Their closer didn't close it out. Their top RBI man didn't deliver in the clutch.
But Arkansas Travelers Manager Bill Richardson didn't complain too much after Tuesday night's 6-5 loss to the Springfield Cardinals at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.
Today’s game
ARKANSAS VS. SPRINGFIELD
WHEN 7:10 p.m.
WHERE Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock
RADIO KARN-AM, 920, in central Arkansas
WEBSITE travs.com
PITCHERS Travs: Austin Wood )RHP, 6-3, 4.47); Cardinals: TBD
TICKETS Gates open 1 hour before first pitch. $13 box, $9 reserved ($6 children), $7 general admission ($5 children)
PROMOTIONS Pro Football Hall of Famer Franco Harris will sign autographs during the first inning today. Harris and former NFL running back Lydell Mitchell are appearing in North Little Rock on behalf of their company, Super Bakery, which produces nutrition-oriented foods. Harris won four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1974-1975, 1978-1979) in a 13-year NFL career.
THE WEEK AHEAD
TODAY vs. Springfield, 7:10 p.m.
THURSDAY at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m.
FRIDAY at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m.
SATURDAY at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m.
SUNDAY at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m.
MONDAY vs. NW Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.
TUESDAY vs. NW Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.
Richardson wants to win as much as anybody, especially in a game when the Travs held the lead three times in front of an announced crowd of 2,634.
But managers at the Class AA level understand that player development is just as important as wins and losses.
"It's a tough one to swallow," Richardson said after watching closer Greg Mahle allow the tying and go-ahead runs to Springfield in the top of the ninth. "But it's good for Mahle to be in those situations."
Same goes for what happened in the bottom of the ninth when team RBI leader Brian Hernandez came to the plate with the bases loaded and one out.
Hernandez., who came to the plate with 57 RBI, struck out on three pitches for the second out.
"I thought he tried to do too much there," Richardson said of Hernandez.
The game ended when Blake Gailen lined out to first, less than 30 minutes after Gailen's sixth home run gave the Travs a 5-4 lead with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the eighth.
Then came the ninth.
Mahle got Springfield right fielder David Washington to fly out to left field for the first out, but he gave up infield singles to center fielder Charlie Tilson and designated hitter Mike O'Neill to put runners on first and second.
Left fielder Anthony Garcia lined a 1-2 pitch from Mahle into right field for a RBI double, scoring Tilson to tie the game at 5-5. First baseman Jonathan Rodriguez followed with a go-ahead single to right field to bring O'Neill home for a 6-5 lead.
Mahle had saved 9 out of 10 opportunties coming into Tuesday night's game, and Richardson said Mahle will get more.
"If we get into that situation tomorrow night, he'll be out there," Richardson said.
The Travs almost won it in the bottom of the ninth.
Shortstop Sherman Johnson reached with a one-out single to right field off Springfield reliever Kyle Barraclough. Left fielder Drew Maggi followed with a single to center field and catcher Raywilly Gomez walked to load the bases for third baseman Hernandez.
"That hasn't been his MO all year," Richardson said. "But that's why being in these situations are great for player development."
The Travs took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second on right fielder Cal Towey's RBI single and shortstop Eric Stamets' two-run double. Springfield rallied, scoring two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to tie the game at 3-3.
Stamets homered to left field in the bottom of the fifth to give the Travs a 4-3 lead, but the Cardinals tied the game at 4-4 in the seventh inning when Washington scored on a wild pitch by Arkansas reliever Kyle Winkler. Stamets went 2 for 4 with 3 RBI to lead the Travs offensively.
Albert Suarez started for the Travs, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits in 5 innings while striking out 5 and walking 3.
Kurt Heyer (3-0) earned the victory for Springfield, pitching two innings of relief and giving up a run. Barraclough picked up his eighth save.
Garcia, who played his first game for the Cardinals after participating in the Pan Am Games in Canada, finished 4 for 5 with 2 RBI.
Sports on 07/22/2015