Game 73: Frisco RoughRiders (Brandon Webb) @ Corpus Christi Hooks (Ross Seaton)

Time: 7:00 PM CT
Location: Whataburger Field (Corpus Christi, TX)
Team Records: Frisco RoughRiders (1-1 1 game back in the Texas League South; 41-31 overall)...Corpus Christi Hooks (0-2 2 games back in the Texas League South; 25-47 overall)
Streak: Won 1 in a row
Last 10: 7-3
Road Trip: 0-0
Series Record: 10-8-2
2011 Record against Corpus Christi: 9-7
All-Time Record against Corpus Christi: 104-96
Record on June 24th since 2004: 3-3
Starting Pitchers: Brandon Webb (0-1 11.57 ERA) is 0-0 with a 54.00 ERA and 10.49 WHIP in 1 career start against the Corpus Christi Hooks... Ross Seaton (2-5 5.91 ERA) is 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 4 career starts against the Frisco RoughRiders


What to Watch for on the Mound: Frisco sends Brandon Webb to the mound for the 4th time this season, while Corpus Christi sends Ross Seaton to the mound for the 15th time this season in a rematch of their June 19th starts... Brandon Webb hopes to put his last outing behind him as he faces Corpus Christi on the road for the second consecutive start. In his last outing Webb gave up 6 hits, 1 walk, and 4 runs over 2/3 of an inning with 1 strikeout. He topped out as high as 86 with his fastball. The 2006 NL Cy Young award winner has sandwiched one good outing between two bad outings. On the season, Webb has given up 15 hits and 4 walks over 7 innings with 4 strikeouts for Frisco. Left handed hitters are batting .550 against Webb on the season... Ross Seaton opposed Webb in his last outing and also got roughed up by Frisco. Seaton gave up 7 hits, 1 walk, and 7 runs over 3 innings with 2 strikeouts. It was his second consecutive rough outing against the Riders as Seaton also gave up 10 hits, 1 walk, and 7 runs (6 earned) over 6 innings with 3 strikeouts on May 12th. On the season, Seaton has given up 91 hits and 27 walks over 77 2/3 innings with 41 strikeouts. He has given up 11 homeruns in 14 starts this season. At home he is 1-3 with a 6.52 ERA over 7 starts.


Frisco Takes 6-0 lead, Wins 9-5: Frisco completed a 4 game set with the Midland Rockhounds on Thursday by defeating the Rockhounds 9-5. The win meant their second series split this season. Frisco's last series loss to a team not named the San Antonio Missions was April 21-24th against the Corpus Christi Hooks at home. It was the 7th time in 16 games that Frisco has scored 9 or more runs against Midland this season.

Ben Snyder Wins Again: If there is one pitcher that is a Midland Rockhound killer it is Ben Snyder, who started for Frisco on Thursday after Jake Brigham was moved to the bullpen. Snyder scattered 5 hits over 5 innings and gave up just 1 run with 4 strikeouts and 0 walks. He earned his 6th victory of the season, which puts him tied for the team lead in wins with reliever Justin Miller. Snyder is also now 4-0 against the Midland Rockhounds this season, with 3 of the wins coming in relief. For his career, Snyder is now 5-0 with a 2.27 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 13 career appearances, including 2 starts against the Midland Rockhounds.


An Even Bigger Day for Elio: We talked about Elio Sarmiento's big day on Tuesday when he hit a 3-run homerun and 2-run double en route to his career best 5 RBI day. The homerun was Frisco's 69th in the first half and also represents the first time in his career that he has had more than 2 homeruns. On Thursday he upped his big week with a 3 for 4 day including a homerun, a triple, and a double. He finished a single short of the reverse cycle. In his last 10 games, Elio Sarmiento is batting .350 (14 for 40) with 10 extra base hits, 12 RBI, and 9 runs scored. His OPS over the 10 games is 1.209. In the month of June, Sarmiento is batting .333 with 5 doubles, 2 triples, and 3 homeruns. He needs just one more extra base hit to equal last year's output of 13 extra base hits and he is working with 129 less at bats. His career best in extra base hits came in 2009 when he had 18 between Bakersfield and Frisco in 209 at bats.

Ruiz Homers: Jose Ruiz has become a model of consistency in the RoughRider's offense. He hasn't had a great high yet, but hasn't had a big low either. In April Ruiz hit .324 with an .823 OPS, in May he hit .297 with an .847 OPS, and in June he has hit .273 with an .830 OPS. On Thursday Ruiz went 3 for 4 with his 8th homerun of the year, which came in the 3rd inning to put Frisco on top 6-0. The shot was quite impressive as it went to close to dead centerfield. Over his last 10 games, Ruiz is batting, no surprise, .275 with an .800 OPS.

Renny Osuna Goes Deep: Working on his 3rd partial season in Frisco, infielder Renny Osuna continues to hit with surprising power. The 26 year old infielder had never hit more than 4 homeruns in a season before this year, but went 2 for 3 with his 6th homerun of the year on Thursday. He also walked, drove in 2 runs, and scored one run. He has been struggling of late as Osuna is batting just .222 over his last 10 games and had a rare 2 error game on Wednesday in Frisco's 3-1 loss, but Osuna is still producing for the season overall. Last season Osuna hit .293 with 21 doubles, 5 triples, and 4 homeruns with 49 RBI in 450 at bats for Frisco. This season, Osuna has hit .291 with 8 doubles, 0 triples, and 6 homeruns with 32 RBI in 234 at bats for the Riders.

Miller Extends Streak to 8 games: Justin Miller came into a crucial situation on Thursday as he relieved the struggling Jake Brigham, who had already given up 4 runs in the game and left with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the 6th inning with Frisco clinging to a 6-5 lead at the time. Miller came into face Grant Green, who already had homered twice in the series, and got Green to line out to Engel Beltre, who made a nice diving catch to end the inning. Miller didn't look back as he completed 2 more innings of scoreless pitching. He walked two in the 7th inning, but was able to escape a 2 on, 2 out jam by getting Jeremy Barfield to pop up to first baseman Jose Ruiz. Miller has now thrown 14 consecutive scoreless innings over 8 appearances. 

Tracking Texas League Homeruns: 552 homeruns in 570 games (0.968 HR/G)

Term of the Day: Leveraging- The practice by which managers routinely adjust their pitching rotation to match their best starting pitchers against their top rival teams.

Last Year on This Date: Frisco defeated Midland 7-2 on the road as they pounded out 15 hits. Tanner Roark started and gave up 7 hits, 0 walks, and 2 runs (1 earned) over 7 innings with 3 strikeouts. Evan Reed and Josh Lueke each pitched a scoreless inning of relief. Marcus Lemon led Frisco with a 4 for 5 day including 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Renny Osuna went 2 for 5 with a double and RBI. Taylor Teagarden added a 2 for 5 day including 2 RBI. Elio Sarmiento and Guilder Rodriguez each went 2 for 5 at the plate at the bottom of the lineup. Matt Lawson and Joey Butler each added 1 hit days for the Riders, while James Tomlin had a double for his lone hit.

Around the Ranger's System

Yesterday's Record: 2-4

Round Rock (AAA) split their two games with the New Orleans Zephyrs as they completed a previously suspended game and their scheduled game. They have a similar situation today as well. Round Rock defeated New Orleans 7-3 in the first game and lost 4-1 in the second game...

Scott Feldman started the first game, which was previously suspended, and gave up 2 hits over 2 shutout innings with 1 strikeout and 0 walks. Brett Tomko gave up 3 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run over 5 innings of relief with 2 strikeouts. Ryan Tucker pitched a scoreless 8th inning and Cody Eppley gave up 2 runs in the 9th inning. Brian Barden led Round Rock with a 3 for 4 day including 2 doubles, a homerun, and 3 RBI. Chris Davis went 2 for 4 with a homerun and 2 RBI at the plate. Julio Borbon went 2 for 5 with a double, a triple, and a stolen base (his 10th) in the game as well. Joey Butler had a 2 for 4 day with his 5th steal for the Express. Esteban German and Omar Quintanilla each added a hit in the game as well.

Neil Ramirez started the second game for Round Rock and gave up 5 hits, 2 walks, and 4 runs over 5 innings with 6 strikeouts. Pedro Strop pitched a scoreless 6th inning to finish up the game. Chris Davis went 1 for 3 with the lone RBI for Round Rock. Omar Quintanilla went 1 for 3 with a triple. Brad Nelson and Esteban German each went 1 for 3 with a double. Matt Kata added a single and Kevin Cash went 1 for 2 with a double.

Myrtle Beach (High-A) gave up 6 runs in the 3rd inning and couldn't quite mount a big enough comeback in the 9th inning as they fell to Potomac Nationals 6-5 in the first game of the second half. Wilfredo Boscan started for Myrtle Beach and gave up 7 hits and 6 runs (all earned) over 2 1/3 innings with 2 strikeouts. Chad Bell, Zach Osborne, and Kasey Kiker combined for 6 2/3 innings of shutout relief with 9 strikeouts to 2 walks and 2 hits. Jared Hoying went 2 for 4 with a double and 2 RBI at the plate. Jared Bolden and Santiago Chirino each went 2 for 4 for the Pelicans. Vincent DiFazio went 1 for 2 with 2 walks. Chris McGuiness went 1 for 4 with a RBI as well. Jared Prince and Mitch Hilligoss each added a hit as well.

Hickory (Low-A) gave up a run in the top of the 8th inning and lost 1-0 to the West Virginia Power. Nick Tepesch started for Hickory and gave up 6 hits and 1 walk over 6 shutout innings with 9 strikeouts. Joseph Van Meter took the loss after giving up a run in 2 innings of relief. Colby Killian pitched a scoreless 9th inning. Jurickson Profar went 0 for 4 at the plate for Hickory. Odubel Herrera went 1 for 4 for the Crawdads. Andrew Clark, Jake Skole, and Kellin Deglan each added singles in the game.

Spokane (Short Season A-Ball) lost 4-2 on the road to the Yakima Bears for their first loss since opening day, as they won 5 in a row since then. Victor Payano got the start for Spokane and gave up 6 hits, 1 walk, and 2 runs over 4 innings with 4 strikeouts. Will Lamb pitched a scoreless inning of relief. Francisco Mendoza took the loss after giving up 2 runs over 3 innings of relief. Rougned Odor went 2 for 4 at the plate for Spokane. Zach Cone also went 2 for 4 at the plate for the Indians with a RBI. Trever Adams added a 1 for 3 day with a double and Guillermo Pimentel went 1 for 4 at the plate.

Minor League Performance of the Day

Alexander Torres had his most dominant start of a season in which he has pitched well at the AAA level. The 23 year old pitcher gave up just 3 hits and 3 walks over 7 shutout innings with 12 strikeouts for the Durham Bulls in Durham's 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Bisons. Torres, a southpaw, is now 4-5 with a 3.69 ERA over 14 starts for the Bulls. Over 75 2/3 innings, Torres has given up 72 hits and walked 45 batters with 84 strikeouts. His 12 strikeouts was his second double digit strikeout performance this season. Alex Torres was an international signing by the Los Angeles Angels in 2005. He was traded by the Angels to the Rays in the deal that sent Scott Kazmir to Los Angeles. Kazmir was recently released by the Angels and remains unsigned. Alex Torres was rated by Baseball America as the 6th best prospect in the Tampa Bay Ray's system entering 2011.

As always...

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- By Michael Damman