Cardinals Beat Travs on Getaway Day
Published on May 10, 2011 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
Springfield, Mo. - The Travelers dropped their second game in a row, losing 3-1 to the Springfield Cardinals on Tuesday afternoon in front of 5,166 at Hammons Field. The Travs split the series and return home to face Tulsa for a doubleheader on Thursday.
Cardinal starter Michael Blazek (3-1, 4.38) pitched six innings for the win and held the Travs to one run on seven hits, while striking out three.
Travs centerfielder Mike Trout doubled to left field to lead off the game and moved to third on a Darwin Perez groundout to first. Trout scored when third baseman Luis Jimenez doubled to centerfield for his team-leading 19th RBI of the season and a 1-0 Travs lead.
Lefty Trevor Reckling (0-5, 3.66) gave a quality start for the Travs, but took the loss. He pitching seven innings, while giving up three runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out a season-high eight Cardinals. His effort was in vain though, because the offense scored one run in the game and 14 total runs in his six starts this season for an average of 2.3 runs of support.
After Reckling got Jermaine Curtis to pop up to the shortstop Perez to start the bottom of the fifth inning, Reckling struck out Eric Duncan before third baseman Niko Vasquez hit a two-out homerun to right field, tying the game 1-1. Reckling retired seven in a row before the homerun.
The Cardinals scored again in the sixth inning when Thomas Pham reached on an infield single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ryan Jackson, and scored on a Matthew Adams double to right to make it a 2-1 Springfield lead.
In his second game since being on the disabled list for a month, Travs right fielder Roberto Lopez doubled to start the top of the third. After a pop out by Trout and a walk to Perez, Jimenez singled to center. Lopez would have scored on Jimenez' single, but he stopped between third base and home plate and was eventually tagged out in a run down to kill the Travs' chances. Designated hitter Dillon Baird lined out to the shortstop to end the inning.
Lopez singled to center to start the fifth, but made another base-running mistake. Trout flied out to centerfield, but Lopez had gone three-quarters to second base and was doubled up for the second out of the inning. Jay Brossman flew out to center to end the inning.
Jose Garcia hit his first homerun of the year for the Cardinals with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to make it a 3-1 Travs' deficit.
Travs second baseman Adam Younger singled to start the ninth, but was erased when Lopez hit into a 5-4-3 double play. Trout hit a two-out single to left for his third hit of the game, but Perez attempted a bunt single and hit it too hard to the first baseman Adams to end the game.
Trout went 3 for 5 with the Travs' only run in Tuesday's game and 14 for 30 (.467) on the eight-game road trip with two homeruns. He also scored nine runs and knocked in seven RBIs.
The Travs out hit the Cardinals 10-6, but left 10 men on base. Jimenez and catcher Alberto Rosario each went 2 for 4 for the Travs. Lopez also went 2 for 4, but his base-running mistakes cost the team at least one run.
The Travs are off Wednesday before returning to Dickey-Stephens Park for a doubleheader against Tulsa on Thursday night. Righty Eddie McKiernan (1-3, 6.63) will face Little Rock native, righty Josh Sullivan (0-2, 6.53) in the first game. Lefty Andrew Taylor (1-0, 2.84) will start for the Travs in the second game. Tulsa will throw righty Joey Williamson (0-0, 2.70). First pitch is 6 p.m. and gates open at 5 p.m.
Texas League Stories from May 10, 2011
- Game Notes, May 10 - Corpus Christi at San Antonio - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Cardinals Beat Travs on Getaway Day - Arkansas Travelers
- Cardinals Beat Travs 3-1 - Springfield Cardinals
- One Run Not Enough as Drillers Fall 3-1 - Tulsa Drillers
- Mendonca's Homer Clinches Series Win - Frisco RoughRiders
- Smith, Bullpen Hold Tulsa in Check - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Musgrave to Make a Start in Tucson; Pozo to Extended Spring Training - San Antonio Missions
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