Frisco scores late to outlast Hooks
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (August 20, 2022) – The Frisco RoughRiders ended a three-game skid with a 7-4 win over the Corpus Christi Hooks at Whataburger Field Saturday night. Frisco reliever Grant Anderson notched his fourth consecutive save with four strikeouts in 2.2 scoreless innings, his fifth save in his last
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (August 20, 2022) – The Frisco RoughRiders ended a three-game skid with a 7-4 win over the Corpus Christi Hooks at Whataburger Field Saturday night. Frisco reliever Grant Anderson notched his fourth consecutive save with four strikeouts in 2.2 scoreless innings, his fifth save in his last six appearances. Riders first baseman Blaine Crim finished with a 3-for-5 night with two RBIs, including a two-out RBI in the top of the 9th to ensure the Riders win.
Anderson completed the save and delivered the win by striking out the side in the bottom of the 9th, finishing with four strikeouts. In the month of August, Anderson hasn’t given up an earned run across 6.2 innings and is 4-for-4 in the month in save opportunities with 11 strikeouts and one walk.
Frisco (24-20, 60-53) starter Avery Weems made his first start since July 16th with five strikeouts in four innings of work, giving up two runs on one hit. In the month of August, Weems has struck out 15 batters and walked three in 12 innings across three outings.
Reliever Tai Tiedemann (4-1) earned the win for Frisco with a strikeout and a run allowed in one inning after Weems’ four innings. Left-hander Grant Wolfram followed with three strikeouts and two walks over the next 1.1 innings, setting up Anderson for the save.
Corpus Christi starter Adrian Chaidez (4-3) surrendered three runs on three hits in five innings, while Matt Ruppenthal allowed two runs on three hits and three walks in the 8th and 9th innings for the Hooks (19-25, 51-62).
Corpus Christi struck first for just the second time this week in the bottom of the 2nd on a two-run single from third baseman Joe Perez. With the bases loaded, Perez singled in a pair of runs to give the Hooks an early 2-0 lead.
The Riders bounced back by loading the bases in the top of the 4th beginning with a single from Crim, followed by consecutive walks to Josh Stowers and Jax Biggers to load the bases. With two outs in the inning, designated hitter Miguel Aparicio tripled up the first base line and brought everybody in to vault the Riders on top, 3-2.
Frisco stretched their lead in the next inning with the first three batters reaching base safely on Hooks righty Michael Horrell. Aaron Zavala returned to the Riders roster in his first game with Frisco since August 9th with a base hit to begin the inning, followed by Justin Foscue reaching safely on a fielder’s choice. With two on, Crim struck for the second time in the game with an RBI single, plating Zavala and giving Frisco a 4-2 edge.
The RoughRiders pushed another run across in the top of the 6th nearly solely on the efforts on Kellen Strahm. After Strahm reached on an error from Hooks pitcher Jonathan Sprinkle, Strahm swiped second for his sixth stolen base of the year and advanced to third on a throwing error from catcher Cesar Salazar. Strahm came in to score on the ensuing wild pitch to Zavala to extend the Riders lead to 5-0.
The Hooks finally ended the streak of five unanswered Frisco runs with a leadoff solo blast from designated hitter Shay Whitcomb in the bottom of the 6th inning, ending the night for Tiedemann.
Wolfram entered with the 5-3 lead in the bottom of the 6th inning and struck out the side, despite giving up a one-out single. Wolfram departed in the bottom of the 7th with the bases loaded and one out for Anderson, who allowed one run to score on a wild pitch to trim Frisco’s lead to one run, 5-4.
The Riders pushed two runs of insurance across in the 9th on Ruppenthal to extend the Riders’ lead late. With Zavala aboard from a walk, Crim singled for the third time of the game and his second RBI to give Frisco a 6-4 lead. Following a single from Stowers, Biggers produced the third consecutive hit to score Crim from second and extend the Riders lead to 7-4.
Frisco and Corpus Christi end the six-game series with a 5:05 p.m. pitch from Whataburger Field on Sunday. Frisco LHP Antoine Kelly (0-0, 7.94 ERA) makes his third Double-A start, while Corpus Christi sends RHP Jayden Murray (0-0, 2.00 ERA) to the hill for his second start of the week.
Frisco returns to Riders Field on Tuesday, August 23rd to begin a six-game set against the Wind Surge of Wichita at 7:05 p.m. For tickets and more information about the Frisco RoughRiders, visit RidersBaseball.com or call 972.731.9200.
About the RoughRiders
The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. The team was founded in 2003 and has finished first among all Double-A franchises in attendance for 15 consecutive seasons (2005-2019). In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg. Since then, the new ownership group, together with the City of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise enhancements, investing over $8 million in a wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including a state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, InTouch Grille, Riders Outpost Team Store and the world's largest water feature in a sports facility, the massive Lazy River. These enhancements earned the Riders and the City of Frisco Ballpark Digest's prestigious "Best Ballpark Renovation" award for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). More than 170 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact [email protected].