'Hounds avoid sweep, take finale from Springfield

With the game in a rain delay and an 11:00 p.m. curfew on fireworks looming, the creative folks in Springfield found a solution: fireworks after the rain delay and just before resumption of the game. It worked out all around. The fans got their "show" and the RockHounds got the win. Sean Murphy's sacrifice fly in the seventh broke a 4-4 tie and would prove to be the game-winner as the 'Hounds took the finale of a three-game series, 5-4 at Hammons Field.

The RockHounds took a 4-0 lead in the second. Cardinals starter Sandy Alcantara walked Murphy and Branden Cogswell and hit Richie Martin, to load the bases with one out. B.J. Boyd singled to center, scoring the game's first two runs, and Max Schrock drove a two-run double into the alley in right-center to plate two more.

The Cardinals chipped away with single runs in the third, fourth, fifth (interrupted by a rain storm and the brilliantly-inserted fireworks show) and sixth. Randy Arozarena led the Springfield attack, going 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.
In the seventh with the game tied at 4-4, Jordan Tarsovich led off with a single to center and Schrock drew a walk. A one-out infield single from J.P. Sportman loaded the bases and Murphy sent a fly ball to deep center, more than enough to bring Tarsovich home with what would be the game-winning run. Magneuris Sierra's throw from center was in time to get Schrock at third on an 8-5 double play, but the run scored before the inning-ending out at third.
Aaron Kurcz pitched two scoreless innings in relief for the win and Carlos Navas went two scoreless frames for the save.
Quick Notes:
The RockHounds broke a two-game slide and are now 4-11 in the second half and 39-46 overall. Springfield won each of the four series between the clubs in 2017, each by a 2-1 margin. The 'Hounds are .500 (26-26) against the South Division, but 13-20 versus the North.
The "in-game" fireworks proved to be a stroke of genius, as the game ended minutes after the 11:00 p.m. curfew had passed.
B.J. Boyd went 1-for-5 with two RBI and saw two more outstanding defensive plays take hits away from him. Boyd had at least four would-be hits denied by the Springfield defense in the three-game series). He extended his hit streak to nine games (13-for-39, .333) with five doubles, a solo HR and five RBI. 
A scoring change from Wednesday's series opener, changing a hit to an error, gave Max Schrock an 0-for-4 night, but that does little to change an impressive stretch for the RockHounds second baseman. Since May 16, Schrock (3-for-4, walk, double, two RBI on Friday) has reached base in 23 of his last 26 games (37-for-98, .378).
Jordan Tarsovich has hit in four straight games (6-for-18, .333, two doubles, solo HR) and in seven of his last nine games (11-for-35, .314).
J.P. Sportman broke out of a 3-for-19 stretch, going 3-for-5 with a double on Friday night.
Tyler Ramirez (1-for-4) has hit in four straight games (5-for-15, .333, with a double, HR, two RBI) and has hit in five of his six games since being promoted to the RockHounds from (Advanced-A) Stockton. 
Viral Miscue:   
Thursday night's defensive "misadventure" has now made its way to ESPN and, soon to NBC's "The Today Show." Randy Arozarena led off the seventh with a high pop-up between the pitcher's mound and first base. With all four infielders converging, the ball glanced off the glove of first baseman Viosergy Rosa with Arozarena advancing not only to second, but all the to an unattended third base. The play was part of ESPN's "Not Top 10" (#3, if you're wondering) and is now on its way to the Sunday Today Show (apparently, it's a "slow news week"). One of the audio narrations accompanying the video called the play a "triple." We're hoping NBC's researchers are better (and smarter) than that as the play was a three-base error. 
On Deck:
The RockHounds now travel to Tulsa for a three-game series with the Drillers at ONEOK Field. First pitch for each game is at 7:05 p.m. each evening.
Tuesday is a league-wide off/travel day, with the 'Hounds returning to Security Bank Ballpark to host the Corpus Christi Hooks in a four-game homestand beginning on Wednesday, July 12.
The series opener in Tulsa is a rematch of the July 3 game at Security Bank Ballpark in which Drillers right-hander Tim Shibuya (2-0, 1.51 ERA) came within one pitch of a no-hitter. B.J. Boyd's two-out single - on a 1-2 pitch - in the last of the ninth denied the no-hit bid from Shibuya, who settled for a one-hit, complete game 3-0 shutout. Righty Grant Holmes (5-8, 4.66 ERA) who opposed Shibuya that evening, was also outstanding, taking a three-hit shutout into the seventh. He allowed one earned run with two walks and six strikeouts over seven innings). In addition to the dramatics of Shibuya's near no-no, the match-up features two pitchers who have both been outstanding over their last half-dozen trips to the hill.
Shibuya's season has included four stints on the DL, a nightmarish spot start at the Triple-A level and a near no-hitter. His lone start for Triple-A Oklahoma City was a 15-3 home loss to Colorado Springs on May 5, a game where his line read: 2.2 IP, 14 H, 13 R/13 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. That single game bumped his career ERA up by nearly a quarter-point (3.46 to 3.67). In his last five outings (two starts), Shibuya is 1-0, 0.42 ERA (21.1 IP, 8 H, 1 R/1 ER, 2 BB, 14 K, 0.47 WHIP and a .114 opponent average). 
Holmes, rated Oakland's #6 prospect by both Baseball America and #3 by MLB.com, has recorded quality starts in five of his last six outings, including his last three. The exception was June 15, when Corpus Christi scored nine runs (seven earned) on 12 hits in four innings. In the other five appearances in that span (June 4-25), he went 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA. His combined line for the four quality starts: 33.0 IP, 31 H, 8 R/7 ER, 8 BB, 34 K (1.18 WHIP and a .252 opponent average and a 4.25:1 strikeouts-to-walks ratio).