Cardinals on wrong end of 11-run pitcher's duel, lose 6-5 to Travelers

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Calling it anything other than a good Double-A debut wouldn't bring justice to Austin Warner's night.

The 23-year-old lefty got the call to Springfield from High-A Palm Beach two days ago, and save for an inning, he impressed in what will go down as an 11-run pitcher's duel.

The Travelers tagged Warner for all six of their runs in the second inning but were shut down in the other five thrown by the undrafted Bellarmine University product in what ended as a 6-5 Cardinals loss with 4,938 in attendance at Hammons Field.

Warner gave up six hits and walked five over his six innings, striking out two. Five of those hits and two of those walks came in the second inning. Warner allowed just a single hit in his final four innings of work and retired the Travelers in order in the first.

Both teams combined for just two hits over the final seven innings after combining for 11 in the first two.

Jason Zgardowski and Ian McKinney combined for three scoreless, hitless innings of relief for Springfield.

STUCK ON 5

The loss marked the 15th time in the last 16 games that Springfield has scored five runs or fewer.

After putting up four runs in the first inning and a fifth in the second, it seemed that stretch was ready to end, but the Travelers held the Cardinals scoreless over the final seven frames.

A Lane Thomas double got the scoring started as Tommy Edman chugged home all the way from first. Thomas scampered in two batters later on Granden Goetzman's groundout, and Victor Roache's 16th homer of the season put the Cardinals ahead 4-0.

A pair of bases-loaded walks, three RBI singles and a sacrifice fly accounted for all the Travelers runs in the second inning and in the game.

Ramón Urías drew Springfield within 6-5 with a double to the wall in right in the second, scoring Stefan Trosclair.

The Cardinals left the bases loaded in the fourth.

UP NEXT

Springfield and the rest of the Texas League head into the All-Star break. The Midland RockHounds will host the 2018 Texas League All-Star Game on Tuesday, June 26 at 7:15pm.

The Cardinals head to Frisco after the break for a three-game series beginning Thursday.

Springfield returns home on July 4, kicking off three days of Freedom Week Fireworks with Fans-on-Field Patriotic Fireworks on the 4th of July in addition to a post-game concert featuring The Dirty Saints.