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 Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Bats Silenced by Travelers Pitching, Naturals Blanked 2-0

April 16, 2019 - Texas League (TL1)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release


NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Northwest Arkansas dropped the club's eighth straight win in a rare quiet night from the offense. The Arkansas Travelers held the Naturals bats to three hits in a 2-0 shutout at Dickey-Stephens Park on Monday night.

Arkansas (9-2) scratched across a first-inning run against starter, Jace Vines (0-2, 1.93 ERA) after stringing together three straight soft singles and added the club's second tally in the third inning. Vines grinded through 5.0 innings and stranded nine Travelers on base over his start.

The right-hander allowed just two runs on eight hits - all singles - and posted a season-high six punch outs in the game while retiring four of the final five batters faced.

The offense failed to manufacture any type of offense against Arkansas pitching on Monday night. The bats entered the game hitting .293 over the current road trip and averaged 6.8 runs per game; but were held scoreless by Travelers' starter, Justin Dunn and three relievers.

Naturals' infielder, DJ Burt, broke Dunn's (1-0, 1.88 ERA) no-hit bid with a sharp single to right-field and with it, extended his personal hitting streak to five games. Anderson Miller and Samir Duenez recorded the other singles for Northwest Arkansas (4-8).

The three hits are the fewest in a contest this season and the Naturals' were shutout for the first time in 2019, as well. The eight-game losing streak is the longest since the club dropped 11 straight from late-April to early-May in 2015 and matches the second-longest skid in franchise history.

Moments that mattered...

Vines could have easily folded with the bases loaded in the first inning; but struck out his former college teammate, Logan Taylor on three straight pitches and induced a ground-ball force out to escape the jam.

Arkansas re-loaded the bases in the second inning against Vines and following a mound visit by pitching coach, Doug Henry, Vines struck out Kyle Lewis on three straight pitches and went out to post a perfect third inning.

Left-hander, Gabe Speier entered in the seventh inning following an inning and third by reliever, Yunior Marte an inherited a pair of base-runners with one out. The left-hander threw two pitches and induced an inning-ending double-play to escape the trouble.

Naturals' pitching stranded 13 Arkansas Travelers on the bases and kept Northwest Arkansas within reaching distant of the 2-0 deficit the entire game.

What's up next...

The Naturals continue the seven-game road trip with game two of the three-game set against the Arkansas Travelers (Seattle Mariners) at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock, Ark. on Tuesday, April 116 with a 7:10 game. The Travelers are off to the club's best start since 2005 with an 9-2 record.

Right-hander, Gerson Garabito (0-0, 6.43 ERA) takes the mound tomorrow for the Naturals in his third start of the season and first start against Arkansas. Left-hander, Ricardo Sanchez (2-0, 1.59 ERA) will counter for the Travelers.

Join, Benjamin Kelly, on 92.1-FM, the Ticket and across the Naturals' Radio Network for a 6:50 Indigo Sky Casino Pregame Show leading up to the 7:10 ballgame.


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