The Arkansas Travelers rallied to score four runs in the final two innings Friday, but they could not overcome a 3-for-5 performance by shortstop Jorge Mateo, whose game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth gave the Midland RockHounds a 6-5 victory in front of 5,226 fans at Security Bank Ballpark in Midland, Texas.
Midland used a two-run single from Tyler Marincov and an RBI double by Mateo to take a 3-0 lead in the second inning. The lead grew to 5-0 in the fourth on a two-run home run by Mateo, his first of the season.
Chris Mariscal walked to start the fifth inning for the Travs and scored on an RBI single by Chuck Taylor to cut the lead to 5-1. Ryan Casteel singled to start the eighth inning and scored on Marcus Littlewood's sacrifice fly to shrink the lead to 5-2.
Willie Argo hit a two-out, two-run double in the ninth and later scored when Littlewood reached base on an error by Midland second baseman Max Schrock to tie the game at 5-5.
Mariscal, Casteel, Braden Bishop and Seth Mejias-Brean had two hits each for the Travs, who finished with 11 as a team. Reliever Blake Perry (1-4) took the loss after allowing the game-winning run in the ninth on two hits.
Sports on 08/19/2017