RHP Matt Pearce dealt six scoreless innings to help pace the Springfield Cardinals to the 1-0 shutout win against the Tulsa Drillers before 5,429 fans at ONEOK Field on Tuesday night.
Pearce (W, 2-2) and Drillers RHP Andrew Sopko (L, 0-3) alternated three scoreless frames to start, before the Cardinals (16-14) catapulted in front in the top of the fourth. With two down and the bases empty, 2B Eliezer Alvarez sent a towering solo home run over the right field fence, his second homer of the year, lifting the Cards into the 1-0 lead.
Pearce kept the one-run lead intact through the entirety of his six scoreless innings, scattering just two hits with two walks and six strikeouts. He retired the first 13 batters that he faced in order, starting his stellar outing with 4.1 perfect innings.
Springfield RHP Tyler Bray picked up right where Pearce left off, striking out a pair in a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh inning. RHP Kevin Herget took over for the eighth and struck out the side on a total of 11 pitches, before giving way to RHP Pedro Echemendia (S, 3) for the ninth. Echemendia followed suit with a perfect final frame, slamming the door in the 1-0 shutout, two-hit win for the Cardinals.
