Five Consecutive Losses Puts Travs in 3-Way Tie for First
Published on July 22, 2011 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
North Little Rock - The Northwest Arkansas Naturals defeated the Travs 4-3 on Thursday, July 21, completing the four-game series sweep in front of an announced crowd of 4,592 at Dickey-Stephens Park. The Travs have lost five consecutive games and the loss puts them in a tie for first place with the Naturals and Tulsa Drillers in the Texas League North division second half. The Travs won the first half, qualifying for the playoffs.
Naturals' lead-off man, center fielder Paulo Orlando was down with an 0-2 count in the top of the first inning before working Travs' starter Orangel Arenas to a full count and eventually doubling to center field. Christian Colon sacrificed Orlando to third base before Wil Myers hit an RBI groundout to third base to put the Naturals up 1-0.
The Travs (13-13) threatened in the bottom of the inning when shortstop Darwin Perez hit a one-out infield single in the bottom of the first inning and stole second base. After Luis Jimenez fouled out to the first baseman for the second out, Naturals' starting pitcher lefty Chris Dwyer walked left fielder Chris Pettit. First baseman Roberto Lopez hit a hard grounder to a diving Mario Lisson, who saved a run when he threw Lopez out at first for the last out.
The Naturals (13-13) added three more runs in the top of the fifth inning to go up 4-0. Arenas gave up a one-out double to Rey Navarro, and after Mario Lisson grounded out to third base for the second out, Orlando singled to right field to score Navarro for a 2-0 Naturals lead. Colon doubled to left field the next at bat to score Orlando for a three-run lead. Myers hit an infield single to the shortstop Perez and Colon scored an unearned run to make it a 4-0 Naturals' lead when Perez dropped the ball and threw behind Colon at third, allowing him to slide in safely at home.
Arenas (8-5, 3.98) got the loss giving up four runs (three earned) on nine hits in six innings. He struck out three and walked one.
After Dwyer walked second baseman Matt Cusick and Perez to start the bottom of the sixth inning, Jimenez brought the Travs within one run, hitting a three-run home run over the left-field fence to make it 4-3. It was Jimenez' 14th home run of the year and his three RBIs brought him within two of Texas League leader Tim Wheeler's (Tulsa) 76 RBIs.
Naturals' lefty reliever Blaine Hardy gave up one hit in the next three innings for his first save, striking out four. Dwyer (3-9, 6.80) picked up the win giving up three runs and five hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked three.
Righty reliever Loek Van Mil relieved Arenas in the top of the seventh inning and threw two shutout innings, surrendering two hits and a walk while striking out two. Reliever David Carpenter gave up a hit and struck out one in the top of the ninth.
Orlando and Navarro each went 3 for 4 for the Naturals with Orlando adding two runs and an RBI and Navarro scoring a run. Myers went 2 for 4 with an RBI and Colon went 1 for 4 with an RBI.
For the Travs, Jimenez went 1 for 4 with his three-run home run and Perez, Jon Townsend and Chris Giovinazzo each went 1 for 3, with Giovinazzo picking up his first hit as a Trav.
The Naturals outhit the Travs 12 to 6 and batted 3 for 14 with runners in scoring position, leaving seven men on base. The Travs hit 1 for 4 with RISP and left four men on in a two hour and 50 minute game.
The Travs start a seven-game road trip in Tulsa and face the Drillers on Friday, July 22, at ONEOK Field. Righty Eddie McKiernan (4-8, 5.94) will start for the Travs and righty Rob Scahill (7-7, 4.51) starts for the Drillers.
Texas League Stories from July 22, 2011
- Scahill, Drillers Stop Travelers - Tulsa Drillers
- 'Riders blast 8 homers, score 19 in win - Frisco RoughRiders
- Naturals win sixth straight Friday night - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Travs Drop Sixth Straight To Drillers - Arkansas Travelers
- Cardinals Fall to Naturals 11-6 - Springfield Cardinals
- Game Notes, July 22 - Corpus Christi at Frisco - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Andrew Dobies Assigned to Naturals - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Series Preview: Naturals Look to Keep Rolling - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- 8th Annual Conquer the Coast Saturday, September 24 - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Experience FRITOS Family Fridays at Whataburger Field - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Drillers Use 11 Innings To Beat Cards - Tulsa Drillers
- Cardinals Fall in 11 Innings, 8-4 - Springfield Cardinals
- Five Consecutive Losses Puts Travs in 3-Way Tie for First - Arkansas Travelers
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
