TEXAS LEAGUE: Cardinals rough up Teaford

Home runs catapult Springfield to victory

By Rich Polikoff

Posted: August 4, 2009 at 6:22 a.m.

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SPRINGDALE — Having beaten up Everett Teaford at its home park, Springfield showed Monday that its domination of him extends to road trips as well.

The Cardinals continued to hammer Teaford, taking the Northwest Arkansas Naturals left-hander deep for three home runs on the way to a 7-1 victory in front of 3,492 fans at Arvest Ballpark. Springfield took three of four games from the Naturals, who dropped their first home series since June 14-17 and have lost six of their past eight games.

Teaford (3-5) lasted 4 innings, giving up 7 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. He has made four starts against Springfield this season - Monday's was his first at home - and he has given up 22 runs (21 2 earned) over 14 /3 innings, a 12.89 ERA.

Everett has a 3.08 ERA in six starts against other teams in the Texas League.

"He looked tentative from the get-go," Naturals Manager Brian Poldberg said. "He got behind. He just didn't make good pitches when he needed to."

The Cardinals put the game away early. Right fielder Tyler Henley hit a towering grand slam to right field with two outs in the first inning, staking Springfield to a 4-0 lead. Springfield tacked on two more runs in the second on a two-run home run by third baseman Colt Sedbrook that made it 6-0. It was Sedbrook's first home run in 84 at-bats this season.

Another home run by designated hitter Tony Cruz in the fourth put the Cardinals up 7-0.

"The hitting coach did a good job of preparing them," Springfield Manager Pop Warner said. "We know what [Teaford's] forte is and how he likes to approach it. We took advantage of his mistakes. He left some balls up in the zone."

Springfield starter Nick Additon retired the first eight batters he faced and didn't allow a hit until shortstop Jeff Bianchi tripled with one out in the fourth, snapping an 0-for-15 slump.

Bianchi didn't wind up scoring, though, and Northwest Arkansas didn't get on the board until the seventh. Third baseman Marc Maddox doubled, and he came home when second baseman Kurt Mertins followed with a single.

Additon (1-1) gave up 1 runs on 2 4 hits and 3 walks over 6 /3 innings.The Naturals had just five hits in the game.

"In some sense, I'm kind of disappointed we didn't take four," Warner said. "But if you had told me when we first started this series that we'd take three of four, I'd have taken it."

The Naturals got five shutout innings from their bullpen, with Chris Nicoll and Jason Godin throwing two scoreless innings each.

Sports, Pages 13, 18 on 08/04/2009

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