Travs Continue Slide on the Road
Published on April 28, 2012 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
Springdale, Arkansas - The Northwest Arkansas Naturals stayed hot on Saturday night with a 4-3 victory over the Arkansas Travelers at Arvest Ballpark. Paulo Orlando drive in two runs including an RBI single in the sixth inning to break a tie game scoring Yem Prades, who finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored. The Travs out hit NW Arkansas 11-to-10, but also committed three errors in losing for the fifth time in six games on their road trip.
The loss drops the Travs seven games out of first place in the TL North Division with a 9-13 record. The Naturals now own six straight wins and a 11-11 record, five games behind division-leading Tulsa.
Matt Long (3) became the first Traveler to leadoff a game with a home run when he took Naturals starter Chris Dwyer (1-3) over the right field fence. Renny Osuna, who finished 2-for-4, then singled and stole second base. With one out Osuna avoided a tag at third base when Roberto Lopez grounded to third. Adam Heether's two-out single knocked Osuna in for a 2-0 Travs lead.
Dwyer only allowed one more run in his 6.2 innings and scattered nine base hits without any walks. In his first victory of the year Dwyer struck out five batters.
A.J. Schugel (0-3) allowed his first run in the second inning after singles by Prades and Carlo Testa put runners at the corners and Orlando sacrificed to left field.
The Travs nearly scored an insurance run in the third inning if not for a fantastic throw from Wil Myers in centerfield. Jean Segura hit a single and stole second base with one out. Roberto Lopez sent Segura around third with a sharp single to center, but Myers fired a perfect one-hop throw to his catcher Julio Rodriguez, who tagged Segura out.
Schugel was the victim of poor defense in the fourth inning as Heether mishandled a ground ball hit by Mario Lisson. After recovering the ball though Heether still tried for the force out but threw the ball into the first base dugout giving Lisson second base on a double error. Prades blooped a single to move Lisson to third, then Testa tied the game with a sacrifice fly.
The Travs threatened in the fifth inning when Long doubled, but he was left at third base when Dwyer got Segura to line out.
Schugel put down the first two batters of the fifth inning down, but then he hit Myers with a pitch. Johnny Whittleman pulled the next pitch to the right-field corner sending Myers around the bases for a 3-2 Naturals lead.
The Travs got that run back in the sixth inning off Dwyer as Lopez singled and took third when Heether doubled to right-center. Rian Kiniry's sacrifice fly tied the game, but Dwyer struck out Angel Castillo leaving Heether on base.
Schugel returned for the sixth inning but could only retire one of four batters. Prades lined a leadoff single to center. Testa followed with a deep fly out to center that moved Prades to second base. Orlando then shot his go-ahead single to right field scoring Prades for a 4-3 NWA lead.
Blaine Hardy got the last out of the seventh inning for Dwyer and returned for the eighth inning. After Haerther singled to extend his hitting streak to ten games, Heether hit a smash that took an unnatural bounce off Christian Colon's face at shortstop. The ball ricocheted to Rey Navarro who was standing at second base for a force out. Although Heether beat the relay throw to first, he rounded the bag and was tagged out by Whittleman to complete an unorthodox double play.
Hardy took care of the Travs in the ninth inning leaving the tying run on base for his second save.
Time of game was 2:33 and the paid attendance was 5,814.
Halfway through the four game series at Arvest Ballpark the Travs and Naturals are back at it again on Sunday afternoon. Arkansas right hander Johnny Hellweg (0-1, 5.32) takes on Naturals righty Jake Odorizzi (2-1, 4.08) at 2:00 p.m.
Texas League Stories from April 28, 2012
- Travs Continue Slide on the Road - Arkansas Travelers
- Matthes Powers Drillers Victory - Tulsa Drillers
- Naturals Win Sixth Straight to Even Record - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Cardinals' Comeback Falls Short, Lose 3-2 - Springfield Cardinals
- Game Notes, April 28 at Frisco - Corpus Christi Hooks
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