Guzman's late homer lifts Riders to victory
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (June 7, 2016) - Ronald Guzman hit a go-ahead solo home run in the eighth inning Tuesday night, and the Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, defeated the San Antonio Missions 3-2 at Wolff Stadium.
Guzman's homer broke a 2-2 tie and put the Riders (33-22) ahead for good. It was his ninth blast of the season and his fifth go-ahead homer of the season. He now sits one home run behind Ryan Cordell for the team lead.
The homer came too late to give starter Connor Sadzeck a win, but they right-hander pitched well for the RoughRiders Tuesday night. Both runs he allowed were unearned over his six innings of work, and he only allowed four hits, while striking out eight and walking none. Reed Garrett (2-0) earned the victory after working two perfect innings, and Adam Parks sealed the win in the ninth to earn his fifth save of the season.
The RoughRiders put up an early run in the first on a RBI single from Cordell, and took a 2-1 lead in the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Lewis Brinson. San Antonio (17-39) plated unearned runs in the first and sixth innings, but struggled to find much more success against Riders pitching.
The Riders have won three of their last four games, but remain 1.5 games back in the South Division after Corpus Christi defeated Midland Tuesday.
In his Double-A debut, Andy Ibanez finished 1-for-3 with a walk, a pair of flyouts and a strikeout.
Game two of the four-game series at San Antonio is set for Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. Left-handed pitcher Victor Payano (4-3, 3.81 ERA) is slated to start for Frisco against right-hander T.J. Weir (0-1, 3.60 ERA). Fans can listen for free on the Frisco RoughRiders Radio Network, the TuneIn Radio App, and the MiLB First Pitch App.
The Riders return to Dr Pepper Ballpark for a nine-game homestand beginning Saturday, June 11, which is Vulcan Salute to Star Trek Night. The highly anticipated Choctaw Lazy River is also scheduled to be open during the homestand. Tickets for those games and all other games this season 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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