TL1 Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Series Preview: Naturals vs. Missions

Published on May 31, 2013 under Texas League (TL1)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release


Springdale, AR - One of the Organization's top major-league pitching prospects will get the ball to try and stop the Naturals losing streak tonight. If that does not work than the organization's top pitching prospect will have a go at it tomorrow.

The Naturals homestand continues at 7:05pm/CT tonight at Arvest Ballpark as LHP Danny Duffy will face the third-place San Antonio Missions (28-24), though the team will be reprising it's Thunder Chickens moniker. Making his second rehab start since last year's Tommy John Surgery, the night will mark the flame-throwing lefthander's first regular season start in Arvest Ballpark since September 2, 2010 when he shutout the Arkansas Travelers over five innings in a rain shortened night-cap of a doubleheader. RHP Yordano Ventura (3-2, 2.56 ERA) will follow Duffy on Saturday against the same Missions he limited to four hits over eight innings last Monday in San Antonio.

It is a one-two punch the Naturals welcome to try to stop a five-game losing streak and bust another, in Missions 3B Jake Blackwood's 12-game hitting streak. The team will draw a tough assignment this weekend against three probable starters for San Antonio who all sport ERAs under 3.70 and a team that just swept two games in a rain-shortened series from the division-leading Travelers. RHP Josh Greer (1-2, 3.68) will make his second start of the season for the Missions tonight. The former Rice Owl has pitched mostly in relief this season and will likely hand the baton early tonight as he has not thrown at least 50 pitches since May 11th. LHP Jose DePaula (3-5, 3.60 ERA) will square off with Ventura tomorrow night and will pitch on the heels of his worst outing the year, which came against the Naturals last Sunday in game one of the doubleheader. In the five inning outing, the Lefty was torched by OF Brett Eibner and INF Orlando Calixte for a combined four hits and four runs. RHP Matt Andriese (6-1, 2.25 ERA) will start for the Missions in Sunday's finale. Andriese is the Padres' 12th best pitching prospect, according to Baseball America, and was their 3rd round selection in the 2011 draft out of UC-Riverside. The 23-year-old is third in the League in ERA and fifth in WHIP at 1.06.

San Antonio also boasts the league's leading closer with 10 saves, RHP Kevin Quackenbush (1-0, 0.38), an eighth-round pick two years ago out of South Florida who, Baseball America, says throws little else but 95+ MPH fastballs.

Orlando Calixte is the Naturals hottest hitter, and the Royals #7 Prospect according to Baseball America, has been delivering at the plate while mixing in more games at third base. After starting solely at shortstop on defense through the first month of the season, Calixte has now started four of his last eight games at the hot corner. The 23 year-old from Santo Domingo in the Dominican is 14-for-32 (.437) over that span.

RHP Noelle Arguelles (1-7, 5.67 ERA) will get the start for the Naturals on Sunday at 6:05pm/CT. The Right-hander from Cuba is coming off a three-inning thirty-one pitch scoreless effort against Corpus that began the Naturals homestand on Tuesday.

Arguelles and the Naturals staff will look to quiet Jake Blackwood who's .316 AVG places him third in the League and his 62 hits put at number-two. Missions Hitting Coach Jacque Jones has overseen Blackwood on his current 12-Game Hitting Streak.

San Antonio is 28-24 and sits 4½ games back of the South-division leading Corpus Christi Hooks who just swept three games from Naturals. The Naturals meanwhile are 11 games behind the first-place Travelers who are 25-26 and just dropped two-of-two to the Missions.

Check out the Northwest Arkansas Naturals Statistics

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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.

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