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TL1 Springfield Cardinals

Garcia and Cardinals Walk off with 3-2 Comeback Win

July 24, 2015 - Texas League (TL1)
Springfield Cardinals News Release


Springfield, MO - RF Anthony Garcia ripped a walk-off RBI base hit in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Springfield Cardinals to the 3-2 come-from-behind win against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals before 5,272 fans at Hammons Field on Thursday night. With their fourth straight win, the Cardinals now lead the Tulsa Drillers and the Arkansas Travelers by two games for 1st place in the North Division Second Half Standings.

Cardinals RHP Mike Mayers and Naturals LHP Jonathan Dziedzic battled back and forth throughout the first half of the game, exchanging five scoreless innings apiece. Mayers kept the Naturals to only one hit through his first four frames, before working around a pair of singles in the scoreless fifth.

However, Dziedzic matched Mayers with five scoreless innings of his own, before Northwest Arkansas (9-17, 49-47) broke through in the top of the sixth. Mayers retired the frame's first out, but then hit 2B Kenny Diekroeger with a pitch to put the first runner on. SS Ramon Torres laid down a successful sacrifice bunt, moving Diekroeger to second with two away. CF Bubba Starling and 3B Hunter Dozier then both worked two-out walks, forcing the bases full and leading to RHP Kurt Heyer taking over on the mound. LF Alex Liddi came up with three on and two down and cracked the scoreless tie with a two-run double to left-center, bringing in Diekroeger and Starling for the first runs of the game. Heyer responded with the final out of the inning by inducing a line out to short from RF Jorge Bonifacio, keeping the Naturals to just the 2-0 lead.

The Cardinals (15-12, 45-52) responded right away in the bottom of the sixth against Dziedzic. Leading off the inning, CF Charlie Tilson lined a single to left field, starting the stanza with a baserunner and extending his hitting streak to 15 straight games. After Dziedzic responded with a pop out, Tilson took second on a groundout. He then swiped third with his 32nd steal of the season, before 1B Jonathan Rodriguez finished a walk to put runners at the corners. DH Michael Ohlman once again came through with runners in scoring position, placing an RBI single to center field for his team-best 54th RBI to chip the deficit down to just 2-1.

Rehabbing St. Louis Cardinals RHP Jordan Walden kept it close in his one inning of work, blanking the Naturals in the top of the seventh. After a double on the frame's first pitch, Walden retired the next three in order on a strikeout, a pop out and a groundout, keeping it just a 2-1 Naturals advantage.

RHP Chris Thomas (W, 3-3) followed suit with a quick, scoreless top of the ninth, before the Cardinals raced back in the bottom of the ninth. Facing RHP Mark Peterson, SS Aledmys Diaz started the rally with a leadoff walk. After a sacrifice bunt from pinch-hitting LF Breyvic Valera moved Diaz to second, Peterson gave way to LHP Daniel Stumpf (L, 4-3) on the mound. Stumpf retired Tilson with a groundout to first base, but it did advance Diaz to third with two down. With the Cardinals down to their final out, LF Mike O'Neill bounced a grounder to first base that was misplayed by 1B Frank Schwindel, not only enabling O'Neill to reach, but also allowing Diaz to score the tying run from third. With RF Anthony Garcia at the plate, O'Neill darted to second base when a wild pitch from Stumpf bounced in the dirt. Garcia then delivered the game-winning drive, a rocket of an RBI single into the right field corner, scoring O'Neill from second base and propelling the Cardinals to the 3-2 walk-off win.

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