Travs Top Cards, Move into Tie for First
Published on June 5, 2013 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
Springfield, Mo.--Tuesday night the Arkansas Travelers took the first game of a four game series at Springfield by downing the Cardinals, 4-2. The win moved Arkansas to 28-26 on the season and into a tie with Springfield for first place in the Texas League North. Lay Batista pitched five innings, and Arkansas' bullpen worked four innings, allowing only a run on two hits.
Jake Westbrook, recovering from an elbow injury, started the game for Springfield on a Major League Baseball Rehab Assignment. The game marked Westbrook's first game action since May 8th against the Chicago Cubs.
In the first inning the Travs started quickly against Westbrook. Rolando Gomez singled to open the game, moved to second on a wild pitch, and then scored on a single by C.J. Cron. The RBI for Cron marked his 31st of the season.
After singling three times in the first, the Travs did the same in the second. However, Westbrook avoided any damage by getting some help from his defense. Catcher Audry Perez caught Travis Witherspoon stealing second for the first out. Later in the inning Gomez hit into a double play at second base that ended the inning.
Lay Batista started for Arkansas and allowed only one hit over his first four innings pitched. Springfield finally got to Batista in the fifth when Jake Lemmerman opened the inning with a double. After a sacrifice bunt by Luis Mateo, Audry Perez knocked home Lemmerman on a ground ball to second base. With that the game was tied at one despite the Travs outhitting the Cards 8-2.
In the sixth inning against Seth Blair, Randal Grichuk led off and reached on a two-base throwing error by third baseman Ruben Gotay. Kaleb Cowart followed by lining out sharply back to the pitcher's mound. With one out, Blair forced Witherspoon to pop up to Xavier Scruggs at first base for the second out.
After then falling behind Drew Heid 3-0, Balir elected to intentionally walk Heid to face Jett Bandy. Bandy cashed in on the opportunity and doubled off the wall in left to score Grichuk. The throw from Mike O'Neill in left went to second base, so Heid attempted to follow Grichuk home and score. However, Scruggs quickly flipped the ball home to Perez to tag out Heid to end the inning.
Arkansas added a pair of runs in the seventh against Blair. Gomez opened the inning with his third single of the game. Jimmy Swift sacrificed Gomez to second with a bunt, but C.J. Cron lined out to shortstop for the second out. With two outs, Taylor Lindsey stepped up. Batting clean up for the first time this season, Lindsey laced a single to center that brought home Gomez to give the Travs a 3-1 lead.
The inning continued with a single by Grichuk. That hit ended the night of Blair, as Cards skipper Mike Shildt called on reliever Justin Wright to end the inning. Wright inherited two runners on base and then walked Cowart to load the bases. Witherspoon followed by hitting a ground ball to Jake Lemmerman at shortstop. Lemmerman tried for the force out at second but was late with the toss to second baseman Luis Mateo. The miscue allowed for Witherspoon to reach and Lindsey to score. Wright retired Drew Heid on a fly ball to left to end the inning, but the Travs had extended the lead to 4-1.
Lay Batista pitched the first five innings for Arkansas and allowed only one run on two hits. Batista turned the game over to Buddy Boshers in the sixth. Boshers worked 1.1 innings of perfect baseball, and departed in favor of Michael Cisco with one out in the seventh.
Cisco allowed only one hit over the 1.2 innings that he pitched. Arkansas took a three-run lead into the ninth inning as Josh Judy entered in search of a save. Judy allowed a lead off homer to James Ramsey, but bounced back and retired Springfield's three, four, and five hitters in order. Judy struck out Ruben Gotay and Scruggs, and then ended the game by getting Adam Melker to hit a soft grounder back to the pitchers mound.
Rolando Gomez went 4-for-5 and scored two runs. C.J. Cron extended his hitting streak to nine games with his RBI-single in the first. Jett Bandy went 2-for-4 with an RBI-double.
Lay Batista earned his third win of the season, while Judy picked up his third save. Seth Blair (2-6) was saddled with the loss.
Arkansas and Springfield play the second game of the series on Tuesday night at 7:09 p.m. Arkansas sends RH Mike Piazza to the mound. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. with the Travs Dugout Show on Sports Animal 920.
Texas League Stories from June 5, 2013
- Six Unearned Runs Secure Frisco Win, 7-3 - Frisco RoughRiders
- Travelers Map out 6-2 Victory in Springfield - Springfield Cardinals
- Missions Fall to RoughRiders 7-3 - San Antonio Missions
- Travs Take Second Straight from Springfield - Arkansas Travelers
- Raising a Prayer and a Wish - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Seating Becoming Limited for 77th Texas League All-Star Game - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Drillers Win Fourth Straight In 11-1 Romp - Tulsa Drillers
- Naturals Come Up Short Against Drillers - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Hooks Crawl Closer To First Half Title, Beat Hounds 9-5 - Midland RockHounds
- Missions Rally in 7th for 2-1 Win over Frisco - San Antonio Missions
- Hooks Outlast RockHounds - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Travs Take Opener from Cardinals, 4-2 - Springfield Cardinals
- Two Hits Enough for Oswalt and Drillers - Tulsa Drillers
- Travs Top Cards, Move into Tie for First - Arkansas Travelers
- USSSA Pride Signs Texas Ace Blaire Luna - Corpus Christi Hooks
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