Anderson runs scoreless streak to 23 frames

Tulsa gave Rockies first-rounder Tyler Anderson some rare run support Thursday evening and he was more than happy to do the rest. Although lately, it seems like even one run could be enough to get the job done.

Anderson (4-4) scattered three hits and tied a season high with eight strikeouts over six shutout innings in the Double-A Tulsa Drillers' 6-3 win over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Thursday.

Colorado's No. 12 prospect held the Naturals without a hit through the first four innings before giving up a two-out single to Justin Trapp in the fifth. The outing extended Anderson's scoreless streak to 23 innings, but gave him his first win in almost three months.

Selected by Colorado 20th overall in the 2011 Draft out of the University of Oregon, Anderson last allowed a run on July 26 in the Drillers' 7-2 loss to Corpus Christi. Since then, the left-hander has thrown 23 consecutive shutout frames against the Travelers. Over that four-game spell, he has surrendered 14 hits and eight walks while striking out 25 batters.

Anderson lowered his ERA to a Texas League-leading 2.10, almost a half run better than second-place Michael Roth (2.59) of Arkansas.

Despite shutting down the opposition, he had little to show for his dominance in terms of his win-loss record.

He left with a 1-0 lead on July 12 against Arkansas, but didn't factor into the decision in a 3-1 loss. Seven days later, he entrusted his relief corps with a 2-0 lead, but watched the Travelers rally for four in the eighth and another in the ninth to steal another victory. And last Thursday, Anderson exited a scoreless game after six innings before the Drillers fell, 2-1, in 11 innings.

In 19 Texas League games that Anderson has started, the Drillers have been outscored, 87-71. The 3.7 runs Tulsa scores on average in games he starts is lower than the 4.3 scored in the other 90 games. In nine of Anderson's starts, the offense has scored two or fewer runs.

On Thursday, Tulsa first baseman Will Swanner was 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs and right fielder Jared Simon contributed a solo dinger, his 11^th of the year.

Naturals starter J.C. Sulbaran (7-8) allowed six runs on 10 hits over three innings. He struck out six batters.