When the rains came, the runs dried up, and when the rains dried up, the runs came.
After nine days of two rainouts and eight consecutive losses, the Arkansas Travelers scored more runs than they had in their previous seven games in a 9-1 victory over the Springfield Cardinals on Saturday afternoon at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.
Travs right-hander Tyler Herb pitched the longest outing of his career, getting through 81/3 innings with 4 hits, 1 walk, 1 earned run and a season-high 10 strikeouts before an announced crowd of 8,885.
"First and foremost to get a win, that's a good feeling," Herb said. "Anything that I could possibly do to help the team today get a win, that was the main goal for me."
Herb (1-2, 4.39) retired the Cardinals in order until the fifth inning, and Travs Manager Daren Brown let him try for a complete-game shutout until designated hitter Dickie Joe Thon hit a 396-foot home run to left field to start the ninth inning.
Herb struck out one more batter, tying his season high, then right-hander reliever Thyago Vieira retired the final two batters.
"That's about as good as I've seen [Herb] pitch," Brown said. "He had a chance for a complete-game shutout, but the first pitch of the ninth took away the shutout. But it doesn't take away anything."
The Travs scored four runs during the first two innings.
Cardinals right-hander Sandy Alcantara, St. Louis' No. 6 prospect according to MLB.com, struck out second baseman Gianfranco Wawoe with a 101-mph fastball for the second out of the first inning. But two walks and a single later, catcher Tyler Marlette drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single through the middle of the infield.
Joey Wong drove in another run with a triple to right field in the second inning, then tagged and scored when Wawoe flew out to center field.
"Honestly, Herb set the tone for us," said catcher Tyler Marlette, who went 2 for 3 and drove in five runs, the most he's had in a Class AA game. "Right off the bat: one, two, three. Then he did it again in the second inning. He pitched his butt off tonight."
During the losing streak, Travs batters had gone 11 for 63 (.174) with runners in scoring position. Saturday, they were 4 for 8.
The losing streak was the Travs' longest since July 11, 2014, when they broke an eight-game streak in a 7-3 victory over the Tulsa Drillers.
"We've been struggling the last few weeks," Marlette said. "But honestly, we've been playing well. We've just had some bad breaks. Tonight, we finally put everything together, pitching and hitting. This was good for us."
Today’s game
TRAVELERS VS. CARDINALS
WHEN 2:10 p.m.
WHERE Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock
RADIO KARN-AM, 920, in central Arkansas
WEBSITE travs.com
PITCHERS Travs: RHP Brett Ash (2-2, 4.19 ERA); Cardinals: LHP Austin Gomber (2-2, 3.48 ERA).
TICKETS $13 box, $9 reserved ($6 kids), $7 general admission ($5 kids). Gates open one hour before start of game.
PROMOTIONS Mother’s Day Game Worn Jersey Auction
THE WEEK AHEAD
TODAY Springfield, 2:10 p.m.
MONDAY NW Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.
TUESDAY NW Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.
WEDNESDAY NW Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.
THURSDAY NW Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.
FRIDAY at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m.
SATURDAY at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m.
Sports on 05/14/2017