Riding Through the Farm: June 17
“Riding Through the Farm” is your weekly look at what’s going on in the Rangers organization outside of Frisco.
TEXAS RANGERS (42–25, 1st place, AL West)
The Rangers continue to increase their lead over the Seattle Mariners, as they are now 6 1/2 games ahead of the M’s in the American League West. The club has won eight straight series and has not lost a series since being swept by Oakland from May 16–18.
Colby Lewis took a perfect game into the eighth inning in Thursday’s series finale against the Athletics. Lewis lost the perfect game with a walk in the eighth and the no-hit bid was ended with a leadoff double in the ninth. However, he still held Oakland to one run on two hits in the Rangers’ 5–1 win.
The Rangers wrap up their road-trip this weekend with a three-game interleague series at the St. Louis Cardinals. Although the Rangers don’t have good memories of Busch Stadium from 2011, they did sweep a road series against the Cards in 2013.
Tonight: at St. Louis, 7:15 p.m. CT (SP: LHP Cole Hamels)
TRIPLE-A ROUND ROCK EXPRESS (36–29, 2nd, PCL American Southern Division)
The Express trail Nashville by three games in the PCL American Southern Division. However, the Pacific Coast League does not split their season into two halves, so there is no first-half division champion.
Round Rock has a chance to make up some ground against the first place with the first-place team, with a five-game road series in Nashville beginning tonight. The series includes a Sunday doubleheader.
Tonight: at Nashville, 7:05 p.m. CT (SP: RHP Richelson Pena)
CLASS-A ADVANCED HIGH DESERT MAVERICKS (42–25, 1st, California League South Division)
The Mavericks continue to hold off Rancho Cucamonga, sitting in first place in the California League South Division. However, the Quakes are just one game behind with three games remaining before the All-Star break. The magic number is three for High Desert to clinch the first-half division title.
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Travis Demeritte and Jose Trevino were both named California League mid-season All-Stars. They will both be in the starting lineup for the California League squad against the team from the Carolina League. The game is set for 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday at The Diamond in Lake Elsinore.
Tonight: vs. Stockton, 9:05 p.m. CT (SP: RHP Ariel Jurado)
CLASS-A HICKORY CRAWDADS (37–29, 3rd, South Atlantic League Northern Division)
Despite having the fourth-best record in the 14-team circuit, the Crawdads are in third place in the North Division, four games behind the first-place Hagerstown Suns. Hickory faces elimination from first-half division title contention tonight.
Five Crawdads were named to the South Atlantic League Northern Division All-Star team. Pitchers Pedro Payano, Jeffrey Springs, and Erik Swanson, shortstop Yeyson Yrizarri, and catcher Tyler Sanchez will all represent Hickory in the game, which will be held Tuesday at Whitaker Bank Ballpark in Lexington, Ky.
Tonight: vs. Delmarva, 6:00 p.m. CT (SP: LHP Wes Benjamin)
CLASS A-SHORT SEASON SPOKANE INDIANS
Spokane open the 2016 season tonight at home against Vancouver. The Indians will send Michael Matuella to the mound for his first professional start. The righty underwent Tommy John surgery on a torn UCL in his right elbow two months before last year’s MLB Draft.
Despite having yet to play in a professional game, Matuella is ranked as the №7 prospect in the organization, according to MLBPipeline.com. He was selected by the Rangers in the third round of the 2015 draft with the 78th overall pick.
Tonight: vs. Vancouver, 8:30 p.m. CT (SP: RHP Michael Matuella)
- Steve
Baseball term of the day: hen-house hoist — A foul ball.
(term from The Dickson Baseball Dictionary)
