Travs win fourth straight, Davidson wins third straight
July 20, 2005 - Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
Ray Winder Field, Little Rock, AR - David Gates hit a tie-breaking home run (12) in the sixth inning to lead the Arkansas Travelers (13-13, 47-49) to a 5-3 victory over the Tulsa Drillers (11-15, 54-42). Gates bashed a two-out home run with two runners on base to put the Travs ahead 4-1 in the sixth inning for his second home run in as many games. LHP Daniel Davidson (9-4) won for the third start in a row and allowed just one run (unearned) on three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in six innings. Greg Porter and Tommy Murphy helped turn double plays in the seventh and eighth innings to stave off Tulsa rallies. Porter caught a line drive with the bases loaded in the eighth and doubled off a runner at third base. Murphy caught a fly ball and pegged Doug Bernier at the plate to end the seventh inning. RHP Alex Serrano saved his third game with the Travs and seventh in the Texas League. The Travs are on their first four-game winning streak since May 25, while the Drillers have lost six straight games.
The Drillers took advantage of an error to get the game's first run across in the third inning. With two outs and a runner on base, Porter missed a ground ball for an error. Sean Barker followed with a double to left field to score Jayson Nix to give Tulsa a 1-0 lead. Davidson then retired the last ten batters he faced.
Tulsa RHP Manny Ulloa, who had beaten the Travs in two starts, allowed two singles in the third inning but struck out the side. Then he stranded two more runners in the fourth inning.
The Travs finally got to Ulloa in the fifth inning with two outs. Erick Aybar lofted a single to left and then Howie Kendrick doubled to the right field corner with Aybar barreling into Tulsa C Alvin Colina to score the tying run. Colina was knocked down and left the game to be replaced by C Tino Sanchez. Colina apparently suffered a knee injury at the plate and will be checked out at a Little Rock hospital.
In the sixth inning, Travs 1B Kendry Morales singled with one out and Jason Aspito was hit by a pitch with two outs. Gates then ripped a line drive on a 1-1 pitch over the left-field fence for a 4-1 lead.
Davidson was replaced by RHP Mark O'Sullivan for the seventh inning and the Drillers reached two batters with one out on a single and a hit batter. Nix then sent a fly ball to right field to Murphy. Bernier attempted to score from third base and was thrown out by four feet to end the inning. The double play was the sixth that Murphy was involved in this year to lead all Texas League outfielders. It was also his league-leading 14th outfield assist.
The Drillers threatened again in the eighth inning against RHP Von Stertzbach. Tony Miller and Judd Thigpen started the inning with singles and then Stertzbach hit Barker with a pitch to load the bases with no outs. LHP Pedro Borbon, Jr. relieved and got Corey Slavik to line out to Porter and he stepped on third base for a double play. Serrano came in and allowed run-scoring hits to Tino Sanchez and Luis Guance to cut the Travs lead to 4-3 and put the tying run in scoring position. He got Bernier to ground to short stop to keep the lead intact.
The Travs answered in the eighth off RHP P.J. Bevis with two outs. Porter singled to left field and scored when Aspito doubled to right-center.
Time of game was 2:32 and the paid attendance was 2,808.
To view the boxscore, please click here.
Game three of this five-game set will be played on Thursday night at Ray Winder Field. The Travelers have LHP Willie Collazo (1-1, 3.86 ERA) taking on Tulsa RHP Sandy Nin (4-5, 3.62 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. Gates open at 6:10 p.m.
Please call (501) 664-1555 or visit www.travs.com for game information
Texas League Stories from July 20, 2005
- Travs win fourth straight, Davidson wins third straight - Arkansas Travelers
- Wranglers win, bring your red on Thursday! - Wichita Wranglers
- Gates, Travs drop Drillers - Tulsa Drillers
- Chances come and go, Hooks fall, 4-3 - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Kendrick's Four Hits Leads Travs To 10-7 Win - Arkansas Travelers
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