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TL1 Springfield Cardinals

Naturals Edge Cardinals, 4-2, on Friday

July 17, 2015 - Texas League (TL1)
Springfield Cardinals News Release


Springfield, MO - After the Springfield Cardinals had taken the first two games of the series, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals battled back with a 4-2 win before 6,174 fans at Hammons Field on Friday night.

Cardinals LHP Marco Gonzales, optioned to Springfield on Friday, made the start at Hammons Field as the Major Leaguer continues his return from an injury. Gonzales blanked the Naturals through his three innings in the start, striking out a pair and scattering three hits. Gonzales finished with 52 pitches, 33 of which were strikes.

Cardinals RHP Corey Baker (L, 2-4) picked up right where Gonzales left off, striking out the side around a pair of singles in the top of the fourth to keep it scoreless.

Naturals RHP Christian Binford (W, 3-4) kept it even through his first three innings, but the Cardinals (11-10, 41-50) broke through in the bottom of the fourth. With one away, 3B Patrick Wisdom rocketed a triple to right-center field, cruising all the way to third base. 2B Bruce Caldwell promptly brought Wisdom home with an RBI single to center field, opening the 1-0 lead for Springfield.

Baker kept the Cardinals in the narrow advantage with a 1-2-3 fifth, but the Naturals (6-14, 46-44) swung in front in the top of the sixth. LF Jorge Bonifacio led off with a double, before moving to third on a groundout. Baker then retired RF Bubba Starling with his fifth strikeout of the night, before 3B Hunter Dozier worked a two-out walk to keep the inning alive. CF Lane Adams dealt the go-ahead blow with a two-run double into the left field corner, bringing in both runners to catapult the Naturals ahead by one run. C Zane Evans reached next on an infield single that led to a throwing error on 3B Patrick Wisdom, enabling Adams to score on the miscue and make it a 3-1 lead for Northwest Arkansas.

Springfield LHP Ryan Sherriff got the Cardinals out of the sixth with no further damage, before tossing a scoreless seventh. However, Northwest Arkansas padded the lead with one run against LHP Iden Nazario in the top of the eighth. With two away, Dozier again extended an inning with a two-out walk. After Dozier stole second base, Adams ripped another RBI double to stretch it to a 4-1 advantage.

The Cardinals, though, refused to go down quietly, attempting a rally against RHP Kyle Zimmer (S, 2) in the bottom of the ninth. Wisdom sparked the charge with a leadoff single lined to left field. Zimmer responded with a pair of fly outs, bringing up C Michael Ohlman with one on and two down. After Wisdom took second base on defensive indifference, Ohlman scorched an RBI single to center field, plating Wisdom to bring the Cardinals within two runs. RF David Washington then followed with a two-out walk to keep the game alive and bring up the tying run in SS Aledmys Diaz. Zimmer, however, won the battle against Diaz, inducing the game-ending groundout to second base, as the Naturals escaped with the 4-2 win.

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