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Texas League update

Texas League Team Notes

Arkansas Travelers (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)

Second Half: 20-23, Last Week: 4-2

Second Place, Texas League North

[July 31 at Arkansas] Brandon Wood powered Arkansas to a 10-7 victory, thanks in part to his 23rd home run of the season. The three-run shot in the second inning allowed the Travs to jump out to an early 7-0 lead. Terry Evans also went deep, hitting his fourteenth home run in the Texas League this season. Rafael Rodriguez tallied the win after allowing one earned run in 5 2/3 innings. [August 3 vs. Springfield] A three-run seventh inning helped the Travs defeat Springfield, 5-3. Devin Day delivered the key hit in the frame, a two-run double into the gap. Nick Green allowed just one earned run for Arkansas over eight innings while fanning seven hitters. The win increased his record to a team-best 7-2. [August 5 vs. Springfield] Following a rainout in the previous day, the Travs split a twinbill against Springfield, winning the first game 5-4, but falling in the nightcap 7-1. In the opener, with the scored tied at 4 in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Travs loaded the bases with three walks. With two outs in the frame, Juan Richardson came home to score the game-winner on a passed ball. Rich Thompson picked up the win after throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Terry Evans cracked a solo home run in the fourth inning, walked twice and scored three runs.

Corpus Christi Hooks (Houston Astros)

Second Half: 23-20, Last Week: 4-2

Second Place, Texas League South

[August 2 vs. San Antonio] A rehabbing Carlos Hernandez tossed the first two innings in Corpus Christi's 3-1 win over San Antonio, allowing no hits and walking two. The bullpen combined to throw the next seven innings, allowing just one run on four hits. David Rollandini picked up the win after tossing 1 1/3 shutout innings. Josh Bonifay and Mark Saccomanno each hit a solo home run in the win. [August 4 at Corpus Christi] Chance Douglass tossed eight strong innings as the Hooks downed the Missions, 3-2. Despite allowing just one earned run on six hits, Douglass got a no decision when he left with the game tied 2-2. With the bases loaded in the ninth and one out, Josh Anderson hit a groundball to the pitcher. The pitcher threw home for one out, but the throw by the catcher from first base sailed into right field, allowing pinch-runner Osvaldo Fernando to score the game-winner from third base. Reliever Josh Miller picked up the win by working a hitless ninth inning, improving his record to 8-8. [August 6 vs. San Antonio] Chad Reineke tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings in the Hooks' 4-3, extra-inning win over San Antonio. He struck out eight and allowed just two runners to reach base. Walter Young singled with the bases loaded to bring home the game winner in the 11th inning. Young had three singles on the night, as did Josh Anderson.

Player Notes:

Steve Kent was released by Corpus Christi to make room for rehabbing Major Leaguer Carlos Hernandez. Kent had a 8.74 ERA in 11 games with the Hooks.

Former Major Leaguer Tike Redman was signed by Houston and assigned to Corpus Christi on Friday. Redman has played in 392 Major League games with a career average of .277.

Catcher Brian Peterson, who joined the Hooks on July 29 when J.R. House was promoted, was hit on the left elbow by a bat's back-swing on Sunday. He would leave the game, but X-rays showed no break.

With Peterson's home run on Saturday, he became the 14th different Hooks player to hit a home run this season.

Starting pitcher Juan Gutierrez, who has been out for more than a month, is planning on returning to action this Saturday at home against Wichita.

Frisco RoughRiders (Texas Rangers)

Second Half: 22-21, Last Week: 5-0

Second Place, Texas League South

[July 31 vs. Corpus Christi] After missing his last two starts due to injury, Thomas Diamond allowed just two runs over five innings in Frisco's 4-3 win over the Hooks. Reliever Jesse Carlson picked up the win in relief. The 'Riders scored all four of their runs in the sixth inning. In the big inning, Enrique Cruz and Travis Metcalf each drove in two as Frisco reached base six consecutive times. [August 2 vs. Midland] 22 year-old starting pitcher, Luis Mendoza, made his Double-A debut, leading Frisco to a 5-3 win. He gave up a pair of hits over five innings, allowing eight hits and a walk while fanning three to pick up the win. The 'Riders broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth inning by scoring two runs, capped by James Fasano's two-run single. [August 3 vs. Midland] Frisco pounded Midland, 13-1, led by Nate Gold's seven RBI. The first baseman went 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs. His first, a two-run shot, came in the second inning and gave Frisco a commanding 7-1 lead. His second, good for three runs, came as a part of a five-run fifth inning. Ruddy Yan went 4-for-5 with a triple from the top of the order. Lost in the offense was starter Paul Kometani, who gave up just a run over five innings, striking out seven. Reliever Dan Touchet tossed three scoreless frames. [August 5 vs. Midland] Nate Gold hit his 26th home run of the season, a two-run, tie-breaking shot in the eighth inning, in Frisco's 6-4 win over Midland. The 'Riders pounded out 14 hits, with five players recording at least two. Ruddy Yan led the way with three singles from the top of the order. Starter Dan Haigwood allowed just one run in five innings, but reliever Lou Pote picked up the win thanks to Gold's late home run. [August 6 vs. Midland] More than 4 ½ hours after first pitch, Frisco finished off Midland, 7-6 in 13 innings. Both Midland and Frisco each scored a run in the ninth inning to send the game into extras. After drawing three consecutive one-out walks in the bottom of the 13th inning, Kevin Mahar hit a sacrifice fly to drive in the winning run. Mahar also homered in the game, a solo shot in the fourth inning. Jake Blalock went 3-for-6 with a home run and two runs scored in the win.

Midland RockHounds (Oakland Athletics)

Second Half: 20-22, Last Week: 0-6

Last Place, Texas League South

[August 4 at Frisco] Trailing 4-1 in the sixth inning, the 'Hounds scored three runs, capped by a Brant Colamarino two-run home run, to knot the game at 4-4. The game slipped away from them in the 11th inning as Frisco scored the winning run after Midland pitching gave up a walk followed by two wild pitches. A one-out sacrifice fly ended the game for Midland in defeat, 5-4.

Player Notes:

Jed Morris was activated from the disabled list this week. He had been out of action since June 2 with a fractured left wrist.

San Antonio Missions (Seattle Mariners)

Second Half: 24-18, Last Week: 2-4

First Place, Texas League South

[July 31 at Midland] The Missions won a wild game in Midland, 11-10. Jason Bourgeois went 5-for-6 with a pair of doubles and Sebastian Boucher singled three times from the top of the order. Matt Rogelstad was 3-for-5 with a triple and three RBI. Eight of the nine Mission batters drove in at least one run, while seven of nine had a hit. The Missions scored six runs in the decisive fourth inning, batters 12 players to the plate. [August 3 at Corpus Christi] Ryan Feierabend tossed eight fantastic innings in San Antonio's 6-3 win over the Hooks. He gave up just two runs on four hits, striking out five. He improves his record to 9-7 while dropping his ERA to 3.89. Six Missions had two hits on the night, but just one of San Antonio's 14 hits went for extra-bases, a solo home run by Mike Wilson. Most of the offense came in the third, when Scott Youngbauer drove in two runs with a single and Marshall Hubbard drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk.

Springfield Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals)

Second Half: 19-24, Last Week: 2-4

Last Place, Texas League North

[August 2 at Arkansas] Mike Parisi allowed two runs over 6 1/3 innings, leading Springfield to a 5-2 win over Tulsa. He struck out seven, gave up eight hits and walked none, improving his record to 7-5. Reid Gorecki and Larry Bigbie each homered in the victory. Bigbie walked three times and scored two runs. Mike McCoy doubled and singled two times, sparking the offense from the bottom of the order. [August 3 vs. Corpus Christi] Ryan Feierabend lasted eight innings against Corpus Christi, allowing just two runs on four hits and a walk in the 6-3 win. The win raised his record to 9-7. The Missions brought home three runs in the third inning. Scott Youngbauer delivered the big blow in the inning, a two-run single. Mike Wilson went deep for San Antonio in the ninth inning, a solo home run, his seventh since joining the Texas League on June 22. [August 5 at Arkansas] After a rainout the previous night, the Cards played two. Chris Lambert allowed just one run on four hits over six innings, striking out nine in the 7-1 win of game two. Nick Stavinoha hit a first inning grand slam to give Lambert a comfortable lead before he even took the mound. The Cards let the first game slip away after surrendering a late run, losing 5-4. Stavinoha homered in the first game as well, a three-run job in the sixth inning. Cody Haerther also added a solo home run in the fifth.

Player Notes:

Larry Bigbie rejoined the Cards this week, rehabbing from a broken heel that occurred in spring training. His only previous game with Springfield came on July 19 when he went 0-for-2. He is now 3-for-10 with one home run and four walks in four games.

Tulsa Drillers (Colorado Rockies)

Second Half: 19-23, Last Week: 4-3

Third Place, Texas League North

[July 31 at Springfield] Tino Sanchez drove in five runs to help lead Tulsa to a 12-7 win over Springfield. The backstop went 2-for-5 with a grand slam in the win. It was his second five-RBI in the last nine days. Seth Smith homered and singled three times from the lead-off spot, good for his fifth four-hit game of the season. Ian Stewart and Christian Colonel each also homered for Tulsa. Jentry Beckstead picked up the win after tossing two scoreless innings of relief. [August 1 at Springfield] Joe Koshansky went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in Tulsa's 7-6 win over Springfield. Seth Smith went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run in the win. Jason Burch tossed 1 2/3 perfect relief innings to pick up the win and increase his record to 3-4. [August 2 vs. Wichita] Juan Morillo struck out nine hitters over 6 2/3 innings and picked up the win in the 5-2 victory. He allowed two runs while surrendering seven hits and two walks. Seth Smith homered for the third game in a row, a two-run shot in the second inning. Alvin Colina also homered in the second frame. Joe Koshansky singled, walked three times and drove in a pair of runs. [August 3 vs. Wichita] Once again, Joe Koshansky's red-hot bat led Tulsa to a win, 10-8. The slugger hit a three-run home run and walked two wins in the win. The round-tripper came as part of the eight-run second inning. In the frame, Tulsa hitters tallied seven hits, including three doubles and the big home run. Koshansky now has 27 home runs and 97 RBIs. He leads the Texas League in both categories.

Player Notes:

Troy Tulowitzki returned to the lineup on Sunday after missing a week with a wrist injury. He went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles.

Ian Stewart carries an 18-game hitting streak through this week. During the streak he s batting .355 with 12 RBI and 16 runs scored.

Drillers manager Stu Cole has been selected to manage in the Arizona Fall League this off-season. He will manage Grand Canyon, which begins play on October 10.

Matt Miller, who joined Tulsa on July 31, leads the Rockies' farm system with 132 hits through August 4th. So far with Tulsa he is 5-for-22.

Wichita Wranglers (Kansas City Royals)

Second Half: 24-19, Last Week: 3-4

First Place, Texas League North

[August 4 at Tulsa] Zack Greinke surrendered just two runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out 11 in Wichita's 10-5 win over Tulsa. He has walked just one batter in his last four starts (24 2/3 IP). Billy Butler was 2-for-5 with three RBI and Kila Kaaihue doubled twice and singled in the win. The only home run of either club was a solo bomb by Donnie Murphy in the ninth inning. [August 5 at Tulsa] Wichita pitchers overcame eight walks in their 3-1 win over Tulsa. Reliever Neal Musser allowed two hits and five walks over 3 2/3 innings, but struck out five and didn't allow a run to pick up the win. Billy Butler led the offense by going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. All three of their runs were scored in the sixth inning. [August 7 at Tulsa] The Wranglers downed Tulsa 11-5 on 15 hits and five walks. Dee Brown hit a grand slam in the eighth inning to cap Wichita's scoring. Alex Gordon hit a three-run shot in the third inning and added an RBI single in the seventh. Angel Sanchez singled and scored three times. Junior Herndon picked up the win after allowing just one earned run over seven innings, striking out two. His record improved to 9-5.

Player Notes:

Starter Tyler Lumsden, pitching in just his second game since joining the club on July 29, left the game on August 3 after just one inning with a leg injury.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Seth Smith, Tulsa Drillers

.387, .516 OBP, .839 SLG, 6 G, 31 AB, 7 R, 12 H, 5 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 4 BB

Seth Smith took home his second Player of the Week award this season after crushing the ball all week. He started the week off with a bang, going 4-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in Tulsa's 12-7 win over Springfield. He followed that up with a home run and a double in the next night's 7-6 win. Smith made it homers in three consecutive games after blasting off in the Drillers' August 2nd, 5-2 win over Wichita. Over the next three games, August 3 - 5, he hit four doubles and drove in three runs. His 40 doubles leads the Texas League, while his 56 extra-base hits rank third.

Smith is in his second full professional season after being drafted by the Rockies in the second round of the 2004 amateur draft. In his first taste of professional ball, he hit .369 with nine home runs and 61 RBI for Casper of the Pioneer League. In 2005 he jumped to high Single-A and .300 with nine home runs and 45 doubles. The former backup to quarterback Eli Manning at the University of Mississippi is holding his own in a lineup crowded with other top prospects. Performances like this week will help him to stand out.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Paul Estrada, Corpus Christi Hooks

5 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 7 K, 2 Saves

Paul Estrada faced 15 batters this week and retired them all. 15 up, 15 down. In three relief outings, the hard-throwing right-hander struck out seven and recorded two saves. His first save came against San Antonio on August 2nd. He came into a 3-1 game to face the heart of the San Antonio order. He did so with ease, retiring the five batters that he faced. On August 5th he recorded a two-inning save in the Hooks' 6-4 win. He struck out three of the first four batters he faced to preserve another Hooks' win.

Signed as a free agent out of Venezuela in 1999, Estrada pitched two seasons in the Venezuelan Summer League with mixed results. He first came to the United States in 2001, pitching for Martinsville of the Appalachian League. He struck out an amazing 42 batters in 31 2/3 innings, but struggled with control as he issued 36 base on balls. He started to harness his power in 2004 with Tri-City of the New York-Penn League, walking just 17 batters in 41 2/3 innings. His 2006 season with Corpus Christi is looking like it will be his best yet. He already has a career high in strikeouts (118), while maintaining a career low walk rate of less than 3 ½ walks per nine innings.

Alumni Report (through 8/6)

Jason Alfaro (Round Rock '01-'03) hit .371 in his last nine games with Buffalo, driving in five runs and scoring four.

Carlos Pena (Tulsa '00) homered in each of his last three games for Colombus, and has driven in 10 runs in his last 10 games.

Both J.P. Howell (Wichita '05) and Ben Zobrist (Corpus Christi '06), who were previously with Durham, were promoted to Tampa Bay this week.

Norris Hopper (Wichita '03-'04) has hit .435 in his last 10 games with four RBI and four runs scored with Louisville. He leads the International League with a .344 batting average.

Ryan Ludwick (Midland '01) leads Toledo in home runs with 20. The Mud Hens are second in the International League with 114 bombs.

Ryan Spilborghs (Tulsa '05) has batted .425 in his last 10 games with 13 runs scored for Colorado Springs. Teammate Justin Hampson (Tulsa '03-'04) has allowed just 17 hits and eight earned runs in 22 2/3 innings since rejoining the starting rotation in Mid-July. As a starter this year he is 4-2 with a 3.19 ERA.

Laynce Nix (Frisco '03-'04) had a nine-game hitting streak for Oklahoma when he was traded to Milwaukee at the end of July. He hit in the first six games with Triple-A Nashville before his streak came to an end on August 5.

Brandon Larson (Frisco '05) has hit .343 in his last nine games with three homers and 10 RBI for New Orleans.

Jaime Burke (Midland '96-'98) has hit .423 in his last eight games with a homer and seven RBI for Oklahoma. Teammate Joaquin Arias has batted .351 in his last 10, with seven RBI and five runs scored.

Kerry Robinson (Arkansas '97) has hit .474 in his last 10 games with seven runs scored for Omaha.

Jack Cust (El Paso '00) has hit .393 in his last 10 games with four homers and 10 runs scored for Portland.

Mike Rodriguez (Round Rock '04, Corpus Christi '05) has hit .326 in his last 10 games with five RBI and nine runs scored for Round Rock. Teammate Joe McEwing (Corpus Christi '06) has batted .400 in his last 10 games with two homers and eight runs.

J.R. House (Corpus Christi '06) has been red-hot since his July 28 promotion. In his first nine games he has hit .500 with two homers, 12 RBI and nine runs scored.

"I think it was the most consistent I've been. Pretty much everything was working, except for the cutter... My arm felt great tonight. It was great to get in the groove." - Adam Pettyjohn (San Antonio '06) to the Sacramento Bee after shutting out Memphis for 7 2/3 innings on August 2. He joined Sacramento on July 15 and is 2-1 with a 4.39 ERA.

Kendry Morales (Arkansas '05) has hit .395 in his last 10 games with five homers and 13 RBI with Salt Lake.

"[Nick Gorneault] (Arkansas '03-'04) has the potential to be a Major League outfielder. He could be a fourth outfielder who can play multiple outfielder positions. The Triple-A level is full of players like this, where guys ahead of them are talented. It is all about getting an opportunity. When it comes, you have to be ready for it." - Angels director of player development Tony Reagins to the Salt Lake Tribune on Salt Lake Stinger outfielder, Nick Gorneault.

Jon Nelson (San Antonio '05-'06) has batted .457 in his last nine games with 10 RBI and five runs scored for Tacoma. Teammate Hunter Brown (San Antonio '04) has hit .371 in his last nine games with four RBI and 12 runs scored.

Michael Garciaparra (San Antonio '06) was placed on the disabled list for Tacoma this week with a strained calf.

"If every night was like this, your adrenaline would take over and it would be easy. It's been a lot of fun the last two nights and I look forward to the next two as well." - Tacoma catcher Jeff Clement (San Antonio '06) to the Tacoma News-Tribune after going 4-for-5 against Iowa on August 3. Clement grew up in Marshalltown, Iowa, about 60 miles from Des Moines.

Brian Barden (El Paso '03-'04) has batted .310 in his last 10 games with 12 RBI and seven runs scored for Tucson.

Spike Lundberg (Tulsa '00-'02, Frisco '03) improved to 10-1 for Jacksonville with a win on Monday. His only loss came back on April 25.

Matt Chico (El Paso '04) is 7-2 with a 2.22 ERA, and is 6-0 in his last seven starts. He hasn't lost since June 23 pitching for Tennessee.

This Week in Texas League History

August 7, 1888 Dallas used 23 hits as they pounded Houston 18-0. Arthur Sunday, the brother of the famous evangelist Billy Sunday was he hitting star for Dallas as he was 4-for-5 with two home runs and four runs scored.

August 8, 1908 New Dallas pitcher Ed Dickinson entered the history books as he tossed a seven-inning, 4-0 no-hitter versus Galveston. Dickinson did not walk a batter and just missed being credited with a perfect game due to an error by the usually sure-handed third baseman, Les Tullos.

August 9, 1920 Galveston manager Hunter Hill walked off the field followed by his team after a series of arguments with plate umpire George Miller, forcing Miller to declare Fort Worth winners by forfeit. The Panthers were ahead 1-0 in the seventh inning when the Pirates quit the field. Paul Wachtel had a one-hitter working, having allowed just a single to T.L. Bonner when the game ended. The following day Fort Worth locked out the Galveston club and cancelled their home game fearing a riot by local fans. League President Walter Morris fined the Galveston club $300 for their actions, with manager Hill assessed $60 of the total. The players would pay the balance. Hill protested that after Miller had ejected two of his players, his team could not continue as he had just 13 players and his reserves were in the game. An appeal would be heard by Morris later in the season.

August 10, 1974 It was a tough night for Amarillo hurler Dick Fuqua. Not only did he fail to get a no-hitter, he didn't even get a win. The first hit he allowed in the contest was a game-tying, eighth inning homer. He was charged with a 2-1 loss to San Antonio when a runner he put on base in the 11th inning came around to score on a single allowed by his reliever, Dave Heaverlo.

August 11, 1995 Little did Arkansas lead-off hitter Ty Griffin suspect that his homer at the start of the game in Jackson would be the start of a record streak for the speedy middle infielder. Griffin would duplicate the feat three more times, leading off each of four consecutive games versus the Generals with a first-inning homer. The streak was finally ended on August 16 when he hit a one-hopper to Jackson starter Kevin Gallagher. Griffin, who went hitless on the 15th, also saw his 12-game hitting streak snapped. During the four-game homer streak, Griffin was 9-for-18, scored six runs and drove in five.

August 12, 2001 San Antonio outfielder Kenny Kelly saved his best for last as he hit a two-run double in the seventh inning and three-run homer in the ninth to help lead the Missions to an 11-3 win at San Antonio.

August 13, 1957 Tulsa collected 17 hits, out-hitting San Antonio by seven, yet dropped a 6-5 decision to the Missions. The middle of the Tulsa order was nearly perfect as number three hitter Mickey Rutner was a perfect 5-for-5, with a double, while clean-up hitter Earl York hit safely in four of his five at-bats. Unfortunately for the Oilers there were not enough clutch hits from the rest of the lineup. They left 15 men on base in the loss.

August 14, 1931 Wichita Falls took a day-night doubleheader from host San Antonio, winning the opener 16-6 and the nightcap 4-3. Slugger Red Badgro led the Spudders 18-hit outburst in the first game with a 5-for-6 effort. Catcher Bud Hungling drove in the final four runs for the winners in the first contest with a ninth inning grand slam. It was his only hit in the game.

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Ray Winder Field, Little Rock, AR - The Arkansas Travelers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have extended their Player Development Contract through the 2008 season. The announcement was made today by Travs General Manager/Executive Vice President Bill Valentine and Angels' Director of Player Development Tony Reagins. The Travs and Angels joined together before the 2001 season and will close down 74-year old Ray Winder Field on September 3, 2006. Currently under construction, Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock will serve as the Travs' home beginning in 2007. During these almost six seasons, the Travs won the 2001 Texas League title and finished as the 2005 runners-up. The Angels, back-to-back American League West Division Champs and 2002 World Series Champions, have been one of the most successful franchises in Major League Baseball over the past five years.

"We are proud to have the Los Angeles Angels as the affiliate of the Arkansas Travelers as we enter into a new era of baseball in Central Arkansas," Valentine said. "The talent and coaching supplied to us by the Angels have been top notch over these past six seasons. We enjoy working with Bill Stoneman, Tony Reagins and their staffs and look forward to a successful run together at Dickey-Stephens Park."

"We're pleased to extend our agreement with the Arkansas Travelers for two more seasons," said Reagins. "We have enjoyed a close working partnership with the Travelers' organization over the last six seasons. Bill Valentine, Pete Laven and their staff do a great job and all of Central Arkansas has been an outstanding community for the development of our young players."

At press time, 20 former Travelers have played a game for the Angels during the 2006 season. Four others are currently on rosters of other Major League teams.

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During the first-half of the season, the Tulsa Drillers won all seven meetings with the Corpus Christi Hooks. That streak came to an end Monday night in the first meeting of the second half between the two teams. Corpus Christi scored two first-inning runs, and Josh Miller allowed only one hit in five relief innings as the Hooks posted a 4-2 win in the opening game of a 3-game series at Drillers Stadium.

The defeat extended the Drillers current losing streak to four games and moved them 5.5 games behind first-place Wichita in the North Division standings.

The two-run outburst against Tulsa starter Juan Morillo in the first inning began with one out when Jonny Ash singled and Hunter Pence walked. Walter Young, who played 14 games with the Baltimore Orioles last season, doubled home both runners to give the Hooks the early 2-0 lead.

The Drillers got a run back in the bottom of the second against Hooks starter Carlos Hernandez. Joe Koshansky led off with a double and later scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Matt Miller.

Hernandez, who has won nine games in part of three seasons in the majors with the Houston Astros, was making only his second appearance of the season. He is recovering for April shoulder surgery and worked only the first three innings.

Miller took over to begin the fourth inning and was dominating. In his five innings, he allowed only a two-out, fourth-inning double to Alvin Colina. The hit was Tulsa's best chance to score against the right-hander, but Christian Colonel, who had walked, was thrown out at the plate on the play. Miller faced the minimum 12 hitters over the next four innings. The only base runner came in the fifth when Troy Tulowitzki reached on an error, but he was quickly erased on a double play.

The Hooks scored their final run in the sixth inning with only one hit. Jorge Cortes led off with a single and stole second base with two out. Morillo then intentionally walked Kevin Davidson to get to Miller, but he walked the pitcher on four pitches to load the bases. Jentry Beckstead took over for Morillo and walked Josh Anderson to force in a run.

Drillers third baseman Ian Stewart was 0-3 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, but he belted a long home run to right field against Hooks closer Paul Estrada to extend his hitting streak to 19 straight games. The streak is now the second longest in the Texas League this season. Stewart is eight games from matching Ruben Mateo's Tulsa-record 27 game streak in 1998.

Estrada recovered from the homer to strike out Koshansky and Joe Gaetti to end the game and record his 13th save of the season.

With the loss, Morillo's record dropped to 8-8. He allowed the four runs on seven hits and five walks. He struck out seven in 5.2 innings of work.

Beckstead worked 1.1 scoreless innings, and Judd Songster followed with 2.0 scoreless frames.

Miller improved to 9-8 with the win.

The Drillers and Hooks will resume their series Tuesday night at 7:05PM. Enmanuel Ulloa (5-4, 3.70 ERA) will pitch for Tulsa against Josh Muecke (0-5, 7.66 ERA) of Corpus Christi.

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Ray Winder Field, Little Rock, AR - RHP Chris Hunter (3-10) delivered eight scoreless innings while DH Greg Porter collected four hits and four runs scored as the Arkansas Travelers (21-23, 45-68) earned their second-most lopsided win of the season with a 12-0 victory over the Frisco RoughRiders (22-22, 57-57). In ending Frisco's nine-game winning streak, the Travs scored six runs in the second inning to give Hunter all the support he needed on his best night of the year. In eight innings, Hunter allowed just one Frisco batter to reach second base on five singles and a walk to go with a season-high seven strikeouts. RHP Miguel Gonzalez capped the six-hit shutout with a scoreless ninth inning. In his second four-hit game of the season, Porter doubled and singled three times. Travs RF Nathan Haynes finished 2-for-5 with two doubles and keyed a six-run second inning with a three-run double. C Bobby Wilson, 1B Matt Pali and 2B Eric Rodland all knocked in two runs apiece with Pali collecting two singles and a walk. Frisco RHP Luis Mendoza (1-1) battled through 4.1 innings allowing ten runs on 11 hits and five walks as the losing pitcher. Winners in five of seven games, the Travs are still four games in back of Wichita for first place in the North Division.

Neither team made much noise in the first inning, but Mendoza issued a leadoff walk to 3B Matt Brown in the second inning. When CF Terry Evans lined out to short, Brown barely beat the throw to first base avoiding a double play. Porter then bounced a fair ball inside the third-base line for a double to move Brown to third base. Mendoza's second walk of the inning, to Wilson, loaded the bases for Pali. Mendoza walked Pali on eight pitches to force Brown home and then Rodland walked on four pitches to bring in Porter for a 2-0 lead. Haynes then smacked Mendoza's first pitch to the left-field corner for a double that knocked in three runs for a 5-0 lead. LF Aaron Peel followed with another double to the left-field wall to knock Haynes home for a 6-0 lead.

Porter led off the third with a single to left and scored from first when Wilson lined a ball off the left-field wall for a 7-0 lead.

Leading off the bottom of the fifth, Porter beat a grounder to short for an infield hit. A one-out single off the right-center wall by Pali moved Porter to third base and he scored on a slider from Mendoza that bounced in front of the plate and over the backstop. Pali moved to second base on the wild pitch and scored when Rodland shot a single to center for a 9-0 lead. Haynes knocked Mendoza from the game with a double to left-center that moved Rodland to third base. RHP Michael Bumstead relieved and immediately threw a wild pitch to score Rodland for a 10-0 Travs lead.

Bumstead hit the top of Brown's helmet to begin the bottom of the sixth inning and Porter advanced him to third base with a one-out single to the right-field wall. When Wilson's bouncer to third went through 3B Jake Blalock, Brown scored on the fielder's choice while Porter got to second on the error. Pali's last hit of the night, a single to right field, scored Porter for a 12-0 lead.

Hunter was never in trouble in his eight innings and faced no more than four batters in any inning. The Travs turned two double plays for Hunter in his first win since June 16.

Time of game was 2:45 and the paid attendance was 2,621.

The Travs and Riders battle again on Tuesday night which is CLUNKER CAR NIGHT at Ray Winder Field. At least nine used cars will be given away to fans between innings. Arkansas has RHP Jesse Smith (7-9, 4.99 ERA) pitching while Frisco sends RHP Kea Kometani (3-5, 5.69 ERA) to the hill. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. and the gates open at 6:10 p.m.

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(TULSA, Okla.) - Josh Miller tossed five innings of shutout relief, and Walter Young knocked in a pair of runs in the first inning as the Hooks opened their three-game series at Tulsa with a 4-2 win over the Drillers. The result, coupled with San Antonio's loss to Wichita, pulls the Hooks into a first-place tie with the Missions, with both clubs at 24-20 in the second half.

Young got the ball rolling in the top of the first, after Jonny Ash singled and Hunter Pence drew a walk. Young drilled a double to the gap in right-center to get both Ash and Pence home for a 2-0 Corpus Christi lead. The double also extended Young's current hitting streak to 15 games.

The Drillers got a run in the second on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Matt Miller. That was the only run allowed by Hooks' starter Carlos Hernandez, who was touched for four hits in three innings. He struck out two and threw a total of 41 pitches in his second start for the Hooks.

Corpus Christi added a run in the third on an RBI single by Jorge Cortes, and tacked on a run in the sixth when Josh Anderson drew a walk with the bases loaded. But the real story on Monday was the pitching of Miller, who shut Tulsa down from the fourth through the eighth. Miller (9-8) allowed just one hit - a fourth inning double by Alvin Colina - and one walk while striking out five. He finished by retiring the last 10 batters he faced.

Paul Estrada, named Monday as the Texas League's Pitcher of the Week for the week that ended on Sunday, notched his 13th save of the season when he fanned three of the four batters he faced in the ninth. The one man he didn't strike out, Ian Stewart, clubbed a solo home run inside the right field foul pole to cap the scoring at 4-2.

The victory was the first this season for the Hooks in eight tries against Tulsa. Corpus Christi has now won four in a row and five of its last six games.

The Hooks will have lefty Josh Muecke (0-5, 7.66) on the mound for game two of the series Tuesday night. The Drillers will counter with Enmanuel Ulloa (5-4, 3.70) in another 7:05 pm start.

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The Midland RockHounds ended a seven-game losing streak on Monday night, getting a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth, downing the Springfield Cardinals by a score of 5-1 at Citibank Ballpark.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth, designated hitter Cameron Coughlan hit the first pitch he saw from Cards' reliever Kevin Ool over the wall in left field, giving the RockHounds their fourth win in five tries over Springfield at Citibank Ballpark this year.

The RockHounds loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth against reliever Dennis Dove. Dove (0-1) then made a big pitch to left-handed hitting Jed Morris, who lined a sharp one-hopper to first baseman Juan Richardson. Richardson came home to catcher Gabe Johnson, who then fired back to Richardson to complete the 3-2-3 double-play. With two outs and runners at second and third, Springfield turned to reliever Kevin Ool to face left-handed hitting Brian Stavisky. Stavisky walked on four pitches to load the bases. Ool threw just one pitch to Coughlan, who entered the game as a pinch-runner in the eighth, then ended the game with his first Double-A home run of the year.

The Cards' offense picked up just two hits on the night, as Midland starter Brad Knox was nearly flawless. Knox took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, losing the bid when Jarrett Hoffpauir's infield single went off the glove of third baseman Mark Kiger. After Hoffpauir moved to second on a wild pitch, Reid Gorecki struck out on a pitch in the dirt. Needing to throw to first base to retire Gorecki, Midland catcher David Castillo was indecisive, watching Jarrett Hoffpauir move to third. Castillo elected to throw to first base, but hit Reid Gorecki in the back. On the play, Hoffpauir scored the game's first run, putting Springfield in front 1-0.

The RockHounds finally broke up the shutout, tying it in the bottom of the seventh against Cards' starter Blake Hawksworth. Kevin Melillo doubled to open the inning, then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. With one out, Ronnie Merrill sent a ground ball to Jarrett Hoffpauir at second base. Hoffpauir couldn't field it cleanly though, allowing Melillo to score from third and Merrill to reach first, tying the game at 1-1.

Hawksworth was then removed, turning it over to Chris Russ and Carmen Cali out of the Springfield bullpen. Hawksworth overcame five walks over the first four innings, allowing just one run on two hits over 6 1/3 innings.

The only other Springfield hit came in the ninth, when Nick Stavinoha led off the inning with a single. Shaun Boyd entered as a pinch-runner, but was left stranded on base, along with Cody Haerther, as the Cards couldn't bring home the go-ahead run against Midland reliever Jared Burton. Burton (5-4) worked the final four outs, picking up the win in relief.

Springfield falls to 19-25, now six games behind the Wichita Wranglers in the North Division. The Cards will send Mike Parisi (6-5) to the mound on Tuesday night, as they look to get back on track. Midland will go with Michael Rogers (0-1), who will face Springfield for the first time in his career. Game time from Midland on Tuesday is 6:30pm.

The Cards return to Hammons Field on Thursday, August 10th, as they open a seven-game home stand against Frisco and Midland. G.L. Moore Tire will be giving away nine sets of tires on Thursday, as well as 5,000 discount coupons! Tickets are available for the upcoming home stand by calling (417) 863-2143 or online at www.springfieldcardinals.com.