Oye Throws Three-Hit Gem; Travs Shutout Cardinals, 3-0
Published on June 20, 2012 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - An incredibly efficient pitching performance by Matt Oye, backed up by a sensational Double-A debut for Travis Witherspoon, galvanized the Arkansas Travelers to a 3-0 shutout victory over the Springfield Cardinals on Wednesday night at Dickey-Stephens Park.
Witherspoon, who was called up from Advanced-A, Inland Empire, a night after he participated in the 2012 California-Carolina League All-Star Game, wasted no time in showing the 4,187 fans in attendance what he had been doing all season long in Inland Empire. Witherspoon led the game off against the St. Louis Cardinals' no. 2 prospect, Carlos Martinez with a solid single through the left side of the infield. He then moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Jean Segura. In the next at-bat, Witherspoon raced home for the game's first run after Roberto Lopez doubled down the left field line.
In his next at-bat in the third inning, Witherspoon chopped a fair ball that landed on the fringe where the infield dirt and outfield grass and the speedy Witherspoon wheeled on into second for a double. Segura would advance Witherspoon 90-feet once again, this time with a single to the shortstop, Greg Garcia. With Witherspoon at third and Segura at first, Lopez looked to tally another RBI, but lined out to Garcia for the first out. If Witherspoon's speed was not on display already in the game, it would be become undeniably evident in Ryan Mount's ensuing at-bat when he tagged and scored his and the Travs' second run of the game on liner to Matt Carpenter in shallow right field.
Hitting 1.000 through his first two at-bats as a Traveler, Witherspoon's average would take a temporary hit as reached on a fielding error by Garcia to start the fifth inning. In his time with Inland Empire, Witherspoon stole 25 bases, and during Segura's third at-bat, Witherspoon swiped his first base with the Travelers with a successful steal of second base. Following a lineout by Segura, Lopez would drive Witherspoon in for the second time as Lopez doubled to left field, giving the Travs a 3-0 lead.
The spark at the top of the lineup was more than enough for Oye as he was nothing short of spectacular in his fifth start since being moved to the rotation from the bullpen. Oye, who was 0-2 with a 6.72 ERA in his previous four starts, averaged just over 10 pitches per inning as he needed 86 pitches to work through eight complete innings on Wednesday. The efficient outing against the Cardinals for Oye comes as a complete turnaround from his previous crack at the redbirds. In his last start against the Cardinals on June 10th, Oye worked 4.2 innings, gave up 13 hits, nine earned runs, and threw 74 pitches as he and the Travs took a 20-3 loss in Springfield.
Oye retired the side in order in four of his eight innings pitched. Out of the three singles he surrendered on Wednesday night, all were erased either on a caught stealing or a putout later in the inning. The one inning that Oye was truly in danger of giving up a run came in the fifth inning when he put two base runners on base with a pair of hit-by-pitches. The first HBP was taken by Xavier Scruggs. Scruggs would then steal second base, becoming the only Cardinal to reach second base off Oye to that point in the game. Scruggs would then become the first Cardinal to reach third base when Segura botched a pickoff throw by Oye at second base. In that same at-bat, Oye hit Garcia to put multiple runners on base for the first time. Oye would induce a harmless groundout to Darwin Perez at second base to get out of the inning.
Despite his efficiency, Oye would not return to the mound in the ninth inning to complete the shutout. Instead, Travs' skipper Mike Micucci opted to turn to his new closer Kevin Johnson to shut the door. Johnson, who picked up a save a couple of nights ago against the Cardinals, made quick work of the top of the Cardinal lineup as he collected three groundouts on nine pitches.
Oye earns the win, his first as a starter to move to 2-4 on the year. The loss is charged to Martinez, who falls to 0-1 on the year, and Johnson is credited with his fourth save of the season.
The Travelers will look to complete a four-game sweep over the Cardinals as they conclude their eight-game home stand on Thursday night with a first-pitch scheduled for 7:10 pm. Gates open at 6:10 pm.
Texas League Stories from June 20, 2012
- Oye Throws Three-Hit Gem; Travs Shutout Cardinals, 3-0 - Arkansas Travelers
- Drillers Again Fail to Hold Late Lead - Tulsa Drillers
- Missions Lose Second Straight In Extras 2-1 - San Antonio Missions
- Comeback Kids Do It Again - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- 'Riders Open Second Half with Win - Frisco RoughRiders
- Cardinals Shutout by Travelers 3-0 - Springfield Cardinals
- McClure and Fletcher Join Naturals - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Travs Prepare for Second-Half with Roster Moves - Arkansas Travelers
- Drillers Back Home Friday - Tulsa Drillers
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