Frisco's Loux earns ninth straight win

Rangers' right-handed prospect Barret Loux says his remarkable start to the season has as much to do with luck and run support as hitting spots and mixing his pitches.

Considering Loux is now a Minors-best 9-0, he may also lead the league in modesty.

Texas' No. 19 prospect allowed one run on two hits and a walk while striking out six batters over seven innings Sunday in the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders' 2-1 win over the San Antonio Missions.

That's nine starts, nine victories for the 23-year-old, who was last on the losing end of a decision in July while pitching for the Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

"It's pretty cool, but you have to have a lot of luck involved," said Loux. "[The team has] scored more runs than I've thrown innings. They've scored so many runs in games when I've pitched, it's been unbelievable. I had full confidence in them.

"I only have two goals this season, staying healthy and giving my team a chance to win."

Loux was originally selected by Arizona sixth overall in the 2010 Draft, but the club chose not to sign him due to injury concerns. Texas took a chance on him a few months later and the risk paid off.

Loux retired the side in order in the first inning Sunday, but he surrendered a leadoff homer to Cody Decker on the first pitch of the second. Loux then retired 17 of the next 18 players he faced before Jonathan Galvez singled to left field with two outs in the seventh. But the Texas native induced an inning-ending ground ball off the bat of Edison Rincon with his 90th and final pitch of the evening.

"The first pitch of that inning I threw a not-very-good slider and he hit it a long way," Loux said of Decker's 14th homer of the year. "I wanted to throw it low and away and either miss for a ball or get a swing. I left it a little bit over the plate.

"I was keeping the fastball down. I got a few ground balls and a few fly balls. I was trying to locate my pitches, force contact and let the defense work behind me. They were out in front early and I wanted to keep it there. I knew the hitting would come around."

Loux exited with Frisco trailing, 1-0, but his teammates picked him up with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning and the bullpen put up zeros in the final two innings to secure another win.

Consecutive one-out singles by third baseman Alex Buchholz, left fielder Val Majewski and catcher Zach Zaneski tied the game, and right fielder Jared Prince plated what turned out to be the eventual winning run with a groundout to second base.

Wilfredo Boscan worked a perfect eighth, left-hander Joe Ortiz set down both batters he faced and Johan Yan needed just two pitches to retire Nathan Freiman for the final out to record his 10th save of the year.

Loux has not surrendered more than three runs this year, but he has allowed at least two runs in five of his nine outings. Frisco, however, has averaged more than seven runs and 11 hits in games he has started. Entering Sunday, Loux had only pitched five innings with his team trailing.

While Loux's winning streak remained intact, shortstop Jurickson Profar was unable to record a hit in his Minor League-leading 30th game of the year. Texas' top prospect grounded out in the first, walked in the fourth, struck out in the sixth and flied out to center field in the eighth.

"He's an unbelievable player. He's very athletic and powerful and he's a great guy to be around." Loux said of Profar. "He makes great defensive plays and it's fun to watch him play."

Loux became the first nine-game winner this year. Arizona's top prospect -- and MLB.com's No. 8 -- Trevor Bauer won his eighth game of the season in his Triple-A debut with Reno on Thursday, while Akron's T.J. McFarland ran his record to 8-1 after allowing a run on a season-high 12 hits in Sunday's 3-2 victory at home to Richmond.

Loux will go for his 10th win either in the finale of a three-game set in Tulsa on Friday or in Game 1 of a three-game series in Northwest Arkansas on Saturday.