Kiker A Mixed Bag, Frisco Gets Big Win

I made another trip out to Frisco last night to see the RoughRiders finish up a three-game set again the Midland RockHounds.

Frisco sent top prospect Kasey Kiker to the mound and looked both like a world beater and like a guy still in need to seasoning. Kiker started the game in grand fashion, striking out the first five hitters he faced, keeping them off balance with a nice change-up and a fastball that he was able to spot. He was working quickly off the mound, taking very little time in between pitches and keeping the RockHound hitters off balance.

But from out of nowhere, Kiker began to struggle, first by walking RockHounds catcher Josh Donaldson (who went 2 for 2 with 2 walks in the loss) then hitting the next hitter, designated hitter, Corey Brown.

From there Kiker would show moments of greatness but was, for the most part, a mixed bag. Despite striking out seven of the eighteen betters he faced, Kiker also walked three, surrendering three runs (two earned) in 3 2/3 innings (Kiker is on a strict pitch count).



When pitching from the wind-up, Kiker looked like a Major League Pitcher. He worked quickly, had good command of all his pitches, and gave off and air of confidence. But with runners on base and pitching out of the stretch, he didn't retain the same pitch command, began working very slowly and seemed to be overthinking things on the mound.

Texas' top hitting prospect, Justin Smoak was also a bit Jekyll and Hyde, going 1 for 3 with a walk and two run scored but also commited a throwing error which led to a run for the RockHounds.

Second baseman Guilder Rodriguez supplied some fireworks, going 2 for 3 with a walk and an RBI sacrifice fly. He also had the two most exciting plays of the night: one, a triple that he legged out in the 4th and the other, a single that the RockHounds centerfielder misplayed, allowing Rodriguez to hustle to third in the 6th. He scored both times.

Relievers Andrew Laughter, Pedro Strop and Jose Diaz pitched a combined 5 1/3 innings, allowing no runs on three hits while striking out five. Strop and Diaz both hit the upper 90's with their fastballs with Diaz topping out at 98 more than once.

Frisco Rallies Late, Downs Midland In Extra Innings

I made a last minute trip out to the Frisco RoughRiders game last night and was treated to quite an entertaining game.

The RockHounds got it going early, getting a solo homerun out of first baseman Chris Carter. Carter is an imposing figure but post homer, did nothing as he looks to have real trouble with a quality curveball.

Frisco tied it up in the bottom of the third when Marcus Lemon, the son of former Detroit Tiger Chet Lemon, scored on a single by Chad Tracy.

Midland answered in the fifth inning, scoring Michael Affronti via sacrifice fly and Matthew Sulentic thanks to a throwing error by Frisco third baseman John Whittleman. Frisco cut the lead to one in the bottom of the inning on a line drive RBI double in the gap by top prospect Justin Smoak. It's worth nothing that Smoak looks larger than life on the field. The guy just looks like an All-Star in waiting.

Frisco pitcher Michael Ballard was pitching well enough until the sixth inning, when he walked the first two hitters before loading the bases by giving up a single to Corey Brown. Former top prospect Thomas Diamond was brought in from the bullpen, giving up a sacrifice fly. Diamond then uncorked a wild pitch, moving everyone up a base. Matthew Sulentic then singled home the 2nd run of the inning, before being thrown out trying to steal second to end their half of the inning.

Midland added one more in the top of the seventh, thanks in part to another wild pitch by Diamond and a throwing error by catcher Manny Pina. Diamond had good velocity on his pitches, keeping his fastball around 92-94, but had no control and really struggled to get outs.



In the bottom of the seventh, down 6-2, Frisco exploded for four runs, thanks largely to a 2-run double by Chad Tracy.

Reliever Pedro Strop replaced Thomas Diamond in the top of the 8th and looked very good, striking out the side, showing great command of a fastball that topped out at 96 mph on the Riders radar gun.

The ninth and tenth innings were pitched by the very imposing looking Jose Diaz, who shut Midland down and, despite some control issues, struck out three and kept the RocHounds off the board. He too seems to have a very live arm, getting it up to 97 mph on more than one occasion.

The top notch performances by Strop and Diaz set up the offense in the bottom of the tenth when Frisco loaded the bases and Emerson Frostad hit a one-out RBI single past second base, scoring Craig Gentry from third and giving Frisco the 7-6 win.