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TL Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Naturals Pitchers Strike out 16 and Use Speed in 10th to Squeeze Past Travs

August 7, 2021 - Texas League (TL)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release


The Northwest Arkansas Naturals won a close extra-inning battle with the Arkansas Travelers Friday night, utilizing the team's speed to score two runs in the 10th inning and edge out the Travelers 3-2.

Combined, the Naturals pitching staff struck out 16 batters, the second-best mark this season. Jonathan Heasley (MLB Pipeline's No. 12 Royals' prospect) tied his season-high mark from his start last week against Wichita with nine strikeouts, allowing just one run across 5.0 innings.

Robert Garcia followed Heasley with 2.0 scoreless innings of relief, striking out a pair and retiring all six batters he faced with two 1-2-3 frames.

Jose Cuas was the third arm into the game for the Naturals and the last one the club needed, as he handled the final three innings of the game on the mound. Cuas struck out five and didn't allow an earned run on 39 pitches. Neither Garcia or Cuas walked a batter, while the only run Cuas allowed was the placed runner in the 10th inning, an unearned run.

Northwest Arkansas scored its first run of the game in the third inning, as Austin Dennis drove home Jimmy Govern from third base. However, after Arkansas tied the game in the fourth on an RBI single, the game remained knotted up at one for the next five frames, forcing extra innings for the third time in 2021 for the Naturals.

For the second time this season, the Naturals came out victorious in extra frames. Kevin Merrell pinch ran for Vinnie Pasquantino as the placed runner to begin the inning and advanced to third on a wild pitch. He scored moments later on a fielder's choice play with an error that put the batter Dairon Blanco on second base.

Nearly as soon as Blanco was on second base, he took off to steal third with Govern batting and without letting up his stride, rounded third and came home on a wild pitch to add an important second run of insurance in the inning.

While the Travs tacked on a run in the bottom of the 10th, Cuas stranded the potential tying run on third, inducing a groundout to end the game.

The Naturals were outhit by the Travelers six to three, but all three hits came from the bottom of the Naturals' order, singles from Blanco and Dennicher Carrasco, and a double from Govern.

Northwest Arkansas (43-39) looks to continue the momentum against Arkansas (43-39) and secure a series win Saturday at 6:10 p.m. CT, as right-hander Yefri Del Rosario (MLB Pipeline's No. 30 Royals' prospect) will start for the Naturals on the mound.

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