Travs Split Twin Bill with Tulsa Thursday
Published on June 14, 2013 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
North Little Rock, Arkansas - The Arkansas Travelers and Tulsa Drillers split a doubleheader on Thursday night at Dickey-Stephens Park. The Travs briefly took hold of first place with a 5-2 victory, but the Drillers retook the North Division lead with a 2-1 win in the night cap. The Travs (32-33) stand 0.5 games behind the Drillers (33-33) with just seven games left in the first half of the season.
GAME ONE
The Travs broke out of the gate with a first-inning lead thanks to a two-out solo home run by Randal Grichuk (9). This bomb marked just his second at Dickey-Stephens Park, and first since Opening Night.
The lead evaporated when Dustin Garneau (4) yanked a home run to left to begin the top of the second inning.
The Travs mounted a chance for the lead in the third as Rolando Gomez hit a leadoff single. With Kaleb Cowart batting Gomez stole second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Cowart followed with a hard comebacker to the mound that Tim Gustafson deflected right of the mound. Although Gomez wasn't running for the plate, Gustafson threw home anyway allowing Cowart to reach first. Gomez then tried to score when Grichuk hit a chopper to third base and Joey Wong fired home for the first out of the inning. Gustafson got out of the inning when Taylor Lindsey hit back to the mound where Gustafson started a 1-6-3 double play.
Tulsa briefly grabbed a 2-1 lead when Kiel Roling crunched a home run (16) to left field in the fourth inning.
C.J. Cron and Travis Witherspoon combined to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth. Cron led off with a double to left field and scored when Witherspoon singled to left on the ninth pitch of his at-bat.
Gustafson came back for the sixth inning after retiring the Travs in order in the fifth. However he threw seven pitches and left the game with two runners on base. Grichuk worked a four pitch walk to begin the frame. Lindsey ran a 2-0 count showing bunt on both pitches, but the strategy changed on that count. Grichuk ran for second base as Lindsey dropped a single to center field sending Grichuk to third base. Drillers right hander Mike Marbry relieved and Cron greeted him with a booming drive that was caught on the left field warning track bringing in Grichuk. Witherspoon hit a single sending Lindsey to third base, then he stole second base. Drew Heid increased the lead to 5-2 wth a two-run single to left field.
Caleb Graham (2-0) earned the win by pitching a shutout sixth inning after Manny Correa gave the Travs five innings. The Drillers tallied just the two runs on a pair of homers off Correa, who walked none and struck out four.
Buddy Boshers earned his first save in the Texas League with a perfect ninth inning.
GAME TWO
The Travs offense was held in check by five Tulsa batters who combined to allow just two base hits in a 2-1 victory to grab first place from Arkansas. Dan Houston surrendered no base hits in a four-inning spot start.
Houston's only blemish were three walks, which included back-to-back bases on balls in the third before the first out. A flyout by Kaleb Cowart moved Drew Heid to third base, but Houston struck out Jimmy Swift. Grichuk then made the final out of the inning with a hard liner to left field.
The Travs used Matt Oye (L, 4-5) and he took a tough luck loss allowing just one run in five innings on three base hits. Oye walked only one batter and struck out five.
Tulsa broke a 0-0 tie in the fourth inning on a two-out RBI double by Jayson Langfels knocking in Roling who walked to begin the frame.
Ryan Chaffee relieved for the sixth inning and allowed a leadoff double to Cristhian Adames, who took third when Roling hit a foul out near the right field fence. Dustin Garneau followed with a fly out to medium depth centerfield which sent Adames streaking for the plate as Witherspoon's throw bounced in and out of the mitt of Carlos Ramirez. The Travs argued that Adames left third base early to no avail, and the Drillers to a 2-0 lead.
That run proved to loom very large as the Travs scored once. Facing Juan Gonzalez, Swift led off with a walk and took second on Grichuk's groundout. A hard single by Lindsey sent Swift to third and brought CJ Cron, who drove a pitch to the right field warning track for a sacrifice fly. Lindsey advanced to second base to put the tying run into scoring position. Tulsa lefty Isaiah Froneberger came on to strike out Robbie Widlansky to end the threat.
Cole White slammed the door shut in the seventh inning with a perfect frame for his fifth save.
A regular nine-inning game is set for Friday night as the Travs have Lay Batista (3-5, 4.10) taking the mound against Roy Oswalt (2-2, 2.88), who is expected to make his final start with the Drillers. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m.
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