Springfield, MO – DH Michael Ohlman delivered a go-ahead, three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh, swinging the Springfield Cardinals to the 3-2 win against the Arkansas Travelers before 3,477 fans at Hammons Field on Tuesday night.
The Cardinals continue to narrowly trail the Tulsa Drillers for 1st place in the North Division First Half Standings after Tulsa swept a doubleheader on Tuesday against Northwest Arkansas. The Drillers are 32-24 with a .571 winning percentage, while the Cardinals are 31-26 with a .544 winning percentage. Both teams have 13 games remaining in the half, six of which will be head-to-head match-ups.
St. Louis Cardinals C Brayan Pena began his Rehab Assignment in Springfield tonight, catching the first four innings. He is expected to continue his rehab in Springfield on Wednesday, while RHP Seth Maness is also expected to begin his Rehab Assignment at Hammons Field on Wednesday.
Cardinals RHP Daniel Poncedeleon and Travelers RHP Troy Scribner battled back and forth with scoreless inning after scoreless inning through their outings. Poncedeleon kept the Travs (23-34) in check through his six scoreless frames, scattering only six hits while striking out seven. Scribner, though, countered with six scoreless innings against the Cardinals, keeping it a scoreless tie through his night.
After a scoreless top of the seventh from RHP Kevin Herget (W, 1-0), the Cardinals broke through against the Travs bullpen in the bottom of the seventh. Facing RHP Blayne Weller (L, 2-7), 1B Luke Voit and LF Jonathan Rodriguez sparked the rally with a pair of sharp singles to start the stanza. One out later, DH Michael Ohlman launched a three-run home run to left field, his first long-ball back with Springfield from AAA-Memphis, swinging the Cardinals ahead, 3-0.
Arkansas attempted a comeback right away in the top of the eighth. 2B Andrew Daniel and C Jose Briceno collected a base hit apiece around a Herget strikeout, putting two on with one away. DH Alex Yarbrough then sliced an RBI single that scored Daniel and advanced Briceno to third base. With runners at the corners and one down, RHP Josh Lucas (S, 6) took over to face LF Bo Way. However, a wild pitch bounced just far enough away from C Carson Kelly to allow Briceno to charge home for the inning's second run. Lucas bounced right back, though, striking out Way before inducing an inning-ending pop out to keep Springfield ahead by one run, 3-2.
Following a scoreless bottom of the eighth, Lucas retook the mound to try to slam the door in the top of the ninth. The right-hander dealt a perfect final frame with a pair of strikeouts, closing the 3-2 win for the Cardinals.
Click here for the complete box score from Tuesday's game.
