Three homers not enough for Riders as Cards rally late
SPRINGFIELD, MO. (May 28, 2016) - The Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, scored four runs on three home runs, but the Springfield Cardinals erased the deficit by scoring five runs in the last two innings to walk off with a 5-4 victory Saturday night at Hammons Field.
The Cardinals (27-22) walked off against the RoughRiders (30-18) in the bottom of the ninth on a misplayed ground ball by second baseman Evan Van Hoosier with the Riders an out away from forcing extra innings.
Entering the bottom of the eighth trailing 4-0, Springfield scored four runs against reliever John Fasola (0-1) to tie the game. Harrison Bader, who drove in the only run Friday with an eighth-inning solo homer, hit another one to lead off the frame. The Cardinals' rally continued as Paul DeJong drove in two more runs with a double and advanced to third on a throwing error. Two batters later, Collin Radack plated DeJong with a game-tying single to right field.
The Riders used a trio of home runs to build a 4-0 cushion. Ronald Guzman hit a solo home run in the first inning and went deep again in the eighth. He now has a total of seven this season, all solo homers, and leads the team with 18 multi-hit games. Kellin Deglan gave Frisco a 3-0 lead with a two-run homer in the top of the second, his second of the year.
Reed Garrett pitched the first five innings for Frisco in his third start of the season. He held the Cardinals scoreless and allowed just three hits. Jose Valdespina pitched two scoreless, one-hit frames out of the bullpen in relief of Garrett.
Saturday's loss marked the fifth straight defeat for the Riders. Frisco wraps up its three-game series and six-game road trip Sunday afternoon at 2:10 p.m. Righty Luis Ortiz (1-0) is scheduled to make the start for the RoughRiders, working against Springfield's right-hander Andrew Morales (3-4). Live coverage can be heard on the Frisco RoughRiders Radio Network, on the TuneIn Radio App, and the MiLB First Pitch App. Dr Pepper Pregame Show coverage begins at 1:35 p.m.
The RoughRiders return home Tuesday, May 31 to begin a six-game homestand against the Tulsa Drillers and the Springfield Cardinals. The homestand includes Superhero Night on Saturday, June 4th. Tickets for that game and the other games on the homestand are available now online at RidersBaseball.com, via email at [email protected], over the phone at (972) 731-9200, or in-person at the RoughRiders box office.
About the RoughRiders
The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and play their games at beautiful Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas. The team was founded in 2003 and has finished first among all Double-A franchises in attendance in each of the last 11 seasons (2005-2015). In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg and Scott Sonju. The new ownership group, together with the city of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise improvements over the past two seasons, investing over $7 million in wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including the new state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, InTouch Grille, Riders Outpost Team Store, and the newest and biggest creation, the 174-foot Choctaw Lazy River. The improvements made prior to the 2015 season earned the Riders and the City of Frisco "Best Ballpark Renovation" of 2015 by Ballpark Digest. More than 130 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball, including All-Stars Chris Davis, Elvis Andrus, Adrian Gonzalez, Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, and C.J. Wilson as well as current Rangers stars Derek Holland, Rougned Odor, and Mitch Moreland. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders and Dr Pepper Ballpark, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact Nathan Barnett at (972) 334-1976 or via e-mail at [email protected].
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