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TL1 Springfield Cardinals

DeJong Powers Cardinals to 6-4 Win and Series Victory

June 10, 2016 - Texas League (TL1)
Springfield Cardinals News Release


Springfield, MO - One night after his 11th-inning walk-off home run, 3B Paul DeJong struck again with a go-ahead, three-run blast in the bottom of the eighth to send the Springfield Cardinals to the eventual 6-4 win against the Arkansas Travelers before 5,856 fans at Hammons Field on Friday night.

The Cardinals take the series win against the Travelers, 3-games-to-1, and keep pace with the Tulsa Drillers. With a .576 winning percentage, Tulsa (34-25) holds a narrow advantage over Springfield (.550, 33-27) for 1st place in the North Division 1st Half Standings. Both teams have 10 games remaining in the half and start a head-to-head series at Hammons Field on Saturday.

After both Cardinals RHP Corey Baker and Travelers RHP Alex Blackford exchanged a scoreless first inning apiece, both offenses connected with homers in their respective halves of the second. It was a leadoff solo shot in the top of the second from 1B Eric Aguilera to open the 1-0 lead for the Travs (24-36), but the Cardinals responded right away. 3B Paul DeJong worked a one-out walk in the second, before C Carson Kelly lasered a two-run blast to left field, his fifth home run of the year, swinging the Cardinals into the 2-1 lead.

The Travelers, though, moved right back in front with three unearned runs in the top of the third. With one down, SS Anthony Phillips and LF Caleb Adams collected consecutive singles to put two men on. Baker battled back with his fourth strikeout for the frame's second out, but then 3B Andrew Daniel reached on a throwing error charged to DeJong, enabling Phillips to dart home and the inning to continue. With two on and two down, Aguilera lined a two-run triple to right field, bringing in both Adams and Daniel for the 4-2 Arkansas advantage.

The Cardinals chipped into the deficit right away in the bottom of the third. SS Juan Herrera singled to start the stanza, before a CF Harrison Bader walk put two runners on. LF Jonathan Rodriguez followed with a free pass, loading the bases for rehabbing St. Louis Cardinals C Brayan Pena. However, Blackford won the battle with a pop out from Pena, before avoiding trouble when 1B Luke Voit ripped a liner inside the third base line that was robbed with a catch by 3B Andrew Daniel. With DeJong at bat, a passed ball got by C Stephen McGee, bringing in the inning's lone run with Herrera charging home to decrease the Cardinals deficit to 4-3.

Baker kept the Cardinals within one run through the scoreless remainder of his 5.1-inning outing, before giving way to RHP Pedro Echemendia with two on and one down in the sixth. Echemendia induced a fly out to CF Harrison Bader, who then rifled a throw to second base and also retire the runner, RF Jabari Henry, before he could get back to the bag, closing the scoreless sixth with a double play.

Rehabbing St. Louis Cardinals RHP Seth Maness then worked through a scoreless seventh, inducing an inning-ending 5-2-3 double play to keep it just a 4-3 lead for Arkansas.

After a 1-2-3 top of the eighth from RHP Ronnie Shaban (W, 3-0), the Cardinals rallied in the bottom of the eighth. Facing LHP Jose Molina, Pena sparked the rally with a leadoff single, before being replaced by pinch-running OF Blake Drake. With RHP Austin Adams taking over on the mound, 1B Luke Voit chopped a base hit through the left side, advancing Drake to second and putting two men on for DeJong. DeJong came through once again, crushing a go-ahead, three-run home run to left field to catapult the Cardinals in front, 6-4. The homer was the 10th of the year for DeJong, who also leads the club and is tied for 2nd in the league with 38 RBIs.

Shaban retired the first two outs in the top of the ninth, before issuing a pair of two-out walks. With two on and two down, RHP Kevin Herget (S, 1) took over and promptly induced a game-ending groundout from DH Cal Towey, closing the 6-4 comeback win for the Cardinals.

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