Six Run Sixth Leads RockHounds to Win

RockHounds 9, Springfield Cardinals 5
Wednesday, June 12, 2019   
Hammons Field           Springfield, Missouri
                                        
Mother Nature "owed one" to the RockHounds. She paid her debt Wednesday afternoon as the RockHounds rallied for a 9-5 win over the Cardinals at Hammons Field in Springfield, Missouri.
                 
On May 26, the RockHounds saw an 8-1 lead turn into a 13-8 loss following a rain delay at Amarillo. This time, it was the 'Hounds who made the comeback after the rain went away. Mikey White's three-run home run capped a six-run sixth inning, interrupted for 38 minutes by weather, in which the 'Hounds erased a 4-2 deficit.  
Edwin Diaz also had a three-RBI day, including a game-tying two-run home run in the fifth and a single that drove in the first run of the game-changing sixth inning rally.
Dairon Blanco put the last run on the board with a solo home run in the top of the ninth. He finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs, the solo homer, two walks and two of the 'Hounds' four stolen bases (Kevin Merrell and Tyler Ramirez also had thieveries). The steals were Dairon's team-leading 14^th and 15^th of the season.
Zack Erwin, who pitched two-thirds of an inning before the rain, was credited with the win and Jesus Zambrano turned in another solid performance, allowing one run on three over three innings with no walks and four strikeouts.   Since being called up from (Advanced-A) Stockton at the end of May, Jesus has posted a 1.86 ERA in five appearances.
After seeing their six-game win streak snapped in Tuesday night's series opener at Springfield, the 'Hounds have now won 7-of-their-last-8.
The Pennant Race
The RockHounds and Frisco played day games Wednesday with the RoughRiders falling (6-1 at home) to the Tulsa Drillers. Frisco is now 14-19 at Dr Pepper Ballpark and, with Wednesday's loss, falls out of first place for the first time since mid-April.
Entering Wednesday night's games … the RockHounds (32-32) lead Frisco (32-33) and Corpus Christi (31-32) each by a half-game and Amarillo (30-32) by one. Corpus Christi plays at Arkansas and Amarillo hosts NW Arkansas in the evening contests.
When the teams take the diamond Thursday, there will be five games remaining in the first half pennant race.
Notables
Luis Barrera didn't have a big day (1-for-5) but extended his hit streak to eight games (14-37, .378) and his on-base streak to 13 games (22-55, .400).
In his last three games, Dairon Blanco is 4-for-12 with four runs, two home runs, four RBI and two steals.
Edwin Diaz, who went through a tough stretch (at one point going 3-for-40) is 5-for-15 in his last four games with a home run and four RBI.
Maybe they should spell it "Kardinals." Over the first two games of the series, Springfield pitchers have faced 77 batters … and struck out 29 of them (38%).
Next Game
Thursday, June 13      vs. Springfield Cardinals
Hammons Field           Springfield, Missouri
First pitch 7:10 p.m.   
- Final of a three-game series and third of a six-game road trip (at Arkansas, June 14-16)
- Radio: NewsTalk 550 with Bob Hards ... airtime 7:00 p.m.
Probable Starters                
SPR: Johan Oviedo (RH,    1-3, 7.36)
RH: Grant Holmes   (RH,    1-1, 3.48)