Frisco's Gallo clubs first 2015 homer

Considering the career resume of Rangers first-rounder Joey Gallo, it was only a question of when he would go deep for the first time in 2015. Now that has been answered, it's back to his regular business.

Texas' top prospect hit his first homer of the season Wednesday, but his Double-A Frisco RoughRiders fell to the visiting San Antonio Missions, 9-1, in the second game of a doubleheader.

The 21-year-old missed the start of the season after undergoing minor surgery April 3 to remove a bone in his left ankle that had bothered him during Spring Training. He made his season debut on April 25 and has hit safely in eight of his 12 contests, including five multi-hit performances.

Gallo averaged one homer every 10.5 at-bats in 2014, but hadn't hit one in 37 at-bats this season. Selected by the Rangers 39th overall in the 2012 Draft, Gallo had never gone 10 games in a row without going deep prior to this year.

Batting fifth and playing third base Wednesday, the two-time Futures Game selection smacked Missions right-hander Justin Hancock's 2-2 offering in the second inning over the left-center field fence at Dr Pepper Ballpark. He struck out in his next three at-bats.

Home run numbers aside, Gallo hasn't exactly been slumping. His strikeout rate is actually down from a year ago, and with five doubles in 12 games, he's already on pace to more than double his 19 two-baggers from 2014. Entering Wednesday, his .958 on-base plus slugging percentage would have ranked 45th in all of the Minors if he had enough at-bats to qualify, and it would have been the third-highest mark of any of the eligible players without a homer.

The long ball numbers for MLB.com's No. 10 prospect speak for themselves. His 65 career high-school homers are the most in Nevada prep baseball history and the sixth-highest total ever nationwide. His 18 dingers in 43 Arizona League games in 2012 are the most all-time and his 40 roundtrippers in 2013 stand as the greatest total of any Minor League hitter in 2013.

Last season, the Nevada native clubbed a career-high 42 over 126 games between Class A Advanced Carolina and Double-A Frisco, missing out on the home run crown by one blast to Cubs slugger Kris Bryant.

Gallo also ranked fourth in the Minors with 106 RBIs behind childhood friend Bryant (110), D.J. Peterson (111) and Marquez Smith (131), while his 87 walks were tied for fifth overall behind Sherman Johnson (88), Aaron Judge (89), Joc Pederson (100) and Matt Olson (117).

On Wednesday, San Antonio right fielder Yeison Asencio went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI and leadoff hitter Travis Jankowski was 2-for-5 with a walk, two RBIs and a run. Missions starter Justin Hancock (3-1) allowed a run on eight hits and a walk while striking out seven batters over seven innings in the victory.