SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Cardinals returned home from a nine-game road trip with a single-game lead atop a Texas League North.
Springfield’s visitors for this weekend’s five-game series entered Friday at the bottom of the division but just three games back.
In front of 5,849 fans at Hammons Field, Northwest Arkansas crept a bit closer with a 4-2 win despite being outhit 12-6 by the Cardinals.
The loss dropped Springfield to 14-4 at home this season.
Cardinals starter Jake Woodford (2-5) was saddled with the loss despite putting forth one of his best starts of the season.
Woodford set season highs in innings and strikeouts with seven of each, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks in a game that ended in an efficient two hours and 28 minutes.
After a leadoff double, Woodford retired the next 15 Naturals before a triple by Corey Toups ledoff the fifth. That triple eventually resulted in a 1-0 lead for the Naturals when John Brontsema drove him home with a sacrifice fly two batters later.
The Naturals got to Woodford again in the seventh when Toups hit a two-run homer to right field, extending the Northwest Arkansas advantage to 3-0.
That lead grew to 4-0 in the eighth on Erick Mejia’s solo shot off Ramon Santos.
Springfield’s bats continued to work in the ninth and finally pushed a pair of runs across in a mini rally. Victor Roache’s 12th home run of the season brought Springfield within 4-1. A few batters later, Stefan Trosclair guided a first-pitch single to right that scored Evan Mendoza and cut the Naturals lead to 4-2 with two outs.
With runners on first and third, Luis Vasquez got Tommy Edman swinging to secure the 4-2 final.
#RockYourRING
The Cardinals are now 2-for-2 on in-stadium proposals this season after the second “yes” was uttered in response to the well-known pre-marriage tradition.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Granden Goetzman doubled twice and is now 5-for-13 with four extra-base hits since being reassigned to Springfield from Short-A State College. Springfield left eight runners on base and was just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Mendoza singled three times in his first Double-A start. Mendoza, Jose Godoy and Trosclair combined to go 6-for-12 in their Double-A debuts after recent assignments from High-A Palm Beach.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals host the Naturals for the second game of a five-game series Saturday night at 6:10 pm. Right-hander Alex Reyes, the top prospect in the St. Louis system, is expected to start for Springfield on a rehab assignment.
Saturday is the Foundation Credit Union Red Cardinals Shirt Giveaway, where 2,000 fans will head home with a specially designed Springfield Cardinals t-shirt.
