Hounds Beat Cards in Walk-Off Fashion

RockHounds 5, Springfield Cardinals 4
Wednesday, June 19, 2019                           
Security Bank Ballpark
                                        
Another big night from Edwin Diaz ... a great escape ... and a dose of speed pushed the RockHounds past the Springfield Cardinals, 5-4, Wednesday night at Security Bank Ballpark.
Diaz drove in three runs for the second straight night, including a tremendous, two-run line drive home run that reached the top of the high grass berm ("Rocky Mountain") in left field in the second inning. He added an RBI single in the third, pushing the lead to 4-1.
After Diaz's RBI single, Springfield starter Angel Rondon retired seven straight batters (getting eight outs, including a double play) and the Cardinals took advantage of the opportunity to close the gap. Solo home runs from Brian O'Keefe in the fourth inning and Johan Mieses and Zach Kirtley (both in the sixth) knotted the score at 4-4.
Springfield loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh with three singles against Zack Erwin, but the RockHounds left-hander pulled a "David Copperfield" and made the rally disappear with a strikeout and a pop foul to catcher Collin Theroux. The Cardinals then put two men on with one out against John Gorman in the eighth before the 'Hounds turned an inning-ending double play. The RockHounds also had two on with one out in the eighth but Springfield's Kodi Whitley struck out the side around the two hits.
After a 1-2-3 top of the ninth from Gorman, Nate Mondou led off the home half of the frame with a flair single to center and Kevin Merrell turned a would-be sacrifice bunt (and a gorgeous bunt, at that) into a base hit by beating the throw. Brallan Perez's sac bunt attempt failed and first baseman Kirtley made a slick play on a sharply hit ball off the bat of Tyler Ramirez for the second out. Dairon Blanco sent a very sharp grounder to shortstop Rayder Ascanio, who misplayed the ball. He might still have had a chance to make the play on a player with average speed, but Blanco is anything but average and he forced a hurried, wide throw, allowing Merrell to score the winning run.
The win was the RockHounds' 11^th in their last 15 games and gives the club a 2-0 record to open the second half pennant race and a 2-games-to-1 series over Springfield.
Texas League Wrap
For the second consecutive night the RockHounds were the only South Division team to win. Arkansas broke open a close game at Corpus Christi, defeating the Hooks, 7-3 ... and the North came out on top in a pair of Wednesday matinees. From the "oh, sure, NOW you beat Amarillo department," Northwest Arkansas doubled up Amarillo, 10-5, winning the series, 2-games-to-1, but the "one" was big (Monday's pennant-clinching Sod Poodles victory that ended the first half).
To paraphrase the classic movie character Fletch, Tulsa may not "own" Frisco, but the Drillers "have a lease with an option to buy." With a 6-2 win Wednesday afternoon, Tulsa completed its second three-game sweep of the RoughRiders this season ... their third consecutive such sweep dating back to last season ... and their 10^th consecutive win over the Riders dating back to July 3 of last year. In addition, Frisco is now 10-21 in its last 31 games.    
The RockHounds are 2-0 to open the second half, with the Hooks, RoughRiders and Sod Poodles each 0-2.
Notables
There was one "dark cloud" in the win as Greg Deichmann was injured while making an outstanding defensive play. The RockHounds' right fielder made a diving catch on Justin Toerner's third-inning line drive but hit the ground hard and was forced to leave the game.
Matt Milburn 's scoreless streak came to an end at 18⅓ innings when the Cardinals scored with two out in the top of the first. Before Springfield got on the board again (he surrendered all three home runs), Matt went three more innings, meaning he allowed one run (earned or otherwise) in a span of 21⅓ innings (a 0.42 ERA).
Luis Barrera (2-for-3) was not in the starting lineup but entered in the third as Deichmann's replacement and extended his on-base streak to 20 games (35-86, .407) with a beautiful bunt single in the sixth (he added a single in the eighth).
Edwin Diaz (2-for-3, HR, three RBI, hit by pitch) has driven in six runs in the club's back-to-back wins to open the second half and has hits in 7-of-his-last-8 games (11-31, .355).
In the two wins, Chase Calabuig is 5-for-7 with two runs, an RBI and a stolen base.
Brallan Perez (1-for-5, stolen base, caught stealing) has reached base in 14 straight games (21-54, .389) and has hits in 11-of-12 (19-45, .422) with six runs, three doubles, a triple, a HR and five RBI.
Tyler Ramirez (0-for-5) nearly ended the game with a sharply hit ball in the ninth (the good play by first baseman Zach Kirtley denied him) but was kept off base for the first time in 15 games since joining the 'Hounds from (AAA) Las Vegas.
Next Game
Thursday, June 20      vs. Arkansas Travelers
Security Bank Ballpark            7:00 p.m. (Gates open 6:00)
Thirsty Thursday    
- First of a four-game series and a fourth of a seven-game homestand
- Radio: NewsTalk 550 with Bob Hards ... airtime 6:47 p.m.

Probable Starters               
ARK: Ricardo Sánchez         (RH,     5-5, 3.95)
RH:   James Naile (RH,         5-4, 5.83)