Yohander Mendez dominates as Riders shut out RockHounds 1-0

FRISCO, Texas (June 20, 2017)- Rangers' top-rated pitching prospect Yohander Méndez looked the part Tuesday, as the Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, opened the second half with a 1-0 win over the Midland RockHounds at Dr Pepper Ballpark.
BIG MOMENTS

• Yohander Mendez twirled seven scoreless innings en route to his fifth win. The Rangers' top pitching prospect yielded three hits and no walks, striking out seven. Mendez allowed two of his three hits in the first inning but retired 19 of the final 20 men he faced.
• Jose Cardona broke the scoreless tie with a run-scoring single in the bottom of the fourth, giving the Riders a 1-0 lead. Midland first baseman Viosergy Rosa committed an error earlier in the inning, helping the Riders continue the inning and score the run.
• Reed Garrett stranded the tying run at third in the eighth inning and Nick Gardewine worked a perfect ninth to earn the save.
• Midland starter Grant Holmes suffered the tough-luck loss, allowing one unearned run on eight hits over six innings with seven strikeouts.

KEY RIDERS PERFORMERS

• Yohander Mendez: W, 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
• Jose Cardona: 1-3, RBI single
• Michael O'Neill: 2-4

NEWS AND NOTES

• Yohander Mendez has allowed one run or fewer in three of his last four starts. In those three outings, he's allowed one run on 11 hits in 20 innings of work.
• Scott Heineman has reached safely in 11 of his last 16 plate appearances.
• The Riders have won consecutive games for the first time since June 3, when they swept a doubleheader from Arkansas.
• Riders manager Joe Mikulik recorded his 155th win in a Riders uniform Tuesday, moving him into second place on the franchise's all-time list.

WHAT'S NEXT
RoughRiders vs. Midland, Tuesday, 7:05 p.m.
Probables: LHP Cole Hamels (MLB rehab) vs. RHP Joel Seddon (3-1, 3.40 ERA)
Tickets: Click here
Video: MiLB.tv
Audio: RidersBaseball.com, TuneIn Radio App, MiLB First Pitch App
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 12 seasons (2005-2016). In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg. The new ownership group, together with the city of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise improvements over the past two seasons, investing nearly $8 million in a wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including a 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 upgrades made prior to the 2015 season earned the Riders and the City of Frisco "Best Ballpark Renovation" of 2015 by Ballpark Digest. The same publication also honored the Choctaw Lazy River as the best ballpark improvement over $1 million for the 2016 season. More than 130 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball, including All-Stars Chris Davis, Adrián González, Ian Kinsler, and Nelson Cruz, as well as current Rangers stars Elvis Andrus, Rougned Odor and Nomar Mazara. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders and Dr Pepper Ballpark, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact Art Garcia at [email protected] or Ryan Rouillard at [email protected].
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