Cardinal Pitching Handcuffs Travelers

North Little Rock, AR-A dominant pitching performance by the Springfield Cardinals shut down the Arkansas Travelers on Thursday night, 4-1 at Dickey-Stephens Park. Three Card pitchers combined to hold the Travs to a season-low matching two hits.
               Sandy Alcantara (4-5) matched his season-high by pitching six innings to earn the win. The hard-throwing 22-year old surrendered just the one run on a solo homer by Seth Mejias-Brean and two total hits with three strikeouts while working around four walks. Andrew Morales pitched two perfect innings in relief with three strikeouts before Rowan Wick worked the ninth to pick up his first save.
               Springfield struck early offensively with a pair of runs in the first inning created by three extra base hits, a one out triple by Randy Arozarena (who scored on a sacrifice fly) and consecutive two out doubles by Anthony García and John Nogowski. The Cards would score again in the third when Oscar Mercado collected his second RBI of the game on a single to center.
               Travs starter Anthony Misiewicz (1-1) held the damage to those three runs as he worked through five innings in his third Double-A start, but ended up with the defeat. Darin Gillies and Blake Perry offered scoreless outings from the bullpen keeping the score close before the Cardinals added an insurance run in the ninth off of Thyago Vieira.
               Mejias-Brean's homerun was his first as a Trav and the team's 50^th of the season.
               Arkansas looks to bounce back on Friday night against the Cardinals. Right-hander Lindsey Caughel (6-7, 4.85) pitches for the Travs against right-hander Chris Ellis (1-4, 4.55). First pitch is set for 7:10 with the Remote Dig taking place afterwards. The game will also be broadcast on the Sports Animal 920, the First Pitch App, TuneIn radio and milb.tv.