Travs Hold On Late To End Losing Streak
June 3, 2006 - Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
Ray Winder Field, Little Rock, AR - RHP Nick Green (1-0) tossed seven effective innings in his Class AA debut as the Arkansas Travelers (18-37) ended a seven-game losing streak with a 10-8 victory over the Midland RockHounds (31-25). Green, who went 5-3 at Rancho Cucamonga, allowed three runs on five hits, three walks and three strikeouts and ended his performance by setting down the last seven batters he faced. Starting with a three-run rally in the first inning, the Travs tallied five runs in the fifth inning thanks to Brandon Wood's (12) second homer in two games and a three-run double by Dwaine Bacon. Matt Pali crushed a solo home run (4) in the seventh for a 10-3 lead. However, Midland almost made a stunning come back in the ninth inning using five walks, two wild pitches, an error and a base hit that was five feet away from becoming a game-tying grand slam. RHP Miguel Gonzalez (1), the third Arkansas pitcher used in the ninth inning, recorded the save by inducing Matt Allegra to bounce into a double play with the bases loaded.
Midland RHP David Bradley (3-5) fell into trouble in the first inning as Aaron Peel hit a leadoff double. Moved to third base by a sacrifice bunt, Peel scored when Matt Brown lined a single off the right field wall. C Bobby Wilson followed with the first of two doubles to plate Brown for a 2-0 lead. Pali delivered a base hit to left-center to score Wilson for a 3-0 lead.
Green allowed just three base runners until the fourth inning when he issued back-to-back walks to Brant Colamarino and Brian Stavisky. Allegra brought Colamarino home with a single to left field while Stavisky advanced to third base and scored on Kevin Melillo's sacrifice fly to cut the Travs' lead to 3-2.
Bradley struggled through the fourth inning and walked David Gates with one out. Gates stole second on a pitch in the dirt and moved to third base on a wild pitch. Bradley then walked Bacon to bring Peel back to the plate. A hit-and-run play kept the Travs out of the double play while Peel bounced out to shortstop and Gates scored from third base for a 4-2 lead.
Arkansas RF Jason Aspito aided Green with a diving catch off Kurt Suzuki's bat in right-center to begin the fifth inning. Travis Buck followed with a solo home run (1) over the right-field Screen Monster to bring Midland with 4-3. Vasili Spanos singled to left, but he was the last Hounds batter to reach against Green. After inducing Colamarino to bounce into a double play, Green kept Midland off the bases in the sixth and seventh innings.
Midland had LHP Justin Crowder enter the game from the bullpen for the bottom of the fifth inning and Wood smacked a leadoff home run to right-center. Wilson doubled with one out and Crowder loaded the bases by walking Pali and hitting Aspito with a pitch. With Gates batting Crowder threw a wild pitch past Suzuki to score Wilson. Gates loaded the bases with another walk and Bacon followed with a first-pitch fly ball over Buck's head in left field. Three runs scored on the play with Aspito and Gates coming home one step away from each other. Bacon was thrown out at third base after the play at the play at the plate, but his double made Arkansas' lead 9-3.
Pali blitzed an offering from LHP Anthony Rawson in the seventh inning for a solo home run and a 10-3 lead.
Arkansas used RHP Bill Edwards for a shutout eighth inning which set up the ninth.
RHP Rich Thompson came in for the ninth, but was very wild. He struck out Allegra on a wild pitch allowing him to reach first base. Then Thompson walked Melillo, Ronnie Merrill and Jed Morris to force in a run. RHP Aaron Pullin came out of the bullpen and got Kurt Suzuki to bounce to third base. Brown threw to second, but Rodland was late getting to the bag and the ball glanced off his glove and into short right for an error while two runs scored to cut the Arkansas lead to 10-6. Pullin walked Buck to load the bases bringing to tying run to the plate and got the first out of the inning when Spanos fouled out. Colamarino then sent a line drive to deep right-center that hit just under the top of the 22-foot fence. Morris and Suzuki scored on the hit, but Pali played the ball perfectly keeping Colamarino to a single. Pinch runner Lloyd Turner replaced Colamarino at first base and Pullin walked Stavisky to reload the bases putting the tying run at second base. Gonzalez got the call from the bullpen and after falling behind Allegra 2-0, got the batter to bounce to Brown who stepped on third base fired to first to end the game.
Time of game was 3:10 and the paid attendance was 2,952.
In the final game of this three-game series Arkansas has LHP Daniel Davidson (1-5, 5.51 ERA) taking on Midland RHP Brad Knox (3-1, 5.47 ERA). First pitch on Sunday is at 2:00 p.m. while the gates open at 12:30 p.m.
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