Drillers Shut Out Travs
Published on July 29, 2011 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
North Little Rock - There was no problem with Tulsa Drillers starter Dan Houston as he shut out the Travs 4-0 on Friday, July 29, in the first game of a four-game set at Dickey-Stephens Park. An announced crowd of 4,812 watched the Travs lose their fourth game in a row.
The Drillers scored four unearned runs off of Travs' 7'1" righty reliever Loek Van Mil in the top of the ninth to get the win. Last-place hitter Erik Wetzel and leadoff man Tim Wheeler singled, and shortstop Hector Gomez sacrifice bunted them to second and third base. Ben Paulsen flew out to the left fielder Chris Pettit, but the ball did not go far enough to score Wetzel from third.
The next batter, catcher Wilin Rosario, grounded a ball up the middle where second baseman Matt Cusick fielded it cleanly and threw to first, but first baseman Roberto Lopez dropped the throw allowing two runs to score. A double by Bronson Sardinha and a single by Thomas Field scored two more for the Drillers for the final margin.
The Travs best chance to score came in the bottom of the second inning when they put a runner at third base with no outs, but failed to capitalize. Designated hitter Gabe Jacobo doubled to left field to start the inning and advanced to third on a wild pitch by Houston. Angel Castillo struck out for the first out and Rian Kiniry hit a fly ball to mid-center field that Tim Wheeler caught for the second out and threw out Jacobo attempting to score on a sacrifice fly at home to end the inning.
Houston (3-2, 3.30) picked up the complete-game win giving up three hits and two walks while striking out a season-high 10 batters. He retired 11 consecutive Travs to end the game in which he threw 67 strikes in 101 pitches.
Righty Matt Shoemaker labored through five and two-third scoreless innings, throwing 110 pitches, but got out of jams when he needed to. He gave up six hits and three walks in the no-decision, striking out seven before Loek Van Mil relieved him with two outs in the top of the sixth. Van Mil got Wetzel to fly out to right field to end the inning.
Van Mil (3-4, 2.57) picked up the tough loss pitching three and one-third innings, surrendering four hits, all in the ninth inning, and the four unearned runs while striking out three without a walk.
The Drillers threatened in the top of the first inning when Gomez reached on a one-out infield single. Travs shortstop Darwin Perez made an over the shoulder catch on a pop up off the bat of Paulsen in short left-center field and almost doubled up Gomez at first base for the third out, but Perez' throw pulled first baseman Roberto Lopez off the bag. On a hit-and-run, catcher Wilin Rosario singled to left field, advancing Gomez to third base, but Travs' starter Matt Shoemaker struck out Sardinha to end the inning.
The Drillers left 13 men on base and went 2 for 16 with runners in scoring position. The Travs left three men on base and were 0 for 3 with RISP in a game that lasted two hours and 52 minutes. The Drillers outhit the Travs 10 to 3.
Sardinha went 2 for 5 with an RBI and a run scored and Wetzel and Gomez each batted 2 for 3. Field went 1 for 4 with an RBI.
The Travs will try to stop their losing streak when they play the Drillers in the second game of the four-game series on Saturday, July 30, at Dickey-Stephens Park. Righty Garrett Richards (11-1, 3.23) will start for the Travs and righty Cory Riordan (1-10, 5.88) starts for the Drillers.
Richards is currently first in the Texas League in wins, winning percentage (.917), innings pitched (128.0), and total batters faced (517). He is also second in complete games with three (behind fellow Trav Matt Shoemaker's five complete games), third in WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) and fourth in ERA.
Richards last pitched on July 25 picking up a complete game win against Tulsa. He gave up two runs on six hits and a walk in nine innings pitched, while striking out four. Riordan picked up the loss in the same game pitching six innings. He gave up three runs and nine hits, striking out one without a walk. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 and gates open at 6:10.
Texas League Stories from July 29, 2011
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