Riders rally to tie twice, but can't grab lead in 6-2 loss
FRISCO, TEXAS (August 18, 2016) - The Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, rallied back from two deficits, but the Springfield Cardinals ended up taking the series finale 6-2 Thursday night at Dr Pepper Ballpark.
Eduard Pinto's RBI single in the third and Alberto Triunfel's RBI double in the seventh both evened the score at 1-1 and 2-2, respectively. The Riders (58-64 overall, 20-33 second half) failed to take the lead, despite having additional runners in scoring position after tying the game in both innings.
With the game tied 2-2 in the eighth, the Cardinals (66-56, 25-27) took back the lead for good with a pair of runs in both the eighth and ninth innings. Two runners reached against Richelson Pena (3-2) to start the eighth, and Jesse Jenner greeted reliever Juan Grullon with a two-run double to give Springfield a 4-2 advantage. Luke Voit also drove in his third run of the game with an RBI double off Grullon in the ninth.
After giving up five runs on a career-high 11 hits at Tulsa last Friday, Ariel Jurado allowed just two runs, one earned, on six hits in his five-inning start against Springfield.
Johnny Walter turned in a quality start for the Cardinals, giving up two runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings pitched. Ronnie Shaban (8-3) earned the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. Josh Lucas got the final four outs of the game to pick up his 15th save.
The Riders begin a three-game series Friday at 7:05 p.m. against the Tulsa Drillers. Right-hander Scott Carroll (0-1, 5.63 ERA) toes the rubber against Tulsa's Isaac Anderson (0-0, 1.80 ERA). Fans can watch the action live on MiLB.tv (subscription required) or listen live on the Frisco RoughRiders Radio Network, the TuneIn Radio App, and the MiLB First Pitch App.
Friday is Olympic Night, presented by Palm Breeze, as the Riders bring Rio to the ballpark and celebrate the success of Team USA at the Olympic Games. As part of the festivities, Olympic bobsledder Johnny Quinn will be on hand and available for a meet-and-greet with fans. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a free pair of USA Olympic sunglasses, courtesy of Palm Breeze. Plus, stick around after the game for a free fireworks show presented by Texas Ford Aquatics, which fans can watch from the field.
The homestand also includes the first-ever Saturday Night Pool Party and Star Wars Night on Saturday, August 20. Tickets for the remaining 10 games at Dr Pepper Ballpark this season are available 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].
###