Gomez Hits, Throws Hooks Past Travs
CORPUS CHRISTI - Carlos Gomez launched a 422-foot home run and Keegan Yuhl threw seven shutout innings as Corpus Christi beat Arkansas 2-1 Wednesday at Whataburger Field before 4,678.
The Hooks (28-17), winners of three straight, are 19-5 over the last 24 games. Arkansas stands 18-28.
Yuhl (3-1) faced two over the minimum from innings two through seven, allowing two singles, a walk, and a hit batsman. He totaled 85 pitches (55), a base-on-balls, and two strikeouts.
Gomez's bomb to left occurred on a two-out, first-pitch offering from Victor Alcantara during the fifth. Gomez also recorded three outfield assists, including two at home to dash tying runs.
David Schmidt, who entered for Yuhl in the eighth with a 2-0 lead, permitted one-out singles by Anthony Phillips and Alex Yarbrough before walking Cal Towey to load the bases. Enter Texas League saves leader Brendan McCurry, who struck Chad Hinshaw with a pitch for Arkansas' lone run. Eric Aguilera followed with a fly out to Gomez in center, who nailed Yarbrough with a perfect throw to Alfredo Gonzalez.
McCurry wasn't out of peril just yet. Though he went on to claim a Texas League-leading ninth save, the former Athletics farmhand fanned Phillips to end the game with Andrew Daniel (single/wild pitch) 90 feet from home and Angel Rosa (hit by pitch) at first.
Yuhl overcame a couple of first-inning baserunners. Yarbrough opened the game by singling into left-center and Towey lined a single the other direction. Yuhl then caught Hinshaw looking, induced a ground ball out from Aguilera, and got Daniel to pop out in foul territory.
Derek Fisher took Alcantara's 0-0 95-mph fastball and drove it 417 feet to right for a 1-0 Corpus Christi advantage.
Alcantara stranded three Hooks in the second, getting Gomez to hit into a fielder's choice for the final out. But the Astros' regular center fielder made outstanding defensive plays to end the Travelers' third and fourth innings, gunning Towey at second after cutting a ball off in the gap and diving to snag Daniel's sinking liner.
In the fifth, Gomez threw out Jose Briceno at the plate after fielding Rosa's single.
Alcantara (1-3) was pulled in the wake of five innings, a walk, three strikeouts, and 80 pitches.
Fisher, who homered for the ninth time, owns an eight-game hitting streak.
Third baseman Alex Bregman went 3-for-4 with three singles, reaching base safely for the 20th consecutive game.
Hooks right-hander Kyle Smith (0-4) gets the Stripes Thirsty Thursday series finale start against Troy Scribner (2-2). First pitch 7:05.