Arkansas Travelers Edge Tulsa Drillers 2-1 - AA, Texas League

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock, Arkansas - Fernando Rodriguez (1-3) was effective in what was easily his best start of the year as the Travelers beat the Drillers 2-1.  Rodriguez lowered his ERA over a run as he went six innings while only giving up one run.  He allowed four hits, walked two against two strikeouts.  Entering play, Rodriguez' ERA was 7.57, but after his six strong innings, it was a more respectable 6.48.

Rodriguez looked like he might be out of gas after the fifth inning and 89 pitches but manager Bobby Magallanes sent him back out for the sixth inning and was rewarded for the decision.  In the sixth, Rodriguez pitched only his second 1-2-3 inning of the night, but more importantly, he did it with only six pitches.

DH Corey Smith singled in Michael Collins, who was hit by a pitch, in the first inning for a 2-0 lead.  Coby Smith led off the first inning by hitting a single to left field on the first pitch he saw.  Smith was erased on a fielder's choice off the bat of Nate Sutton who came around to score on a Ben Johnson RBI single.  The two runs that the Travs scored in the first would be all they would get but Rodriguez made them stand up.

Coby Smith was 2-for-4 on the night, raising his average back over the .300 mark to .307.

Tulsa starter Brandon Hynick (1-2) pitched well enough to win but his team just couldn't come through against the Travs pitchers.  Hynick went six innings and allowed both Traveler runs on seven hits, getting saddled with his second loss on the year.  He also struck out six against only one walk.

In the third inning, Tulsa touched Rodriguez for a run without the aid of a hit.  Corey Wimberly led off the inning by being hit by Rodriguez and ended up stealing second and third base.  After Chris Nelson walked, Matt Miller hit a grounder to SS Hainley Statia who threw to second base for the force out but 2B Nate Sutton was unable to complete what would have been the inning-ending double play.  The fielder's choice scored Wimberly from third base for the Drillers only run of the game. 

Jeff Kennard came in to relieve Rodriguez in the seventh inning and was very effective.  Kennard went two innings while only allowing one hit and striking out two.

In the ninth, closer Kevin Jepsen came in to shut the door but made things interesting by putting the first two men he faced aboard.  Matt Miller led off the inning with a walk and Tony Blanco followed him with a single to right.  Jeff Kindel was called on to bunt to advance the runners, but hit the ball too hard and right back to Jepsen who threw to third base to nab the lead runner.  Jepsen then got tough, striking out the last two batters to end the game and preserve the win for Rodriguez.

 

Cliff Remole had a good night, going 2-for-3 with his first extra-base hit of the season, a sixth-inning double.  The two hits lifted his average to a more appealing .167.  Coming into play, his average was .095.

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