TL Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Naturals Back in Win Column with 2-1 Victory over Cardinals

May 19, 2021 - Texas League (TL)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release


Jonathan Bowlan delivered yet another strong start for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals and a pair of timely hits propelled the club to a 2-1 win over the Springfield Cardinals Tuesday night at Hammons Field.

After surrendering a run in the first, Bowlan (MLB Pipeline's No. 8 Royals' prospect) held Springfield off the board into the sixth, retiring 14 of 15 batters from the end of the first into the sixth.

After striking out seven in 5.1 innings, Bowlan gave way to Ándres Núñez, who induced a double play to end the inning.

The Naturals took the momentum of the double play into the seventh inning and broke a 1-1 tie. Dairon Blanco tripled with one out, scoring MJ Melendez (MLB Pipeline's No. 14 Royals' prospect) from second to move the score to 2-1, which stuck through the end of the game.

Northwest Arkansas' first run of the game came in the third, when Travis Jones scored from first on a Clay Dungan single. Springfield was slow to get the ball in on a routine grounder and Jones used his speed and never stopped running from first on the base hit, catching the Cardinals sleeping to at the time tie the game.

Naturals pitching gave Cardinals hitters déjà vu in the eighth, when Josh Dye took over for Núñez with a runner on and one out, inducing a double play on the second pitch he threw (just like Núñez did in the sixth) to send the game to the ninth.

Dye made quick work of Springfield in the ninth, using seven pitches to retire the Cardinals in order for his first save of the season. 2.0 scoreless innings from Núñez improved his record to 2-0 in 2021.

The Naturals, now back to a .500 record (6-6) look to make it two in a row against Springfield (2-11) Wednesday night, as Marcelo Martinez takes the mound for another 6:35 p.m. first pitch at Hammons Field in Springfield.

Check out the Northwest Arkansas Naturals Statistics



Texas League Stories from May 19, 2021


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