Travs Take Missions Down In Series Opener
North Little Rock, Arkansas - Kaleb Cowart provided the go-ahead base hit in the first inning with a two-run single and Mark Sappington (1-1) earned his first win in the Texas League as the Arkansas Travelers picked up a 5-1 victory over the San Antonio Missions on Tuesday night.
After dropping seven in a row, the Travs have now won two straight games to improve to 60-60 overall and 27-24 in the second half. With a loss by Tulsa and a win by Springfield, the Travs remain tied with the Cardinals for first place in the North Division, one game ahead of the Drillers and two in front of NW Arkansas. They also improved to 2-7 against the Missions.
Travs pitching survived seven walks including five by Sappington in his first start at Dickey-Stephens Park as the Missions were held to a 1-for-10 showing with runners in scoring position and left 12 runners. Sappington lasted 5.1 innings allowing a run in the first inning. He gave up six hits and struck out four in gaining revenge on the Missions for last Wednesday's loss.
Travs catcher Carlos Ramirez finished 2-for-3 with a home run (6).
The Travs defeated Missions knuckleballer Eddie Bonine (2-3), who was credited with a complete game lasting eight innings on 90 pitches. Bonine allowed all five runs, four earned, on eight base hits without walking a batter and recording one strikeout.
San Antonio grabbed the lead and the Travs lost their manager Tim Bogar to ejection in the first inning. Rico Noel hit a one-out single and attempted to steal second base. The throw and the tag made it an extremely close play and Noel was called safe by third base umpire Matt Czajak. Bogar came out to argue the call and after heading back towards the dugout was ejected by Czajak. Noel then stole his 50th base to get to third and scored when Yeison Asencio blooped a single to center.
Danny Perales and Randal Grichuk opened the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back singles putting runners at first and third for Taylor Lindsey. Tommy Medica picked up a grounder hit by Lindsey and threw to second for a force play, but Lindsey beat the relay as Perales scored the tying run. C.J. Cron followed with a grounder up the third-base line for a double sending Lindsey to third base. Cowart lined an 0-1 pitch to right-center for a single knocking in both runners for a 3-1 Travs lead.
The Missions had a runner on base in each inning, but failed to score for the remaining eight frames. Sappington pitched around a two-out single and walk in the third when Asencio grounded to third base. Jake Blackwood and Jeudy Valdez hit singles in the fourth inning, but Sappington struck out Cory Spangenberg to strand both runners.
Noel, who had three singles for the Missions, reached on an infield hit to begin the fifth and stole second base before Robert Kral walked with one out. With Asencio batting, Noel took off for third when Sappington lifted his leg. However he threw to third catching Noel in a run down for the second out. After walking Asencio, Sappington got Blackwood to bounce out to Cron.
A fielding error by Cron and a walk in the sixth inning forced Sappington out of the game in favor of left handed reliever Carmine Giardina. He caught Spangenberg looking on strikes and induced Noel to fly out.
Elvin Ramirez pitched the seventh and got around a walk.
The Travs scored single runs in the seventh and eighth after Bonine had retired nine in a row. Ramirez blasted a solo home run in the seventh inning. Jimmy Swift led off the eighth with a single, moved to second on a groundout by Perales, took third when Bonine made an errant pickoff throw and scored on a sacrifice fly by Grichuk.
David Carpenter and Michael Morin each threw one shutout inning each to close the game.
The Travs go for their third win in a row on Wednesday night sending Manny Correa (5-11, 5.58) against Matt Wisler (7-4, 3.10). Coverage of the game begins at 6:45 with first pitch at 7:10 on Sports Animal 920 and the IHeartRadio and Tune-In Radio Apps.