The Arkansas Travelers were rolling along two days ago, having won four consecutive games, including the first three of the second half of the Texas League season.
Then a rain storm passed over Dickey-Stephens Park on Friday night, postponing their game with the Springfield Cardinals.
Today’s game
ARKANSAS VS. SPRINGFIELD
WHEN 6:10 p.m.
WHERE Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock
RADIO KARN-AM, 920, in central Arkansas
TV American Sports Network (Comcast Ch. 207).
WEBSITE travs.com
PITCHERS Travs: Chris Ellis (RHP, 2-0, 2.12 ERA); Cardinals: Kyle Hald (LHP, 0-4, 6.65)
TICKETS Gates open 1 hour before first pitch. $13 box, $9 reserved ($6 children), $7 general admission ($5 children).
When the Travs returned for a doubleheader Saturday, they were handcuffed by Springfield starters Thomas Lee and Jimmy Reed, three Cardinals hit home runs and they were swept 8-3 and 6-1 in front of an announced crowd of 7,283.
"Sometimes the last thing you want is a rainout," Travs right fielder Blake Gailen said. "Not to blame it on that, because we shouldn't. There are no fingers pointed anywhere but at ourselves. But the reality of it today is that we came out a little bit flat, and it showed."
Gailen hit his third home run since joining the Travs earlier this month, Zach Wright hit his first home run at home and Wade Hinkle homered in Game 2, but it wasn't enough for the Travs to keep up with the Cardinals.
Charlie Tilson went 3 for 4 with a single, a double and a seventh-inning home run to help the Cardinals snap a five-game losing streak and beat Travs starter Kyle McGowin in the first game.
In the second game, Patrick Wisdom hit what is believed to be the longest home run hit at Dickey-Stephens Park this season. It was measured at 426 feet, landing on the roof of the batting cages behind the center-field wall, and gave the Cardinals a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Anthony Garcia also homered in the third inning off Travs starter Albert Suarez, who gave up six runs on two outs, and the Cardinals added two more runs in the fourth.
After entering the doubleheader on a string of 21 consecutive scoreless innings, The Travs gave up 14 runs on 23 hits in the two seven-inning games.
"If I could put my finger on it, I'd probably be in a different desk," Arkansas Manager Bill Richardson said. "Disappointed? Yes. But in this game you've got to have short-term memory, and you've got to come back tomorrow."
The Travs have done a good job of that lately as they enter today's final game before the Texas League All-Star break.
Saturday's two losses came after Arkansas had won eight of its previous 10 games, matching its best 10-game stretch of the season. The Travs haven't lost on consecutive days in two weeks.
"There's no other dugout I'd rather be in tomorrow," Richardson said. "As frustrated as I am tonight, I know they are, too."
Sports on 06/28/2015