SPRINGFIELD — RHP Sandy Alcantara dealt 6.0 scoreless innings to help guide the Springfield Cardinals back to the winning track, 6-3, against the Arkansas Travelers before 4,688 fans at Hammons Field on Thursday night.
For the fifth time in their last seven games, the Cardinals (32-34) scored first with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Facing RHP Tyler Herb (L, 5-3) with one down, LF Magneuris Sierra sparked the rally with a sharp single to center field. After racing around to third base on a single from 3B Bruce Caldwell, Sierra streaked home when a wild pitch bounced by C Tyler Marlette. Caldwell moved up to second on the wild pitch, and then raced home one out later on a two-out RBI double from RF Adolis Garcia, swinging the Cardinals into the 2-0 lead.
While Alcantara (W, 3-4) kept the Travs (32-34) off the board through his first three innings, the Cardinals added to the lead in the bottom of the third. CF Oscar Mercado opened the inning by reaching on an error, and quickly moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Sierra. Mercado stole third base for his team-leading 21st steal of the season, 2nd-most in the league, before coming home on an RBI single from Caldwell to make it 3-0.
After a 1-2-3 top of the fourth from Alcantara, the Cardinals powered further in front in the bottom of the fourth. Leading off against Herb, RF Adolis Garcia clobbered a solo home run over the St. Louis Cardinals Manual Scoreboard beyond the left field fence, his sixth home run of the year, propelling Springfield into the 4-0 advantage.
Alcantara provided two more scoreless stanzas, blanking the Travs through six innings before the Cardinals bats padded the lead in the bottom of the sixth. 3B Bruce Caldwell worked a walk and quickly took second on a wild pitch from Herb. Caldwell moved down to third base on a groundout, before darting home on an RBI sacrifice fly from SS Jacob Wilson, opening the Cardinals lead to 5-0.
Arkansas cracked the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth. With two on and one down, C Tyler Marlette lined an RBI single to get the Travs on the board. 1B Kyle Waldrop followed with an RBI fielder’s choice, bringing Arkansas within three runs, 5-2.
The Cardinals countered in the bottom of the eighth with one run, opening the lead back to four. RF Adolis Garcia started the frame with a walk, before stealing second base for his second swipe of the night. One out later, 2B Dickie Joe Thon brought in Garcia with an RBI single, increasing the lead to 6-2.
Arkansas refused to go down without a fight, adding an RBI sacrifice fly from SS Joey Wong in the top of the ninth, but RHP Tyler Bray battled back with a strikeout to slam the door and close the 6-3 win for Springfield.
