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Bats fall silent against San Antonio bullpen

'Riders held scoreless after third inning
May 2, 2014

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (MAY 1, 2014) - The Frisco RoughRiders jumped to a 2-0 lead, but watched the San Antonio Missions score four unanswered and take the third game of the series 4-2 at Wolff Stadium on Thursday night.

The RoughRiders totaled three base hits after the third inning and finished 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The bottom four batters in the order went a combined 0-for-15 at the plate and advanced to the bases once in the game via a walk.

Josh Geer (1-3) picked up his first win of the season for the Missions. Geer allowed two runs and five hits over six innings of work and struck out five batters with one walk.

Luke Jackson (3-1) suffered his first loss as a RoughRider this season. He bowed out with two down in the sixth and a runner on first base. Three runs crossed the plate on the right-hander's watch and he also gave up four hits and four walks with five strikeouts.

San Antonio's Johnny Barbato pitched the ninth inning and earned his sixth save of the season, tied for the Texas League lead. Barbato retired the first two batters in the ninth, but Rougned Odor singled to sustain life in the RoughRiders. However, the closer rallied and struck out Jake Smolinksi with a full-count fastball to end the ballgame.

The loss, combined with a win on Thursday by the Midland RockHounds, dropped Frisco (17-10) out of first place in the Texas League South Division for the first time since April 14. The RoughRiders also fell to 3-4 on the current eight-game road trip.

San Antonio (11-15) staked a 2-1 edge in the series against the 'Riders. A win tomorrow for the Missions would even the season series with Frisco at four games per.

Frisco scored first for the third consecutive night. A single to right field by Odor advanced teammate Luis Sardinas to third base. The throw to third from San Antonio right fielder Yeison Asenciobounced into the bleachers and Sardinas scored to give his team a 1-0 lead.

Odor later scored on a base hit to right by Ryan Rua which gave the 'Riders a two-run advantage and extended Rua's on-base streak to 24 straight games.

The teams exchanged errors in the third. A ground ball off the bat of Brian Bixler, the hero of game one in the series, ricocheted off the end of Odor's glove and into right field. Bridger Hunt scored from second base on the miscue to put San Antonio on the board.

Jackson had not allowed a run against the Missions in his career. In his last outing against San Antonio on April 21, the 22-year-old took a perfect game into the sixth inning and finished with seven innings pitched, three hits allowed, no walks and eight strikeouts.

The Missions equalized the game later in the third when designated hitter Rob Kral singled to right. With runners at the corners and one out on the board, Jackson rallied for back-to-back strikeouts to escape the inning.

Lee Orr proved a difficult out for the RoughRiders in the game. Orr opened the season 0-for-11 against Frisco, but drew two walks on Thursday and doubled in a run in the fourth to give his team its first lead of the night.

San Antonio tacked an insurance run on the board in the seventh. Reliever Ryan Rodebaugh allowed three hits in the frame, the last of which was sent into center field by Jason Hagerty for a run-scoring single.

Trailing 4-2, Frisco threatened in the eighth. Rua singled off Jerry Sullivan with one out and advanced to second on a pass ball charged to San Antonio catcher Austin Hedges.

Chris Grayson drew a walk from Sullivan, who proceeded to launch a wild pitch that put two runners in scoring position for the 'Riders.

Sullivan eluded further danger when Teodoro Martinez grounded out to third and the inning ended when Jake Skole flew out to center.

The four-game set reaches its conclusion Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and coverage begins live on www.ridersbaseball.com at 6:40 p.m. with the Frisco RoughRiders Pregame Show. The team returns to Dr Pepper Ballpark on Saturday, May 3 and will welcome the Midland RockHounds to the Metroplex for the first time in 2014.

For tickets to see the 'Riders in 2014, call 972-731-9200, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.ridersbaseball.com.