Seven Losses In A Row For Travs Ties Season High

North Little Rock - The Tulsa Drillers swept the Travs in a four-game series, defeating them 6-2 on Friday, Aug. 26, at Dickey-Stephens Park. An announced crowd of 7,220 watched the Travs tie a season-high with their seventh consecutive loss, and it was the fifth home game in a row that has lasted at least three hours. Friday's game came in at 3:05 on Clunker Car Night.

After getting Tim Wheeler to ground out to begin the top of the third inning, Travs' starter Eddie McKiernan went on to allow the next six batters to reach on five hits and a hit batter. The Drillers scored five runs to go up 5-0 on Thomas Field's two-run ground-rule double, James Cesario's two-run single and Mike Mitchell's sacrifice fly to right field. McKiernan struck out Eric Wetzel to get out of the inning.

The Travs got on the board when second baseman Dwayne Bailey started the bottom of the fifth inning with a one-out double to left field. Bailey advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on catcher Orlando Mercado's single to right field to make the score 5-1. After Darwin Perez struck out for the second out, the Travs loaded the bases only to be stranded when Luis Jimenez flew out to short right field.

The Drillers picked up an unearned run in the top of the sixth inning when Wheeler reached on first baseman Gabe Jacobo's error and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ben Paulsen to put Tulsa back up by five runs.

McKiernan (7-12, 5.57), a righty, got the loss giving up six runs (five earned) on 11 hits. He tied a season-high with eight strike outs and didn't walk a man. McKiernan's 12 losses tied former Tulsa starter Cory Riordan with the most losses in the Texas League. Riordan pitched a scoreless inning of relief in the game, giving up a hit and a walk.

Tulsa starter Rob Scahill (10-11, 4.11) earned the win giving up one run on five hits and a walk in seven innings pitched. He struck out four.

The Travs picked up a run in the bottom of the ninth without a hit to make it a 6-2 deficit. Drillers' reliever Casey Weathers hit Chris Pettit with a pitch on a full count and walked Bailey before throwing a wild pitch, allowing them to advance to second and third base. Mercado picked up his second RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to right field. Perez struck out for the second time and Matt Long popped out to the shortstop to end the game.

Seven-foot, one-inch reliever Loek Van Mil pitched two innings of scoreless relief for the Travs, surrendering one hit. Daniel Sattler struck out the side in the top of the ninth and walked a batter in one inning.

Mercado accounted for both of the Travs' runs going 2 for 2 with two RBIs and was also hit by a pitch. Bailey went 1 for 3 and scored a run.

For the Drillers, Hector Gomez went 3 for 5 with a run, Wheeler went 2 for 5 with a run, and Field went 2 for 5 with two RBIs and a run scored. Catcher Lars Davis went 2 for 4.

The Drillers outhit the Travs 12 to 6 and were 3 for 11 with runners in scoring position, leaving nine men on base. The Travs batted 2 for 9 with RISP and left eight men on.

The Travs start a three-game series with the Springfield Cardinals on Saturday, Aug. 27, at Dickey-Stephens Park. Righty Matt Oye (0-0, 0.00) will start for the Travs and righty Joe Kelly (4-4, 5.21) starts for the Cardinals. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 and gates open at 6:10.