Huge Third Inning Spurs Travs To Fifth Straight Win

North Little Rock, Arkansas - The Arkansas Travelers enjoyed their biggest inning of the season rallying for eight runs in the third to take control during an 11-7 victory. Taylor Lindsey collected four base hits including an RBI double during the huge rally, which included seven base hits and two Cards errors. In winning their fifth straight game the Travs take a three-game lead in the Texas League North Division.

 

Lindsey (15) was a triple short of the cycle and hit his second home run in the last two games. Catcher Carlos Ramirez finished 4-for-5 with a home run (5), while third baseman Kaleb Cowart was 2-for-4 with three runs batted in.

 

Now on their third winning streak of at least five games the Travs improve to 58-53 on the season and 25-17 in the second half, three games ahead of NW Arkansas. The Cardinals dropped their fourth straight and fall to 52-58 and 19-23 in the second half, six games behind the Travs.

 

The Cardinals jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning with three base hits including an RBI hit by Starlin Rodriguez, who finished with five RBI. Travs starter Manny Correa left runners at second and third base when he struck out James Ramsey. 

 

Trailing 1-0, Travs catcher Ramirez began the third inning with a single to left field. Ryan Jones laid down a bunt to the left of the mound that was bobbled twice by Ruben Gotay allowing Jones to reach on a single. When second baseman Colin Walsh dropped the throw on a sacrifice bunt by Jimmy Swift, Ramirez scored to tie the game. Randal Grichuk gave the Travs the lead with a single to center after falling behind 1-2 then Lindsey cracked a line drive off the right-field wall driving in Swift for a 3-1 lead. 

 

After the first out, C.J. Cron got ahead 2-0 before being intentionally walked to load the bases. Kaleb Cowart hit a hard grounder under the glove of a diving first baseman Xavier Scruggs for a two-run single. Cron advanced to third on Cowart's single and scored when Travis Witherspoon grounded into a fielder's choice. On the attempted double play Walsh committed his second error of the inning when his throw tipped off Scurggs glove and into the first base dugout allowing Witherspoon to move to second base. Ramirez then followed with his second base hit of the inning, a double against the left field wall knocking home Witherspoon and knocking Cards starting pitcher Tim Cooney from the game. Jones greeted left handed reliever Justin Wright with an RBI single through the right side for an 8-1 Travs lead.

 

The Cards came back with three runs in the fourth inning on four base hits. Luis Mateo and Adam Melker hit consecutive singles and both scored when Rodriguez hit a double to the left field corner. A two-out single by James Ramsey cut the Travs' lead to 8-4. 

 

With Wright pitching the fourth inning Lindsey collected his fourth hit with a single. A pair of two-out singles by Cron and Cowart brought Ramirez to the plate for a 9-4 lead.

 

Ramirez pounded a solo homer (5) leading off the fifth inning increasing the lead to 10-4.

 

Correa gave the game to Elvin Ramirez in the seventh inning and he fired a perfect frame. Correa (5-10) earned the win allowing four runs on 11 base hits in six innings.

 

Springfield threatened the Travs in the eighth with three runs off Michael Cisco to get within 10-7, but Cisco struck out Jake Lemmerman to keep the lead heading to the ninth.

 

Lindsey's home run came in the eighth inning with bases empty off left hander Danny Miranda for an 11-7 lead. It was Lindsey's third home run in his past six games.

 

Carmine Giardina pitched the start of the ninth inning allowing back-to-back singles drawing a visit from pitching coach Mike Hampton. Giardina then got Vance Albitz to ground into the third double play turned by the combo of Lindsey and Swift. David Carpenter was summoned for the final out of the game.

 

The third game of the series of set for 6:10 p.m. on Saturday night with Lay Batista (4-7, 3.89) on the mound for the Travs against Springfield's Anthony Ferrara (5-4, 6.04). Coverage of the game begins at 5:45 on Sports Animal 920 and the IHeartRadio and Tune-In Radio Apps.