 p.m. when they host Midland. For information on tickets to see the RoughRiders in 2013, please call (972) 731-9200, email info@ridersbaseball.com or visit www.ridersbaseball.com.
