Travs 5-3 win at Springfield ends skid
Published on June 14, 2006 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
Hammons Field, Springfield, MO - RHP Miguel Gonzalez pitched the last 3.2 innings and 3B Matt Brown drove in two runs as the Arkansas Travelers (22-43) ended a six-game losing streak with a 5-3 victory over the Springfield Cardinals (37-27). Gonzalez entered the game in the sixth inning and allowed just two hits and a walk over 3.2 innings with three strikeouts for his third save in three tries. RHP Nick Green (2-1) earned the win going 5.1 innings before calling on Gonzalez. Green allowed three runs on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts in his third Class AA start. Brown finished 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI and made a spectacular diving grab of a line drive as the Cards attempted to come back in the eighth inning. 2B Eric Rodland finished 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while DH Brandon Wood was 2-for-4 with his league-leading 25th double and a run batted in. The Travs finished their road trip 3-6 and knocked the Cardinals one game behind Tulsa going into the last four games of the first half. Springfield and Tulsa will battle for the North Division crown Thursday through Sunday with Springfield needing three wins to make the playoffs.
The Travelers came close to scoring in the second inning as a one-out single by Bobby Wilson and a two-out double by David Gates put runners at second and third. Eric Rodland then hit a solid line drive off Rundles and the ball bounced to 2B Jarrett Hoffpauir for a routine throw to first.
SS Devin Day reached with one out with a line drive single to right field. Wood followed with a fielder's choice to third base, but Rico Washington's force attempt at second was high glancing off Hoffpauir's glove for an error that allowed Day to reach third base. Wood attempted to scamper into second, but was thrown out by Hoffpauir. Brown knocked in Day with a hard ground ball down the left-field line for a double and a 1-0 Travs lead.
Green allowed a run in the third inning as Mike McCoy singled and moved two second base with two outs on a balk. Juan Richardson grounded a single to center to score McCoy with the tying run.
Wilson singled to begin the fourth inning and moved to second base when David Gates hit an apparent double-play grounder to Washington. However Washington bobbled the ball and could only get the force out at first base. Rodland followed with a hard grounder past first base that scored Porter for a 2-1 lead.
Green got ahead of Terry Evans 0-2 to begin the bottom of the fourth inning, but left a fastball up in the zone and Evans crushed his fifth home run of the series to tie the game at 2-2.
With one out in the fifth inning, Day worked a walk and Wood crushed a line drive over the centerfield's head while Day scampered around the bases to score for a 3-2 lead on Wood's double. Brown then lined a single to center sending Wood to the plate for a 4-2 lead.
Rundles left after the fifth giving way to RHP Chris Russ, but the Travs touched up Russ quickly. Greg Porter led off with a laser off the right field fence for a single. On a hit-and-run play, Rodland bounced a double past first base to send Porter to third and Dwaine Bacon turned on a fastball for an RBI single and a 5-2 lead. Although Bacon stole second base putting runners at second and third with one out, Russ struck out Day and Wood to end the inning.
Green came back for the bottom of the sixth and retired Washington before Evans punched a single to left field. After getting ahead of Pressley 0-2, Green issued a walk putting the tying run at the plate. The Travs made a pitching change bringing RHP Miguel Gonzalez out of the pen and he caught Nick Stavinoha looking for the second out. Dan Moylan then hit a hard grounder next to the first-base foul line that hit Porter's glove behind first base. The ball rolled into foul territory while Evans scored from second to cut the Travs' lead to 5-3.
Gonzalez worked a perfect seventh inning, but needed help from his fielders in the eighth. Bacon caught a line drive off the bat off Washington for the first out. After Evans walked, Brown made a diving stab of a screaming liner hit by Josh Pressley for the second out. Nick Stavinoha sent Matt Pali to the warning track for the final out of the inning.
Gonzalez returned for the ninth inning and allowed a leadoff double by Moylan on a line drive off Gates' glove in left field. However, Gonzalez retired pinch hitter Cody Haerther on a groundout and got McCoy to fly to right. The game ended when Gorecki popped out.
Time of game was 2:58 and the paid attendance was 6,313
The Travs head back to Little Rock where they'll complete the first half of the season with a four-game series against the Wichita Wranglers. Pitching on Thursday night for the Travelers is LHP Daniel Davidson (1-6, 6.06 ERA) while the Wranglers send LHP Neal Musser (1-0, 3.38 ERA). First pitch at Ray Winder Field is set for 7:10 p.m. while the gates open at 6:10 p.m.
Texas League Stories from June 14, 2006
- Travs 5-3 win at Springfield ends skid - Arkansas Travelers
- Missions shutout Hooks - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Palm Beach nearly perfect - Springfield Cardinals
- Jimenez halts skid - Tulsa Drillers
- Hooks win first half title - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Travs Return Home For Four Games June 15-June 18, All-Star Game on June 20 - Arkansas Travelers
- Hooks win first half - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Playoffs in sight - Corpus Christi Hooks
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