TEXAS LEAGUE BASEBALL: RockHounds’ Barrera named All-Star MVP as South beats North

TULSA, Okla. Midland’s Luis Barrera was named MVP of the 2019 Texas League All-Star Game as the RockHounds left their fingerprints all over the South’s 5-1 victory Tuesday at ONEOK Field.

Barrera, who started in center field, went 3 for 5 with a triple and scored two runs. Collin Theroux homered and Mikey White had a key single. Dairon Blanco, who went 0 for 4, started in left field.

John Gorman, a late addition to the South roster, pitched the ninth inning to close out the game. He allowed one hit and struck out one.

Midland outfielder Greg Deichmann and pitchers Brian Howard and Kyle Finnegan were selected for the game, but replaced on the South roster along with Frisco first baseman Juremi Profar. Gorman, Amarillo’s David Bednar and Frisco’s Michael De Leon and Andretty Cordero filled those spots.

White, who started at designated hitter and went 1 for 2, helped build the South’s first run in the fourth inning. After Corpus Christi’s Abraham Toro led off with a walk, White singled to move Toro into scoring position. After a groundout moved the runners up, Toro scored on a wild pitch by Northwest Arkansas’ Conner Greene.

In the fifth, Barrera led off with a single and Amarillo’s Ivan Castillo followed with another hit. Barrera scored on Tulsa’s Cristian Santana’s throwing error after Amarillo’s Owen Miller’s fly ball to center.

Theroux, who entered the game in the sixth inning as a defensive replacement and went 1 for 2, connected off Northwest Arkansas’ Ofreidy Gomez in the seventh after Toro reached on a fielder’s choice.

The North’s run came in the eighth when Arkansas’ Donnie Walton walked and Travelers teammate Evan White followed with a ground-rule double. Barrera led off the ninth with his triple and scored on De Leon’s single.

Bryan Abreu, who pitched the third inning for the South, was credited with the win. Greene was charged with the loss.