Arkansas Travelers cannot Keep Up with Springfield Cardinals, Lose 7-6 - AA, Texas League

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - Hammons Field, Springfield, MO – Midway through Tuesday afternoon’s game, the Travs found themselves trailing by five runs. They rallied back to close within one run, but eventually ran out of gas in a 7-6 defeat at the hands of the Cardinals. Springfield scored seven runs in four innings off losing pitcher RHP Fernando Rodriguez (1-4), but LHP Doug Brandt retired 12 of 13 hitters over four innings to allow the Travs to get back.

 

ADVERTISEMENT After a Saturday evening victory to open the Springfield series, the Travs dropped three straight and have lost 10 of 12 road games. 

 

Travs 3B Corey Smith was 2-for-5 with a homer (4), three RBI and two runs scored.

 

Springfield wasted no time in getting a large lead off Rodriguez as the first four batters of the game reached base. Jon Jay, who drove in three runs, knocked in Shane Robinson with a single. Brandon Yarbrough made it a 3-0 Springfield edge with a bases-loaded single.

 

Smith led off the second with a home run to left-center. Springfield starter LHP Adam Daniels retired two batters, but Jordan Czarniecki hit a double to left field and scored when SS Ryan Leahy singled to center.

 

The Cards got those two runs back in the second inning after Rodriguez retired the first two batters. Robinson hit a triple off the left-field wall and scored on a double by Jay. Allen Craig put the Cards up 5-2 with an RBI double past third base.

 

Rodriguez threw a scoreless third inning then retired the first Cards batter of the fourth. Matt Pagnozzi reached second base with a book-rule double. Robinson pulled a grounder through the left side of the infield to move him to third base. Jay’s sacrifice fly scored Pagnozzi then Craig doubled home Robinson from first to push the cards to a 7-2 lead.

 

Coby Smith led off the fifth inning with a walk, then Daniels hit Nate Sutton with a pitch and walked Mike Collins on four pitches. With the bases loaded and no outs, LF Ben Johnson flied out weakly to left field. Smith followed with a sharp single to center scoring two runs and knocking Daniels from the game. RHP Bob Zimmerman (3-0) entered the game and picked Collins off second base. Adam Morrissey walked and Tim Duff knocked in Smith with a single bringing the Travs within a 7-5 score. Jordan Czarniecki flied out to end the inning.

 

Zimmerman tossed a 1-2-3 sixth inning and gave way to LHP Zack Zuercher for the seventh. Johnson reached base with a one-out single and scored when Morrissey hit a double to right-center field. With the tying run at second base, Duff bounced out to short.

 

Zuercher walked Czarniecki to begin the eighth and Leahy bunted him to second base. The Cardinals brought RHP Marco Gonzalez out of the bullpen and Coby Smith greeted him with a deep fly that was caught on the left-field warning track. Then Sutton popped out to end the threat.

 

RHP Luke Gregerson (6) pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn his second save in two days.

 

Time of game was 2:36 and the paid attendance was 8,462.

 

For Box Score, see:  BOXSCORE

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