TEXAS RANGERS MINOR LEAGUE REPORT SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2021
ROUND ROCK EXPRESS: 14-4 (.778) ROUND ROCK EXPRESS – W, 6-5 VS. OKLAHOMA CITY
Triple-A West, East Division (3-0, T1st, – GB)
Round Rock improved to 3-0 on the season with a 6-5 win over Oklahoma City on Saturday night. 1B Curtis Terry (2-for-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI) connected for a pair of solo home runs, including back-to-back blasts with DH Carl Chester (1-for-4, RBI) in the 4th inning. Terry is batting .417 (5-12) with team-high 3 HR this season, hitting all 3 HR in his last 2 G (2 vs. LHP, 1 vs. RHP). RF Elier Hernandez (1-for-4, 2 RBI) gave the Express a 6-4 lead in the 5th with a HR of his own, as he now has 2 HR and 6 RBI in his last 2 G. LF Delino DeShields (2-for-3, 2B, 2 BB, SB) and 3B Yonny Hernandez (2-for-2, 2 BB, SB) reached base a combined 8 times. SS Anderson Tejeda (1-for-4, BB) set a new career high with 3 SB, stealing 3rd base twice. Starting pitcher LHP Joe Palumbo threw 55 pitches/34 strikes in his season debut (2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R-2 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO, 1 HR). RHP Drew Anderson picked up the win after firing 3.2 SHO IP out of the bullpen, fanning 5 and walking none. RHP Hunter Wood retired 5 of 5 BF (3 SO) in the 8th and 9th to earn the save.
FRISCO ROUGHRIDERS – L, 9-16 VS. MIDLAND
Double-A Central, South Division (3-2, 1st, – GB)
After opening the 2021 campaign 3-0, the RoughRiders have suffered losses in back-to-back games with last night’s 9-16 defeat vs. Midland. RHP Yerry Rodriguez made his Double-A debut in the start for Frisco, facing just 9 batters (L, 1.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R-ER, 2 BB, 4 SO, 2 HR). 3B Davis Wendzel (2-for-4, HR, RBI, BB) posted his 2nd straight multi-hit showing, and has home runs in 2 of his last 3 G. The 23-year-old is batting .357 (5-14) through his first 5 G at the Double-A level, recording twice as many walks (6) as strikeouts (3). C Melvin Novoa (1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB) and SS Ryan Dorow (2-for-5, 2 RBI) each lifted their first HRs of the season, and 1B Dio Arias (4-for-5, 2B) matched his career high with 4 hits (3x). RHP Alex Speas struck out 4 of 9 BF over 1.2 SHO IP in relief, while RHP Hever Bueno tossed 2.0 perfect frames with 3 K’s.
HICKORY CRAWDADS – W, 4-2 AT GREENSBORO
High-A East, South Division (3-2, T3rd, 1.0 GB) Hickory rode a 4-run rally in 1st inning to a 4-2 win at Greensboro last night despite recording just 2 hits. The Crawdads utilized 3 consecutive walks by 3B Frainyer Chavez, 2B Justin Foscue and DH Blaine Crim to set the table for a 1-out grand slam by C David García (1-for-4), the 21-year-old’s first long ball of the season. Hickory’s only other hit was an 8th-inning single from Crim, as the club’s batters combined to go 2-for-29. LHP Avery Weems was scoreless over 2.0 IP in his High-A debut (1 H, 1 BB, 3 SO), and relievers RHP Grant Anderson (2.1 IP, 1 SO) and RHP Nick Snyder (1.0 IP, 1 SO) totaled 3.1 SHO IP to close things out, with Snyder notching his 1st save of the year.
DOWN EAST WOOD DUCKS – W, 5-4 AT KANNAPOLIS
Low-A East, Central Division (5-0, 1st, – GB)
The Woodies posted a late 5-4 win on Saturday night at Kannapolis, improving to 5-0 on the season. Down East trailed 4-2 entering the 9th inning before scoring 3 runs in the game’s final frame to take the lead. LF Antonio Cabello drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly. 3B Keyber Rodriguez opened the scoring in the 7th inning with a 2-run home run, his 1st of the season. Rodriguez finished with a game-high 3 RBI. Kannapolis then tallied 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th before the Wood Ducks’ 9th inning rally. Starter RHP Nick Krauth (5.0 IP, 0 R) and reliever RHP Leury Tejada (2.0 IP, 0 R) combined to hold the Cannon Ballers scoreless through 7 innings. Down East pitchers racked up 10 strikeouts on the night, as the staff owns 13.6 strikeouts per 9 innings average through 5 games.
From Texas Rangers PR staff reports