Brasier Solid In 3-2 Travs Win

TULSA, OK - Ryan Brasier and Ismael Carmona combined for a three-hitter as the Arkansas Travelers stopped their three-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Tulsa Drillers on Friday night at ONEOK Field. Brasier (5-6) earned his second win in three starts with a solid seven inning performance giving up three hits and two runs, although he walked five. Carmona earned his first save with two perfect innings.

The Travs move to 2-3 on the current road trip and 24-41 overall. Tulsa's three-game win streak is halted as the Drillers fall to 28-36.

The sacrifice bunt was an integral part of the Travs attack on Friday as they successfully bunted five times, two shy of the Texas League record.

Kevin Ramos started at second base and began the third inning with a single to centerfield. Andrew Romine followed with a soft bunt off the right side of the mound that Christian Friedrich failed to pick up for an error. Fuller then placed a bunt on the third base line giving catcher Lars Davis no chance for an out at first base. Ramos beat Davis's throw to third to load the bases and Fuller was awarded the first of his two sacrifice bunts. Roberto Lopez then got a hold of the next pitch and shot a line drive over Anthony Jackson's head in left field. The runners held their bases in case the drive was caught, so only Ramos scored. Jeremy Moore then drove in Romine with a long sacrifice fly to center for a 2-0 lead.

Friedrich got out of the inning allowing just the two runs as he got Julio Perez to pop up before Abel Nieves hit a hard grounder off Friedrich that ricocheted to the first baseman for an out. Friedrich (0-5) was tagged with the loss although he pitched well over a seven-inning start, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits, four walks and four strikeouts.

The Travs tallied their last run in the fourth inning and another sacrifice bunt proved important. Efren Navarro hit a leadoff single then was bunted to second base by Alberto Rosario. With two outs, Romine came through with a line drive to the gap in right field for an RBI triple and a 3-0 lead.

Brasier allowed just two batters to reach base in three innings, but stumbled in the fourth giving up a run on three walks. He issued back-to-back walks to Charlie Blackmon and Bronson Sardinha. A Scott Beerer sacrifice bunt moved the runners up before Daniel Mayora drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to left field. Brasier walked Lars Davis, but left two base runners when Kiel Roling flied out.

The leadoff walk haunted Brasier again in the fifth putting Jason Van Kooten on base. He stole second and moved to third on a groundout by Warren Schaeffer. Jackson's sacrifice fly scored Van Kooten to cut the Travs lead to 3-2. Blackmon followed with a double to put the tying run at second base, but Brasier got Sardinha to ground the mound to end the inning.

Brasier's last two innings featured two outstanding plays by Rosario from behind the plate. After Mayora singled with one out in the sixth inning, Rosario caught him stealing second base. Then in the bottom of the seventh after an error by Abel Nieves kept the Drillers batting, Rosario picked up a bunt by Jackson on the third base line and fired for the out at first.

Carmona was very effective in earning his first save of the year. He went to three balls on just one hitter getting six outs all on routine plays.

Time of game was 2:35 and the paid attendance was 8,579.

The Travs and Drillers are scheduled for a day-night doubleheader on Saturday with a pair of nine inning games. The first game begins at 12:05 p.m. and features Travs lefty Mike Anton (2-5, 4.86) against Tulsa lefty Brandon Durden (3-4, 4.28). The second game will begin at 7:05 p.m. with Travs right hander Tommy Mendoza (0-1, 4.50) pitching against Greg Reynolds (0-2, 14.04).