Dickey-Stephens Park doesn't yield many home runs, but those familiar with the Arkansas Travelers' home park say the best route to hitting a home run, on most nights, is to hit a line drive down one of the two foul lines.
That was not the case Monday night.
Chad Hinshaw, Brian Hernandez and Michael Snyder, taking advantage of a 20 mph wind blowing out to left, each hit home runs in that direction, as the Travs set a record in beating the Midland RockHounds 16-0 in the first game of a doubleheader split in North Little Rock. Midland won the second game 3-0.
Cal Towey added four singles and the Travs collected 17 hits in the seven-inning game while setting a team record for most runs scored at the park that opened in 2007. The overall record for runs is held by the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, who beat the Travs 19-12 on July 22, 2010.
"We controlled the strike zone and when they control the strike zone I think they're very good," Arkansas Manager Bill Richardson said. "It's contagious and it all comes around."
Richardson said that the wind likely played a part in Hernandez' three-run home run in the third inning, Snyder's two-run home run in the fifth and Snyder's single in the third, a ball the wind blew to the right of Midland left fielder Chris Oberacker and landed on the warning track.
"The wind helps, definitely, when you get it up in the air," said Hinshaw, who added a fifth-inning double in the second-game loss.
Hinshaw didn't need any help in the first inning of the first game.
He turned on an 0-2 fastball from Midland starter Chris Lamb and hit a drive that cleared the berm beyond the left-field wall, bounced off a sidewalk and cleared Willow Street that runs behind Dickey-Stephens Park. The home run, Hinshaw's first at Class AA, was estimated at 420 feet and came with one runner on.
"I don't hit too many," Hinshaw said. "So I never know if it's a double or not, so I'm just trying to get to second or third, and I saw the [umpire's] finger twirling so I just kept going."
The Travs looked more like the team that started the season 6-0 on the road than the one that suffered shutout losses Thursday and Friday in its first two home games. On Saturday, Wade Hinkle and Kentrail Davis hit late home runs in a comeback victory over Frisco.
Sunday's game was postponed because of rain, but the Travs kept hitting in Monday's first game.
Towey had 4 singles and scored 3 runs, Snyder was 3 for 5 with 3 RBI, Johnson was 1 for 3 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored and Hernandez went 3 for 4 with 4 RBI and 2 runs scored. The Travs scored seven runs int he second inning, when Johnson hit an RBI double, Hernandez drew a bases-loaded walk and D'Arby Myers, Anthony Bemboom and Drew Maggi each hit RBI singles.
The Travs were so good offensively, they outshined starter Nate Smith, who struck out 9 and held Midland to 2 hits and without a run in 5 innings to earn his second victory of the season.
Not a surprise to Hinshaw.
"We have a little bit of everything," Hinshaw said. "From the top to the bottom everyone can hit. We have speed, we have power. Everyone can put in RBIs, everyone can get on. We have a good lineup, and it's one of the teams I've played on."
Sports on 04/21/2015