Travs Win Fourth Straight, Sweep Rockhounds
Published on July 10, 2011 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
North Little Rock - The Travelers won their fourth consecutive game and posted their second shutout in a row, defeating the Midland Rockhounds 7-0 on Saturday, July 9, at Dickey-Stephens Park. An announced crowd of 5,802 watched the Travs sweep the Rockhounds and keep them from reaching third base for the second straight game. The Travs beat the Rockhounds 5-0 on Friday.
Righty Garrett Richards (10-1, 3.14) started for the Travs and picked up the win. He threw 69 pitches in six scoreless innings, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out one. Richards retired the last seven batters he faced on groundouts, getting 12 groundouts on 18 total outs for the game.
Richards, the Angels No. 7 prospect, has pitched at least six innings in 14 consecutive starts for the Travs and leads the Texas League with 10 wins.
The Travs (11-4) put a run on the board in the bottom of the second inning when left fielder Chris Pettit led the inning off with a double to left field and advanced to third base on Gabe Jacobo's single. Pettit scored when Angel Castillo bounced into a 5-4-3 double play to put the Travs up 1-0.
Shortstop Jon Townsend drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the third inning and advanced to second base when lead-off man Matt Cusick singled to right. Catcher Alberto Rosario grounded into a fielder's choice and stole second base to put runners at second and third with two outs. Third baseman Luis Jimenez put the Travs up 3-0 with a two-run single to left field.
Lefty Polin Trinidad (2-4, 7.71) took the loss for the Rockhounds. He gave up six runs on seven hits and two walks in three innings, while striking out four.
The Travs added three more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to make it 6-0. Jacobo walked to start the inning and Castillo hit a ground-rule double due to fan interference to put runners at second and third with no outs. Centerfielder Clay Fuller singled to right field to score Jacobo and designated hitter Orlando Mercado scored Castillo with a single to right. Townsend capped the scoring off with a sacrifice fly to right field for the six-run lead.
Travs' 7'1" righty Loek Van Mil relieved for Richards in the top of the seventh and struck out the side. He gave up a hit and struck out three in two innings pitched. Righty Mike Piazza, second cousin of the former major league catcher Mike Piazza, gave up a hit and a walk in a scoreless ninth.
The Travs picked up a run in the bottom of the eighth when Jacobo scored on Townsend's one-out, bases loaded single to right field to make it 7-0.
The Travs outhit the Rockhounds 13 to 5, led by Fuller's 3 for 4 night with a run and an RBI. Cusick went 2 for 5, Jimenez went 2 for 4 with two RBIs pushing his Texas League leading total to 69 RBIs, and Jacobo batted 2 for 3 and scored two runs. Townsend hit 1 for 2, scoring a run with two RBIs.
Both teams left seven men on base, with Midland (6-9) hitting 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position. The Travs hit 5 for 11 with RISP in a game that lasted two hours and 46 minutes.
The Travs look for their fifth consecutive victory when they start a three-game series with the Frisco Roughriders on Sunday, July 10, at Dickey-Stephens Park. Righty Orangel Arenas (7-4, 4.21) will start for the Travs and lefty Robbie Erlin (5-0, 4.10) will start for the Rockhounds.
Arenas was roughed up in his last outing on July 4 against Frisco. He suffered the loss pitching five and two-third innings, giving up six runs on 12 hits and a walk without a strikeout. Erlin got the win in the same game giving up an unearned run on five hits in six innings, striking out six without a walk. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. and gates open at 5 p.m.
Texas League Stories from July 10, 2011
- Late Inning Heroics Give Missions 3-2 Win - San Antonio Missions
- Naturals Comeback to Thrash Hooks - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Homerun in 13th Sinks Travs - Arkansas Travelers
- Cardinals Fall to Midland 15-12 - Springfield Cardinals
- Frisco Roughriders: Frisco Rebounds in Extras for Third Straight Win - Frisco RoughRiders
- Late Inning Heroics Give Missions 3-2 Win - San Antonio Missions
- Drillers Ninth Inning Rally Not Enough, Fall 3-2 - Tulsa Drillers
- Game Notes, July 10 - Nw Arkansas at Corpus Christi - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Holcomb Leads Drillers Over Hooks - Tulsa Drillers
- Naturals fall in series finale vs. Missions - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Missions end losing streak - San Antonio Missions
- Travs Win Fourth Straight, Sweep Rockhounds - Arkansas Travelers
- Missions dominate - San Antonio Missions
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