Roman Angelo Reigns in Frisco, Fernandez Flaming Hot

Series: TUE: FRI-4 AMA-3 / WED: FRI-9 AMA-4 / THU: FRI-5 AMA-3 / FRI: FRI-5 AMA-3 / SAT: FRI-3 AMA-4 / SUN: 4:05 PM

After struggling to keep the ball in the yard in his first two starts, giving up 7 homers over 7.1 innings, Roman Angelo shoved against the Roughriders on Saturday night. For the first time this season everything looked crisp for the former Fresno State Bulldog. Angelo threw 18 first pitch strikes to Frisco getting ahead early in counts, setting himself up for success. The Sod Poodle right hander dominated the big bats in the lineup, making Ranger’s #1 Prospect Sebastian Walcott and the Texas League leader in hits Josh Hatcher to go 0-5 with 4 strikeouts and a walk. Angelo would go 6.1 innings, giving up 3 hits, 1 run/ 1 earned run, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts on the evening, giving him by far his best outing so far of 2025. This performance drastically dropped Angelo’s ERA from 19.60 to 11.20 and the right hander was 3 outs away from pitching the same amount of innings tonight that he had in his first two outings. Sod Poodle starters probably wish they could stay in Frisco. The last time through the rotation the Sod Poodles have looked great in the series pitching to a 2.89 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and striking out 27 in 28 innings against the Roughriders. Unfortunately for Angelo he wouldn’t pick up the win after Frisco took the lead off of Conor Grammes in the 7th after a bases loaded 2-Run single by Ian Moller made it 2-1 Frisco.

Angelo out dueled the Rangers #21 Prospect Mitch Bratt who put together a great outing of his own, going 5 innings, on 6 hits, 1 run/1 earned, 1 walk, and 5 strikeouts. The lefty found success like most left handers had so far this year against the Amarillo lineup until the 4th inning where Caleb Roberts picked up on the 7th hit this year by a Sod Poodles left hander off a left handed pitcher. Roberts reached base 4 times last night as he continues to heat up after a slow start. Roberts is now 5-7 in his last two games with 3 doubles and 2 RBI. Jose Fernandez has been a quietly consistent rock for this Amarillo lineup this season, giving them baserunners and hits when they need them most ever since getting to Hodgetown for the home opener the Sod Poodles utility man has slashed .405/.468/.486/.954 over 10 games. Last night was no different. Fernandez gave the Sod Poodles the lead two seperate times, the first time with a RBI double in the 4th inning brining in Roberts and again in the 8th after Frisco had just spoiled Angelo’s start he delivered a 2 out 2-RBI double with the bases loaded to push the score to 3-2. Jean Walters would tack on one more with a single of his own giving Amarillo a 4-2 lead that would come to be the cushion they needed after Zane Russell gave up a solo shot to outfielder Aaron Zavala to cut the lead in half and give Frisco life before slamming the door shut on Osuna with Walcott on deck.

The Frisco bullpen got a great outing from Daniel Missaki, going 2 scoreless innings and striking out the first 3 Sod Poodles that he faced, but the rest of the damage would come off right hander Skylar Hales. Amarillo’s pen used a combination of 3 men to close the game, Grammes came in first and gave up 1 hit, 1 walk and gave up and earned run before turning over the reigns to Landon Sims who tossed his best outing of the year so far pitching 1 inning only giving up a hit and striking out a Roughrider in the 8th. Zane Russell who by all accounts has been by far one of the best Sod Poodle relievers so far this season, despite giving up the solo shot would pick up his first save of 2025 and seal back to back Sod Poodle victories for the first time this season.

Tommy Troy extended his hit streak to double digits last night in the 5th to make push it to 10 games. Kristian Robinson extended his own streak when he crushed a double off of MacGregor late in the game to make his own streak 5 games.

The Sod Poodles (4-10) and Right Hander Jose Cabrera will try to salvage a series split against the Roughriders (9-5) today at 4:05, before heading back to Amarillo to get another shot at the Texas League South leading San Antonio Missions (tied with Frisco) for a 6 game series on Tuesday.