Zach Borenstein might have been the most disappointed to see the infield at North Little Rock’s Dickey-Stephens Park being covered by a tarp just before 5 p.m. Monday.
“When you’re feeling good, you want to go out all the time,” the Arkansas Travelers’ 23-year-old outfielder said after having to move the end of batting practice into the batting cage beyond the center-field wall.
Monday’s rain postponed the start of an eight-game homestand and forced Borenstein to wait an extra day to follow the best game of his three-year professional career.
Borenstein became the first Traveler in seven seasons to hit for the cycle when he went 4 for 5 with 4 RBI on Sunday night at Springfield, and he’ll take his suddenly good vibes into a doubleheader that starts at 4:10 p.m. today against the Tulsa Drillers.
It’s a heck of a different feel from how Borenstein left Dickey-Stephens last week, when he had a string of 12 strikeouts in 15 plate appearances during a four-game stretch.
“That’s as bad as it’s ever been for me,” said Borenstein, who was the California League MVP last season at Class A Inland Empire and the Los Angeles Angels’ No. 9 prospect according to Baseball America.
By Sunday night, Borenstein had broken out completely. He hit his first home run of the season Saturday, then started Sunday’s game with a first-inning single, then his ground ball in the third bounced over the first baseman’s head and rattled around in the corner as he cruised in for a triple.
Borenstein flied out in the fifth, before hitting a two-run home run in the seventh. Then he doubled to center field in the eighth to cap a night in which he raised his batting average 55 points.
It came two days after Borenstein’s slump caused Manager Phillip Wellman to move him down in the order.
He hit fourth in the Travs’ first 11 games, but after five consecutive hitless games dropped his average to .182, Wellman moved him to sixth.
Today’s game
ARKANSAS VS. TULSA
WHEN 4:10 p.m. today (DH)
WHERE Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock
RADIO KARN-AM, 920, in central Arkansas
WEBSITE travs.com
PITCHERS Game 1: Travelers: LHP Michael Roth (0-2, 6.46 ERA); Drillers: RHP Daniel Winkler (1-1, 1.06). Game 2: Travelers: RHP Drew Rucinski (2-0, 1.20 ERA); Drillers: RHP Jon Gray (1-0, 6.57)
TICKETS Gates open 1 hour before the game. $12 box seats, $8 reserved ($5 children), $6 general admission ($4 children).
TRAVS WEEK AHEAD
TODAY Tulsa, 4:10 p.m. (DH)
WEDNESDAY Tulsa, 11 a.m.
THURSDAY Tulsa 7:10 p.m.
FRIDAY Springfield, 7:10 p.m.
SATURDAY Springfield, 6:10 p.m.
SUNDAY Springfield, 2:10 p.m.
MONDAY Springfield, 7:10 p.m.
Texas League
MONDAY’S GAMES Springfield 5, Northwest Arkansas 2 Tulsa at Arkansas, ppd., rain Frisco 6, San Antonio 0 Corpus Christi 5, Midland 2
TODAY’S GAMES All times Central
Tulsa at Arkansas, (DH) 5:10 p.m
Springfield at NW Arkansas, 7:05 p.m.
San Antonio at Frisco, 7:05 p.m.
Midland at Corpus Christi, 7:10 p.m.
Sports, Pages 20 on 04/22/2014