Mejias-Brean’s home run finishes it for Travelers

TRAVELERS 9, CARDINALS 6

Seth Mejias-Brean sent a 2-2 pitch 369 feet into left field, shattering the Arkansas Travelers’ recent scoring struggles with a three-run, walk-off home run to beat the Springfield Cardinals 9-6 Thursday night at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.

The third baseman completed a comeback that began in the fifth inning, when the Travs were down 6-1.

Arkansas (15-16) entered the game having gone 5 for 35 (.143) with runners in scoring position during its 1-3 series loss to Northwest Arkansas earlier this week.

Against the Cardinals (1813), the Travs went 5 for 18 (.277) with runners in scoring position.

The last at-bat showcased the kind of pitch selection the Seattle Mariners organization asks of its batters.

“See fastball and react,” said Mejias-Brean, who is batting .237 with two home runs. “Got the change-up up [in the zone] and let it go.”

The Cardinals built a 6-1 lead by the fifth inning, with runs coming off two solo home runs by second baseman Ramon Urias and right fielder Randy Arozarena.

Travs right-handed starter Andrew Moore was knocked out after 3 innings, allowing 4 hits, 2 earned runs, 2 walks with a strikeout.

It was Moore’s shortest start of the season.

Right-handed reliever Matt Walker, who hadn’t allowed any runs in his first five appearances of the season, has now given up 11 earned runs in his last four appearances.

He gave up four runs in two innings Thursday and was relieved by Mariners right-handed reliever Dan Altavilla, who was in town on a rehab assignment.

The Mariners placed Altavilla (2-2, 4.38 ERA with Seattle) on the 10-day disabled list May 1 due to joint inflammation in his right shoulder.

Altavilla pitching a scoreless sixth inning with no hits and two strikeouts, and righthander David McKay pitched 2 scoreless innings, allowing 1 hit and striking out 2.

That performance paved the way for a Travs comeback.

Arkansas scored four runs in the fifth, which was capped with a two-run single by designated hitter Dario Pizzano.

Then, left fielder Chuck Taylor tied the game 6-6 in the eighth with an RBI single. Another run would have been scored on Taylor’s hit had Arozarena not thrown out catcher Joseph Odom at home to end the inning.

It was one of several plays that kept the Travs from scoring.

Center fielder Braden Bishop was thrown out attempting to steal second in the bottom of the sixth, which ended the inning. In the seventh, right fielder Beau Amaral got tagged out between second and third after he attempted to advance on a flyout to right field by shortstop Chris Mariscal.

Those mistakes were part of the same urgency Travs batters had previously shown at the plate.

Minutes after the home run, Mejias-Brean said the key was to feel no urgency at all.

“That last little effort, we’re almost wanting to do too much,” he said. “It’s tough to kind of relax. We all want to get that guy in. We all want those runs, and sometimes we get out of our zone. I think that’s the biggest thing is just relaxing, keeping it like no one’s on and just going for it.”