Travs Fight Back But Lose To Cards, 7-6
June 12, 2007 - Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock, AR - Springfield SS Tyler Greene broke a tie game in the eighth inning with a solo home run (7) to give the Cardinals (32-29) a 7-6 victory over the Arkansas Travelers (25-38). Greene's home run off RHP Rich Thompson (1-2) gave the Cardinals four straight wins in North Little Rock, the last three all coming by one run. The Travs battled back from down 6-2 after the top of the third inning to tie the game in the sixth. However, the Travs left eight runners in scoring position including the winning runs left on base in the ninth by Cards closer RHP Chris Perez, who earned his 17th save. The Travs grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning only to see the Cards send ten batters to the plate during a six-run rally in the third inning. Bobby Wilson, making his first start at first base, finished 3-for-5 with three RBI but he fouled out with the winning runs on base to end the game. Greg Porter hit his second home run (3) of the series and was 2-for-5. RHP Matt Scherer (3-3) worked two perfect innings with four strikeouts for the win. The Cardinals now take a one game lead in the North Division over Tulsa.
The Travs got in front of LHP Jaime Garcia in the first inning beginning with a one-out single by Freddy Sandoval. Garcia then hit Sean Rodriguez on the knee with a pitch and the two runners executed a double steal. Wilson punched a 1-2 pitch through the left side to bring in both runners for a 2-0 lead.
The Travs lead lasted two innings as Springfield sent ten batters to the plate and scored six runs in the top of the third inning. C Danilo Sanchez started the assault with a leadoff double to right-center. After Travs RHP Miguel Gonzalez recorded a strikeout, the next six Cards batters hit singles. The rally started with Rowlett hitting a single to left field to move Sanchez to third base. Sean Danielson then lined a single to center to bring home Springfield's first run while Rowlett ran to third. With Colby Rasmus at the plate Gonzalez was called for a balk on a fake pickoff move, but the call was rescinded after a few minutes of argument from Manager Bobby Magallanes. Rasmus brought in the tying run anyway with a sharp single to right field. Joe Mather gave Springfield the lead with a single to left field then Juan Richardson lined a base hit to right field. Rasmus was held at third base as the throw from right bounced off Wilson's glove at first base and behind the batter's circle. Rasmus came home and beat a throw to score giving Springfield a 3-2 lead. Mike Ferris then singled to right chasing in Mather, and Jarrett Hoffpauir lofted a sacrifice fly to score Richardson to cap the inning at a 6-2 Cardinals lead.
Garcia began the bottom of the third inning with walks to Adam Morrissey and Sandoval. A one-out single by Porter loaded the bases for Wilson and he responded with a line drive single to left to score Morrissey. Aaron Peel then hit a slow squibber on the first base line that Ferris fielded and tagged Peel as Sandoval scored from third base getting the Travs within 6-4.
Porter smacked a solo home run to get the Travs within a run in the sixth inning. Wilson followed with a double and the Cards brought in RHP Michael Cooper to protect the lead. He got Peel to bounce to short to end the inning.
Cooper came back for the sixth inning and allowed a one-out double by Ryan Leahy off the left-field wall. Cooper then walked Cody Fuller and Morrissey to load the bases. With Sandoval at the plate, a pitch from Cooper got between Sanchez's legs and rolled to the backstop allowing Leahy to sprint home with the tying run. Cooper recovered to leave the go-ahead runs in scoring position with strikeouts of Sandoval and Rodriguez.
Tied 2-2 into the top of the eighth inning, Greene hit a two-out 2-2 pitch over the left field wall to give Springfield a 7-6 lead.
Perez got into immediate trouble in the bottom of the ninth as he hit Morrissey and Sandoval to put the winning runs on base. But Rodriguez failed to get down a sacrifice bunt instead popping back to the pitcher. Then Porter tapped to the mound for the second out moving the runners up. With the game on the line, Wilson fouled out to first ending the game.
Time of game was 3:07 and the paid attendance was 7,403.
The Travs now embark on an eight-day, nine-game road trip to Tulsa and Springfield. First up is a five-game series at Drillers Stadium beginning Wednesday night. The Travs have RHP Nick Adenhart (5-2, 3.44 ERA) pitching against Tulsa RHP Ching-Lung Lo (2-5, 5.83 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.
Texas League Stories from June 12, 2007
- Travs Fight Back But Lose To Cards, 7-6 - Arkansas Travelers
- Cards Take Fourth Straight, 7-6 - Springfield Cardinals
- Hooks Sweep San Antonio - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Donachie Leads Wichita - Tulsa Drillers
- Five Hooks Named to the TL All-Star Team - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Cards Have Eight Texas League All-Stars - Springfield Cardinals
- Seven Travs Named Texas League All-Stars - Arkansas Travelers
- Manriquez's walk off caps afternoon thriller - Frisco RoughRiders
- Six Drillers named All-Stars - Tulsa Drillers
- Wranglers Named to Texas League All-Star Team - Wichita Wranglers
- 2007 Texas League All-Stars Announced - Corpus Christi Hooks
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