The Arkansas Travelers ascended to first place in the Texas League North Division with two victories in their Wednesday doubleheader against the Tulsa Drillers at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.
The Travs (30-28) beat the Drillers (26-32) in the first game 5-3, then 6-2 in the second game.
With 12 games left in the first half of the season, the Travs are in position to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since the 2015 season.
The first-half winners in the Texas League's North and South divisions both automatically qualify for the playoffs.
Travs starting right-hander Max Povse (2-1, 4.56 ERA) earned the victory in the first game, pitching 6 innings with 6 hits, 3 earned runs, 2 walks and 9 strikeouts.
It was Povse's second consecutive victory, and he's struck out 34 batters since he was optioned from Class AAA Tacoma on May 19.
Povse went 1-6 with an 8.84 ERA in 8 starts with the Rainiers, and the 6-8, 220-pounder returned to North Little Rock to work on his command.
Travs pitching coach Ethan Katz said Povse was working on his throwing motion, getting on top of the ball instead of pushing it.
Povse is now throwing strikeouts at a higher rate than he ever has in his career.
His 12.93 strikeouts per nine innings would rank highest in the Texas League, but his 23⅔ innings in Class AA don't qualify for the leaderboards.
"I think with the last couple starts he's heading in the right direction," Travs Manager Daren Brown said.
Povse struck out both Luke Raley and D.J. Peters in each of their first three at-bats.
Raley and Peters hit first and second in the Drillers lineup, but after Povse struck them out to start the game, he surrendered a 387-foot home run to Drillers right fielder Yusniel Diaz.
The pair both struck out looking on curveballs against Povse in the third, and they struck out swinging in the fifth.
Povse surrendered two more runs on sacrifice flies, and he was relieved by right-hander Bryan Bonnell to start the seventh.
Right fielder Beau Amaral gave the Travs a 2-1 lead in the first with a two-run single.
The Travs put the game out of reach with a three-run fourth, when catcher Joe DeCarlo hit a 355-foot home run to left field and designated hitter Eric Filia hit an RBI single.
Travs center fielder Braden Bishop extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a leadoff home run in the second game, and Arkansas had a 6-0 lead by the fourth inning.
Bishop has hit 25 of 52 (.481) during that span.
Travs lefty reliever Spencer Herrmann earned the victory, pitching 3 innings with 2 hits and 1 walk.
Bishop hit Wednesday's home run against Drillers right-hander Logan Bawcom, who Bishop said he remembered from their previous meeting in a 7-6 Travs victory May 21. Bishop went 0 for 3 against Bawcom in that game.
"He's pretty aggressive attacking with his fastball," Bishop said. "I know he had some good run, sink on it, so I was just trying to get something in the air, get under that sinker/two-seam and then just drive it to the pull side. It was just one of those swings where you block out everything."
Today's game
Arkansas Travelers vs. Tulsa Drillers
WHEN 7:10 p.m.
WHERE Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock
RADIO KARN-AM, 920, in central Arkansas
WEBSITE travs.com
PITCHERS Travs: RHP Chase De Jong (4-3, 4.19 ERA); Drillers: TBD
TICKETS $12 box, $8 reserved ($5 kids), $6 general admission ($4 kids). Gates open one hour before first pitch.
PROMOTION Clunker Boat Night, used boat giveaway; Tennis ball toss to win a $15,000 RV
THE WEEK AHEAD
TODAY vs. Tulsa, 7:10 p.m.
FRIDAY vs. Tulsa, 7:10 p.m.
SATURDAY vs. NW Arkansas, 6:10 p.m.
SUNDAY vs. NW Arkansas, 2:10 p.m.
MONDAY vs. NW Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.
TUESDAY vs. NW Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.
WEDNESDAY at Springfield, 6:30 p.m.
Sports on 06/07/2018