Fields Decks Card; Naturals Split-Doubleheader
Published on May 10, 2013 under Texas League (TL1)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release
Springfield, MO - Matt Ridings threw three scoreless innings in relief picking up his first win of the season and the Naturals hung on to defeat the Springfield Cardinals in the second game earning the split of a Friday night doubleheader at Hammons Field.
Matt Fields hit a two-run homerun to cap off a five-run scoring outburst in the third inning. The two-run blast was the first baseman's second of the night after clearing the fence in game-one with another two-run homerun.
A pair of spot starters toed the rubber for both teams in game two, and neither pitched through three innings. Righthander Andy Ferguson (1-0, 1.47 ERA)made his first start for the Naturals but lacked his usual command and issued three walks, spending 29 pitches to get through his first and only first inning. RHP Matt Ridings came on in long relief in the second allowing four hits, didn't allow a walk and struck out three Cardinals over three innings.
Lefthander Nick Greenwood (0-1, 13.50) suffered the loss pitching in his second game for Springfield this season after beginning the 2013 campaign with AAA-Memphis. He retired six of the first seven Naturals and was pulled in the third inning after allowing four hits and a walk, the outing was capped off by Matt Fields' two-run homerun that put the Naturals up 5-0.
The Cardinals rallied for four runs in the sixth inning to pull within one run. Naturals lefthander John Keck was pulled after an inning and two-thirds after allowing a two-out single and then a walk that ran his pitch count up to 36. Righthander Edwin Carl relieved Keck and allowed an RBI double by Vance Albitz and then a three-run homerun by Mike O'Neill - his first of the season and second in four years as a professional.
Carl returned for the seventh to face the heart of Springfield's batting order and pitched around a single to finish his tenth game of the year.
The Naturals dropped the first game 6-4 in seven innings. Springfield's Tommy Pham had two hits including a 3-run homerun in the fourth inning that extended the Cardinals lead to 6-2. The Naturals got on the board the previous inning courtesy of a two-run blast by Matt Fields which put Northwest Arkansas within one run. Sugar Marimon (2-4, 5.91 ERA) fell to 2-4 after lasting four innings, giving up six runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out four batters and allowing two home runs.
Righty Richard Castillo (2-3, 3.92 ERA) started Game 1 for Springfield he completed six innings and surrendered four runs on five hits and a walk, adding six strikeouts and while also giving up a pair of homeruns. After a walk to Angel Franco and a single by Orlando Calixte to leadoff the game, Castillo settled down to retire eleven Naturals in a row.
With Castillo cruising, the Cardinals worked on a 3-0 lead. Audry Perez smashed a two-run homerun in the second and Springfield added one more in the third. They rallied for three hits and tacked on another run when Xavier Scruggs singled in Tommy Pham. The inning also saw an error by Marimon on a botched pickoff attempt that advanced Pham to second, and came to an end when Scruggs was caught trying to steal second base by Juan Graterol.
Yem Prades lined a two-out single in the fourth inning and Matt Fields added his seventh homerun of season to put the Naturals within a run, but Pham answered back with his sixth longball of the season on the first pitch of the at-bat that accounted for the rest of Springfield's scoring.
Righthander Brooks Pounders pitched a perfect fifth, and RHP Santiago Garrido, activated off the 7-Day Disabled list earlier in the day, pitched around two hits for a scoreless inning.
Switch-hitting Third Baseman Angel Franco blasted hit his third homerun with a 2-out solo shot off of Castillo in the fifth, and the Naturals added one more in the sixth when Rey Navarro tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Yem Prades to cut Springfield's lead to two. Roman Hernandez and Alex McClure hit back-to-back singles to start the seventh inning, but after a sacrifice bunt by Juan Graterol moved the tying run into scoring position, Springfield's Keith Butler picked up his fourth save by striking out Franco and Calixte to end game one.
The two teams square off again tomorrow when the Naturals send RHP Yordano Ventura (3-0, 1.84 ERA) to the mound to be opposed by Springfield's RHP Scott McGregor (4-1, 2.36). Ventura has struck out ten batters in each of his last two starts and has not allowed a run since April 24th, the last time he pitched in Springfield. First pitch is scheduled on Saturday at 6:09pm/CT, Steven Davis will have the play-by-play on Newstalk 1030 KFAY-AM.
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League Affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and proud host of the 77th Annual Texas League All Star Game. The Naturals play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, AR. For more information including statistics, ticket options, and more, please visit NWANaturals.com, and follow us on Twitter @NWANaturals and Facebook.com/Naturals.
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