TL1 Arkansas Travelers

Travs End Skid with 3-2 Win over Naturals

Published on June 12, 2013 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release


Springdale, AR-Tuesday night at Arvest Ballpark the Arkansas Travelers picked up a much-needed victory over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals by taking the series finale, 3-2. The win kept the Travs from being swept by the last-place Naturals. Brandon Hynick earned his fifth win by allowing only two hits in seven innings on the mound for the Travs. The victory moved the Travs ½ game ahead of Tulsa for first-place in the North Divison.

Hynick along with Naturals RH Felipe Paulino engaged in a duel over the first five innings of the game. Both pitchers did not allow a hit in the first three innings. Hynick retired the first ten Naturals he faced at the start of the game, while Paulino, who was with the Naturals on a Major League Rehabilitation Assignment, did not allow a hit until Robbie Widlansky's lead off single in the fifth inning.

Paulino pitched five scoreless innings, in what was his first rehab appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery last season. Both hits Paulino allowed in the game came in the fifth inning, but a caught stealing helped the righty pitch through the inning without surrendering a run.

Meanwhile, Hynick was matching Paulino every step of the way. Orlando Calixte's one-out double in the fourth inning snapped a string of ten straight retired by Hynick at the start of the game. However, Hynick quickly responded by retiring the next eleven batters he faced to get him through the seventh inning.

With the game still scoreless at the start of the eighth inning, the Travs offense benefited from control issues by Naturals LH reliever Noel Arguelles. Arguelles walked Jett Bandy to start the inning, and then the Naturals failed to record an out on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Drew Heid. With two runners aboard and no outs, Arguelles lost Taylor Lindsey on balls to load the bases.

The Naturals yanked Arguelles at that point, and called on Santiago Garrido to pitch out of the jam. Garrido inherited the bases loaded with no outs, and began his appearance by walking Randal Grichuk to bring in the games first run. After the Grichuk walk, C.J. Cron singled on a liner to right field that put the Travs ahead 2-0. Kaleb Cowart followed by hitting a sacrifice fly to center, and with that all three runners inherited by Garrido had scored to put Arkansas up 3-0.

Cron's single was the only hit by the Travs during the three-run eighth inning.

Hynick had his string of eleven straight batters retired snapped at the start of the eighth inning, when Mitch Canham led off with a double. Travs manager Tim Bogar proceeded to call on Kevin Johnson to take over on the mound. Johnson recorded a ground out that advanced Canham to third before Rey Navarro hit a sacrifice fly to right that got the Naturals onto the scoreboard.

The Travs led 3-1 at the open of the ninth inning. Josh Judy entered for the Travs attempting to save the game for Hynick. Angel Franco greeted him with a single, and with one out pinch-hitter Angel Franco doubled to pull the Naturals to within one. With the tying run in scoring position, Judy forced Brian Fletcher to line out to the right-fielder Grichuk, and then retired Matt Fields on a game-ending ground out to shortstop.

The save for Judy marked his fifth of the season. Arguelles took the loss and fell to 1-8.

The win kept the Travs from losing their fifth straight game, which would have matched their longest losing streak this season.

Robbie Widlansky picked up two hits for the Travs.

Arkansas now begins a battle for first-place on Wednesday night at Dickey-Stephens Park against the Tulsa Drillers. The opener of the five-game set, which is scheduled for 7:10 p.m., LH Michael Roth starts for the Travs against Tulsa RH Sean Gallagher. Coverage of the game begins with the Travs Dugout Show at 6:45 p.m. on Sports Animal 920.

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