SPRINGDALE — Northwest Arkansas banged out 60 hits in four games, including 10 home runs, but it was a bunt that lifted the Naturals to the North Division title on Saturday night at Arvest Ballpark.
Cam Gallagher laid down a safety squeeze bunt and Ryan O’Hearn slid in safely at home to give Northwest Arkansas a 3-2 win over Springfield in 10 innings in game four of the Texas League North Division Series.
The win gave Northwest Arkansas the 3-1 series victory and the Naturals will now host the first two games of the Texas League Championship Series beginning Tuesday night against Midland.
Naturals manager Vance Wilson said the squeeze bunt might have been a better option an inning earlier. The Naturals had runners at the corners and one out and Alfredo Escalera at the plate. But Escalera struck out and Mauricio Ramos struck out to send the game to extra innings.
However, O’Hearn led off the bottom of the 10th with a walk, moved to second on a passed ball and went to third on Frank Schwindel’s groundout to the right side. Samir Duenez was then intentionally walked to put runners on the corners.
Gallagher admitted he’s been frustrated at the plate since coming back off disabled list, after being hit in the hand with a foul ball. But he was just looking to do his job to score the winning run in that situation.
“I went down there and Vance said ‘We’re gonna safety squeeze this first pitch and O’Hearn’s gonna cheat a little bit, so just get it down,” Gallagher said. “Just make sure you get it down and he’s gonna get in. The least I can do for the team is put the ball down. I know I want to hit, but I mean I’ve got to do what’s best for the team. It’s the playoffs. It worked and we’re moving on.”
NATURALS 3, CARDINALS 2 (10)
Wilson said Gallagher did the job, but also acknowledged the Naturals might have gotten a break with Luke Voit playing first, rather than Jacob Wilson. That switch was made an inning earlier.
“I told Cam they are probably going to start you fastball in, because that’s the double play ball they’re looking for,” Wilson said. “He did a great job of working from the inside out. O’Hearn got a great jump. Little lucky in the fact that Voit was there, not Wilson. Wilson probably makes that play at first because he’s so much quicker, not to take anything away from Voit. Great slide. What a way to end.”
Springfield manager Dann Bilardello said Voit struggled to get the ball out of his glove on the bunt, but credited Northwest Arkansas with solid play throughout the series.
“Unfortunately our first baseman got it stuck in his glove a little bit,” Bilardello said. “If he gets it out in time he’s out. But that’s not to take anything away from them. They played better than us the whole series. They swung the bats great for four games.”
Wilson said the hitters did a great job of executing at the plate the entire series, which led to the 31 runs in four games.
“They laid off the sliders, which is typically what we’ve done in the past against us,” Wilson said. “They had to come at us. Incredible job. Then they’ve got to bring the cutter or slider over the plate and we’re able to get some of it.”
Paul DeJong gave Springfield a 2-1 lead with a two-out solo home run off Naturals starter Josh Staumont in the sixth. It was DeJong’s 11th homer of the season against Northwest Arkansas.
But the Naturals came back to tie it in the seventh as Gallagher reached on an infield single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Logan Moon’s double to left field.
Paul Boyd can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter@NWAPaulb.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
ROYALS 6, WHITE SOX 5 In what has been a lost season for him to this point, Chicago White Sox pitcher James Shields believes there’s still time to take something positive out of it. Shields overcame some early struggles in a quality start on Saturday night before Whit Merrifield hit a go-ahead, two-run double in a three-run seventh inning that gave the Kansas City Royals a 6-5 victory.
“I haven’t been the spoiler too often in my career,” said Shields, a one-time Royals mainstay. “I mean, we want to be that team that finishes strong and has a good thought process going into the off-season.
“Two of my last three (starts) have been pretty good, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Shields, who helped the Royals reach the 2014 World Series, allowed three runs and four hits. He avoided his 18th loss despite moving into the major league lead with 37 home runs allowed.
The 34-year-old Shields has two years and $22 million left on his contract. “Absolutely, I want to be here,” said Shields, who reported no issues with his recent back problem. “I’m planning on it. My contract says I’m going be back here.”
Royals closer Wade Davis gave up a single to Tyler Saladino and a double to Adam Eaton to lead off the ninth before Melky Cabrera’s infield single cut the deficit to one.
With the tying run on third and one out, Davis struck out Jose Abreu and Justin Morneau for his 23rd save as the Royals remained four games behind Baltimore for the second AL wild card. “We had a shot at ‘em,” Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. “I mean, you really don’t get that many opportunities against Wade. He proves every time he goes out there how good he is.”
Eric Hosmer hit a two-run homer in the first and Alex Gordon a solo shot in the fourth off Shields. The struggling righty exited after six innings leading 4-3 before the Chicago’s bullpen faltered.
Chris Beck (2-2) was charged with three runs while giving up two hits and a walk and getting one out.
Davis was the last of five relievers after Edinson Volquez, who allowed four runs and nine hits over five innings.