Cummings carries Cards

Springfield starter enjoys strong outing in heat, beating East Division-leading Wichita.

Kyle Neddenriep
News-Leader

The compliments were rolling Jeremy Cummings' way in the clubhouse Friday night, including a couple of references to him as a "cowboy."

"Oh, they call everybody that," Cummings said of his Springfield Cardinals manager Chris Maloney and pitching coach Blaise Ilsley.

Still, Maloney and Ilsley's reaction must have been satisfying for Cummings, who went 7 1/3 innings to earn the Cardinals a much-needed 5-3 victory over Wichita in front of 7,986 sweat-drenched fans at Hammons Field.

The win pulls the Cardinals within two games of Wichita, the front-running team in the second half of the Texas League's East Division. Springfield can close the gap to one game with a win in the series finale tonight against the Wranglers.

"This series is important because this is the team that we are chasing," Maloney said. "It was a bad deal to lose the first two games of the series, but we've fought back and now we have a chance to win the series."

Cummings (4-3) allowed a two-run homer to Shane Costa — who returned to Wichita on Friday after hitting .235 in 27 games with Kansas City — in the third inning. But Cummings was in command after that, retiring 11 in a row until a leadoff double in the seventh.

He was helped out by a couple of flashy defensive plays by slugging first baseman Juan Diaz in the sixth. With one out, shortstop Brendan Ryan ranged far to his left to snag a grounder headed for center field. His throw was a little up the right-field line, but Diaz hit the turf, ranging as far as his 6-foot-2, 300-pound body allowed, tapping the bag with his foot.

On the next play, Diaz scooped a rocket hit by cleanup hitter Josh Pressley and calmly recorded the out unassisted.

"Man, we had John freakin' Olerud over there at first base tonight," Cummings said of the defensive help. "That kept us out of trouble in that inning. Seeing him make plays like that really picked everybody up."

The Cardinals scratched for a run in the fourth as consecutive singles by the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 hitters — Tyler Minges, Diaz and Travis Hanson — cut the Wranglers' lead to 2-1.

That trio came up big again in the fifth inning. Ryan, a recent call-up from High-A Palm Beach, singled with one out and Minges walked with two outs. Diaz then singled to center to score Ryan and tie the game, and Hanson followed with an RBI single to right-center to put Springfield ahead 3-2.

The 2-for-4, two-RBI night was huge for Hanson, who'd seen his average plummet to .270, going into Friday's game, thanks to a 3-for-36 slump.

"This slump has been weird because I feel like my swing is good, I'm just a little over-anxious," Hanson said. "I've been too amped up in situations like I was in tonight."

Maloney chalked up Hanson's slump to the ebb-and-flow of a long, 140-game season. Hanson has played in 93 of the 96 Cardinals' games and still leads the team in runs scored (51) and RBIs (61).

"He cashed in tonight when the money was on the table," Maloney said of Hanson. "Guys go through spells like he's been through all the time. Baseball has been like that for over 100 years. He's hit the ball hard at times, just right at people."

Wichita tied the game at 3-3 in the seventh as Cummings allowed three straight hits to start the inning. But he wiggled out of further trouble with a strikeout and a double-play groundout.

Minges put the Cardinals ahead to stay in the bottom of the seventh, launching his team-leading 17th home run over the bullpen in left field with two outs and the bases clear.

Springfield tacked on another run in the eighth thanks to some shoddy glovework by the Wranglers. Hanson's fly ball to lead off the inning was dropped by center fielder Mitch Maier. Aaron Herr attempted to bunt Hanson over and Wichita reliever Colt Griffin (1-1) tried to nab the lead runner but the throw was off the mark. Hanson then scored on a groundout by Cody Haerther.

Cory Doyne pitched a perfect ninth for his 11th save.

Cummings, who allowed six hits, one walk and struck out five, hopes these last two outings are a sign of things to come, especially the ability to come back from a rough start. So do his manager, pitching coach and the rest of his teammates.

"He gutted it out tonight," Maloney said. "That's why he's the 'Cowboy.' "