LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Travelers were an out away from completing a three-game sweep of the Tulsa Drillers on Monday night at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.
But Tulsa’s Lars Davis lifted the second pitch he saw from reliever Kevin Johnson over the fence in right field for a three-run home run and the Travs didn’t get a runner passed first base in the bottom of the ninth as the Drillers escaped with a 3-2 victory.
Before the ninth, three Travs pitchers had held the Drillers to zero runs on three hits.
Starter A.J. Schugel pitched a scoreless first inning before reliever Mike Piazza scattered three hits over six innings and Ryan Chaffee pitched a hitless eighth before Johnson started the ninth.
Johnson, who had converted all 12 of his save opportunities before Monday, gave up one-out singles to Ben Paulsen and Kent Matthes before striking out Jimmy Cesario for the second out of the ninth. That brought up Davis, whose fourth home run served as the game-winner.
The Travs had taken the lead with a run in the seventh and eighth innings.
In the seventh, Brian Hernandez singled, Jimmy Swift doubled and Alberto Rosario drove in Hernandez with a single to make it 1-0.
In the eighth, Renny Osuna singled, stole second base, moved to third on a wild pitch by Joey Williamson and scored on another wild pitch.
Roberto Lopez and Hernandez each went 2 for 4 for Arkansas. Lopez’s double was his Texas League-leading 28th of the season.
Tulsa starter Dan Houston gave up 1 run on 7 hits over 6 1/3 innings and struck out 4 batters. Joe Torres earned his first victory after striking out two batters in the eighth inning. Joe Gardner then pitched a hitless ninth to earn his first save.
The loss halted one of the Travs’ most successful weeks of the season. A victory would have given them their first series sweep since taking four games from Northwest Arkansas in April and would have given them their sixth victory in seven games after taking three of four games from the Naturals last week.
MONDAY’S GAMES Tulsa 3, Arkansas 2 Springfield 5, NW Arkansas 4 San Antonio 6, Midland 5 Frisco 11, Corpus Christi 3
TODAY’S GAMES All times Central Frisco at Midland, 6:30 p.m.
Tulsa at NW Arkansas, 7 p.m.
Corpus Christi at San Antonio, 7:05 p.m.
Arkansas at Springfield, 7:08 p.m.
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES Frisco at Midland, 6:30 p.m.
Tulsa at NW Arkansas, 7 p.m.
Corpus Christi at San Antonio, 7:05 p.m.
Arkansas at Springfield, 7:08 p.m.
Travelers glance ARKANSAS AT SPRINGFIELD
WHEN 7:08 p.m. Central today
WHERE Hammons Field, Springfield, Mo.
RADIO KARN-AM, 920, in central Arkansas
WEBSITE travs.com
PITCHERS Travelers: RHP Ariel Pena (5-6, 3.19 ERA); Cardinals: RHP Carlos Ramirez (2-2, 2.43)
THE WEEK AHEAD
TODAY at Springfield, 7:08 p.m.
WEDNESDAY at Springfield, 7:08 p.m.
THURSDAY at Springfield, 7:08 p.m.
FRIDAY at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m.
SATURDAY at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m.
SUNDAY at Tulsa, 7:05
MONDAY at Tulsa, 7:05
Sports, Pages 17 on 07/24/2012