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.

Thomas Diamond Looking To Finally Live Up To His Promise

Another arm could be close to getting a shot in the Rangers bullpen.

Five years ago, Diamond was the Rangers' No. 1 draft choice, the 10th player selected overall in the 2004 baseball draft. He was the Rangers' No. 1 prospect in 2005.

But after compiling a 26-11 record in '05 and '06, Diamond missed all of 2007 after having to undergo Tommy John surgery and struggled to regain his form last year, posting a 3-3 record with a 6.20 ERA for AA Frisco.

But Diamond had looked more like his old self this season, his first in AAA. In four appearances, Diamond is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA and has regained much of the velocity that was missing from his pitches last season.



"I'm pretty close to the way I was before," said Diamond, who turned 26 on April 6. "Everything seems to be coming back nicely, so I'd say I'm pretty close to how I was before. But not quite the same.

"My velocity isn't all the way back yet, but you just pitch with what you've got. I know that I'm not where I was before, not quite at my best yet."

After spending his entire career as a starting pitcher, Diamond is now learning a new role as a relief pitcher.

They told me I was going to be a relief pitcher late this spring," Diamond said. "It doesn't really matter, as long as I'm pitching. Either way. It's really fairly easy to switch from one to the other.

"I get a chance to play a little more, pitch in more ballgames. Pitching every fifth day, it's more of a set routine. Out of the bullpen, you just never know."

With the Rangers inability to get consistent pitching out of it's bullpen, Diamond may find this new role is also the fastest way to get to Arlington.