The 1st-Half North Division Champion Springfield Cardinals closed the series win with a 4-2 victory against the Arkansas Travelers before 3,274 fans at Hammons Field on Sunday afternoon. With consecutive wins on Saturday and Sunday, the Cardinals enter the All-Star Break with a 2-games-to-1 series victory against the Travs.
Following a pair of scoreless innings from RHP Luke Weaver (W, 4-0) to keep the Travs (1-4, 33-42) off the board, the Cardinals (2-3, 43-32) charged in front in the bottom of the second. Facing RHP Victor Alcantara (L, 2-5), RF Anthony Garcia was hit by a pitch to open the inning. Garcia moved to second on a pitch in the dirt, before advancing to third one out later on an infield single from LF Nick Martini. With two on and one out, C Michael Ohlman cracked the scoreless tie with an RBI single to center field, bringing in Garcia for the 1-0 lead for Springfield.
The Travelers, though, took advantage of a couple of Cardinals miscues to tie the game in the top of the third with an unearned run. SS Anthony Phillips opened the inning with a single, before stealing second and taking third on a throwing error charged to C Michael Ohlman. After a strikeout, LF Caleb Adams reached on an error that brought in Phillips, evening the game at 1-1.
Springfield swung right back in front in the bottom of the third inning. Bader started the inning by being hit by a pitch from Alcantara. He then stole his way to second, before popping up and taking third on a throwing error on C Jose Briceno. One out later, 1B Jonathan Rodriguez tattooed an RBI triple to right-center field, bringing in Bader to lift the Cards into the 2-1 lead.
Weaver kept the one-run lead intact through the remainder of his outing, blanking the Travelers through his final two innings. He ended up with five innings of work, allowing just the one unearned run on six hits and no walks, while striking out eight batters.
After RHP Ronnie Shaban took care of a scoreless top of the sixth inning, the Cardinals padded the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Facing LHP Edward Paredes, Garcia opened the inning with a walk. After a single from 3B Paul DeJong moved Garcia to second, he promptly stole his way to third. With runners at the corners, LF Nick Martini pulled an RBI single through the right side, bringing in Garcia and advancing DeJong to second base. Paredes dug in and struck out the next two batters, but SS Juan Herrera came through with a two-out RBI single up the middle, scoring DeJong to make it 4-1.
Shaban dealt a scoreless top of the seventh, but Arkansas chipped down the deficit against RHP Rowan Wick in the top of the eighth. RF Jabari Henry and DH Andrew Daniel started the inning with consecutive walks, before both advancing ninety feet on a wild pitch. With runners at second and third, Briceno lifted an RBI sacrifice fly to center field to bring in Henry. LHP Justin Wright (S, 1) took over on the mound and quickly navigated Springfield out of the frame with two straight outs, closing the eighth with the Cardinals ahead, 4-2.
Wright came back out for the top of the ninth and quickly slammed the door, closing the 4-2 win for Springfield with a scoreless final frame.
