Loux Shuts Downs Travelers' Bats
Published on July 4, 2012 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Barret Loux the Texas League leader in wins, added a 12th win to his total on Tuesday night at Dickey-Stephens Park after he limited the Arkansas Travelers to one run on two hits over seven innings, en route to a 5-1 Frisco RoughRiders win.
Loux, who had struggled in his last two starts (seven innings pitched/14.14 ERA), fell into an early jam to start the game as he allowed a leadoff single to Jean Segura and walked Renny Osuna in the next at-bat. During Osuna's at-bat, Segura swiped second base for his 30th steal of the year, and on the steal attempt, Jose Felix's attempt to gun Segura went into centerfield and allowed Segura to advance to third. After drawing the walk, Osuna put himself in scoring position by stealing second base as well. With Segura at third and Osuna at second, Roberto Lopez, the walk-off hero from a night ago, delivered a productive out as he grounded out to shortstop, scoring Segura and advancing Osuna. Still in a jam with Osuna at third and one out in the first, Loux pitched himself out of the inning by striking out Ryan Mount and Brian Hernandez.
The early run would be held up Travs' starter Ariel Pena (5-5) until the fourth inning. In the previous three innings, Pena looked sharp as he allowed one hit, tallied three strikeouts, and retired seven consecutive batters heading into the fourth. Leury Garcia snapped Pena's retired batter streak with a leadoff double in the fourth inning, however, and three batters later, Garcia scored the tying run on a RBI single by Chris McGuiness. The McGuiness single was the third hit in the inning off of Pena and it was looking like the RoughRiders' hitters were starting to solve Pena. Pena would avoid any further damage in the inning by getting Alex Buchholz to ground into an inning-ending 5-3 double play.
Pena surrendered one more run in the fifth to give the RoughRiders a 2-1 lead, but remained in the game through the sixth. Overall, Pena pitched well against the RoughRiders, but thanks to Loux, there wasn't a lot of offense to bea generated by the Travelers. Pena's final line would read: six innings, six hits given up, two earned runs, one walk, and seven strikeouts.
With Pena out of the game, Caleb Graham entered in the seventh inning and continued his recent run of dominance out of the bullpen by striking out the side to keep it a 2-1 game. Over his last eight outings, including Tuesday's, Graham has allowed just one hit and has racked up 16 strikeouts in 10.1 innings.
Following Graham's dominant seventh inning of work, Ryan Chaffee was called upon to pitch in the eighth to the top of the RoughRiders' lineup. Engel Beltre started the inning with a single and then advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Garcia. Back-to-back walks issued by Chaffee loaded the bases with one out. Left-hander Dakota Robinson then came into the game in a specialty role to face the lefty McGuiness. McGuiness got the best of Robinson as he hit a sacrifice fly to score Beltre and extend the RoughRider lead to 3-1. Kevin Johnson then became the Travs third pitcher of the eighth inning. Johnson, who hadn't issued a walk in his seven appearances since rejoining the Travs, walked the first batter he faced in Buchholz. In the next at-bat to Jared Hoying, Johnson uncorked his first wild pitch of the season to score the "ËRiders fourth run. The RoughRid ers added another run and took a 5-1 lead through their eight at-bats.
Ahead by four runs, the RoughRiders went to the bullpen in the eighth inning and got two scoreless innings out of Miguel De Los Santos to close out the win, and in the process snapped a four-game losing streak.
Pena is saddled with the tough-luck loss and falls to 5-5 on the year. Loux improves to 12-1 on the year with the win.
The third and final game of the series is set for a special, 5:30 pm first pitch time on Wednesday, July 4th. Fans are invited to hang out at Dickey-Stephens Park following the game to see the Broadway Bridge Fireworks display that is scheduled to begin at 9:30 pm.
Texas League Stories from July 4, 2012
- Tulsa Suffers Tough Loss in Road Trip Finale - Tulsa Drillers
- Missions Sweep Naturals - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Travs Shutout on Independence Day - Arkansas Travelers
- Buckel Guides 'Riders to Series Win - Frisco RoughRiders
- Missions Defeat Naturals 4-2, Sweep Series - San Antonio Missions
- Cardinals Blank Midland 5-0 - Springfield Cardinals
- Game Notes, July 4 vs. Tulsa - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Loux Shuts Downs Travelers' Bats - Arkansas Travelers
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