The Arkansas Travelers had just finished their worst month of the season, and the first game of the final month before the Texas League playoffs wasn't starting very well, either.
Then, a seemingly harmless two-out double in the seventh inning sparked 10 unanswered runs and the Travs staged a 13-7 come-from-behind victory over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Wednesday night at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.
"We've been waiting to break out," said Travs first baseman Joey Curletta, whose RBI single in the seventh started the onslaught. "It was just a matter of time, I think."
The Travs waited almost too long.
Trailing 7-3 with two outs in the seventh, Beau Amaral doubled, Chuck Taylor was hit by a pitch and Eric Filia walked to set up Curletta's single that scored Amaral. Dario Pizzano then walked to score Taylor, Chris Mariscal followed with a two-run single, and Joseph Odom ripped an RBI double to left-center field to give the Travs an 8-7 lead.
In the eighth, Filia's single off the right field wall scored Matt Sanders, Curletta drew a bases-loaded walk, Mariscal was hit by a pitch to score Taylor, Odom's single scored Filia, and Donnie Walton's walk scored Curletta.
In those two innings, it was 10 runs on 6 hits aided by 5 walks and 2 hit batters to end a string of 5 losses in 6 games. The Travs, who clinched the Texas League first-half North Division title in June, were 13-17 in July, the only month this year that they've had a losing record. Their .247 batting average also was a season low, and their 4.80 ERA during the month was the worst since April.
"This time of year, it's a grind," said Travs Manager Daren Brown. "Hitting, a lot of it is mental. It gets away a little bit if you don't have success. So, for us to come back and win that game ... they kept battling and got back in it and ultimately took it."
After Naturals starter Jace Vines held the Travs to 3 runs over 6 innings, none of the Naturals four relievers lasted more than an inning, while the Travs battered Cristian Castillo, Franco Terrero, and Grant Gavin for 10 runs.
"We struggled throwing strikes today, and they had some good at bats," said Naturals Manager Mike Rojas. "We just couldn't stop the bleeding."
Kort Peterson hit his second home run of the series with a 421-foot shot to right field in the second to make it 2-0, while the Naturals added two runs in the third and fifth off Travs starter Nathan Bannister to take a 6-1 lead.
But the Travs tied their largest comeback of the season, thanks to three hits and two RBI from Curletta and Filia, two RBI from Odom, and three RBI from Mariscal.
It was a welcomed sight for the Travs, who are still trying to find the right mix since a season-ending forearm fracture to center fielder Braden Bishop.
Bishop, a Texas League All-Star, was lost for the season July 19, and the Travs are 5-9 since.
Brown, while stressing the magnitude of Bishop's departure, said the Travs have plenty of time to tinker before the playoffs begin Sept. 4.
"We still have a long ways to go to get there," he said. "More than anything, it just giving other guys opportunities and it's putting them in spots and see where it goes. We're a long way to go and have a lot of games to play before the playoffs."
Sports on 08/02/2018