Travs And Riders Streak Into TLCS
Published on September 8, 2008 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock, Arkansas - The Arkansas Travelers and Frisco RoughRiders will open the 2008 Texas League Championship Series on Tuesday night. The Travs secured a series sweep for the North Division pennant with a thrilling 11-inning victory Saturday night at Northwest Arkansas. Frisco held the league's best regular season record (84-56) and swept San Antonio in three games for the South Division crown.
Games one and two will be held at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock on Tuesday and Wednesday. Both games are scheduled to begin at 7:10 p.m. Gates will open at 6:10 p.m.
The series shifts to Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco on Friday night for game three at 7:00 p.m. If necessary, games four and five would be in Frisco on Saturday and Sunday.
The Travs announce that left-hander Daniel Davidson (1-0, 2.93) reprise his role as the starting pitcher in game one. It will be the third consecutive postseason series that Davidson opens for the Travs dating back to the 2005 Texas League Championship Series. Davidson threw seven innings and allowed one run on four hits for a no-decision in Thursday's 4-1 series-opening win.
Right-hander Bobby Mosebach (9-12, 4.62) will throw game two on Wednesday for the Travs in his 2008 playoff debut. Mosebach earned two wins against Frisco during the regular season, but went 0-5 in his last seven starts.
When the series shifts to Frisco for game three on Friday night Arkansas will throw righty Dan Denham (9-10, 4.44), who allowed just three hits and one run in seven innings for the win in last Friday's 6-4 defeat of the Naturals. Denham lost both his starts against Frisco during the regular season.
If the series heads to a fourth game on Saturday, then David Austen (2-3, 4.50) will toe the rubber. Austen threw the best game of his career pitching the first nine innings in the Travs' 11-inning, 6-3 win last Saturday.
No pitcher has been announced for the Travs if the series went to a fifth-and-deciding game on Sunday at Dr Pepper Ballpark.
Frisco's pitching rotation features left-hander Derek Holland in game one. Holland finished the 2008 season with a 13-1 record between three teams in the Texas Rangers farm system. Game two starter Neftali Feliz (4-3, 2.98) made his class AA debut against the Travs on July 7 and allowed three runs and six hits in five innings in a no-decision.
Both pitchers earned wins during Frisco's sweep of San Antonio in the South Division. Holland ranked 10th in the minors with 157 strikeouts while Feliz was 15th with 153 whiffs.
Righty Michael Schlact (7-11, 5.23) was the winner in Frisco's series clincher and gave up just one run on six hits in six innings. Schlact twice defeated the Travs during the regular season. Frisco announced that righty Jared Hyatt (4-3, 3.53 at Frisco) would start the fourth game.
Frisco won the regular season series between the clubs 8-4 including a 4-1 mark at Dickey-Stephens Park.
The Travs own five Texas League playoff titles since joining the league in 1966. Their last championship came in 2001, the club's first season as an affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. The last time the Travs advanced to the Texas League Championship Series was in 2005, when Arkansas lost to Midland in four games.
The series marks the first time the Travs and RoughRiders match up in the playoffs. Frisco owns one Texas League (2004) title since joining the circuit in 2003.
Texas League Stories from September 8, 2008
- Texas League Update - TL1
- Astros Purchase Contract Of Infielder Saccomanno - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Travs And Riders Streak Into TLCS - Arkansas Travelers
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