Jonathan Rodriguez hit the first pitch he saw in the eighth inning for a three-run home run to left-center, giving the Springfield Cardinals a little breathing room on the way to a 5-1 victory over the Arkansas Travelers before a crowd of 6,276 at Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo., on Friday night.
The victory put the two teams in a tie for the second-half title in the Texas League North Division with three games remaining. The Travelers come home to face first-half winner Northwest Arkansas, while Springfield hosts Tulsa, each beginning today.
Thomas Lee (8-4) worked five innings, giving up three hits, for the Cardinals. Three relievers allowed a run and three hits in the final four innings for Springfield.
Sean Newcomb (2-2) allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walking 3 and striking out 6 in 5 innings to take the loss.
Springfield opened up a two-run lead in the third inning, thanks to two walks and two hits. Mike O'Neill had a bases-loaded single with no outs for the first run. The second run came across when Nick Martini bounced into a double play.
Arkansas picked up its only run in the sixth inning. Ruben Sosa led off with a single, stole second and went to third on the throw by Springfield catcher Mike Ohlman. A sacrifice fly by Drew Maggi scored the Travelers' only run.
Rodriguez put the game away in the eighth. Singles by O'Neill and Martini put runners on first and second with one out. Rodriguez hit the first pitch from Danny Reynolds to put the game away.
NATURALS 5, DRILLERS 4
Northwest Arkansas scored the tying run on a passed ball then added the go-ahead run on a Bubba Starling home run to take a victory over the Tulsa Drillers in front of a crowd of 7,986 at ONEOK Field in Tulsa on Friday night.
The Naturals scored three runs in the second inning on a three-run home run by Hunter Dozier. But the Drillers scored four times in the third inning while utilizing only two hits, one a leadoff home run by Jeremy Rathjen.
Lane Adams' two-out triple led to the Naturals going ahead in the sixth inning.
Aroni Nina (4-4) allowed 2 hits and struck out 2 in 2 innings. Sam Selman matched those numbers for his fourth save of the season.
Sports on 09/05/2015