Naturals win sixth straight to even record
Ultimately, it was Paulo Orlando's RBI single in the sixth scoring Yem Prades that provided the Naturals with the winning margin in a back-and-forth affair that saw two Naturals players leave the game with injury.
North Little Rock (9-13) jumped out to an early lead getting a pair in the first inning. Matt Long led off the game with a homer off Naturals' starter Chris Dwyer and Renny Osuna followed with a single. Dwyer fanned Jean Segura but Osuna swiped second to put himself in scoring position with one out.
Roberto Lopez followed and grounded to third, and Naturals' third baseman Mario Lisson attempted to apply a tag to Osuna but third base umpire Gabriel Morales ruled Osuna safe. Adam Heether followed with an RBI single to put the Travs up 2-0.
Northwest Arkansas (11-11) halved that lead in the second when Yem Prades and Carlo Testa hit back-to-back singles to put runners at the corners for Paulo Orlando, who delivered a sacrifice fly to left.
The Naturals tied the score against North Little Rock starter A.J. Schugel in the fourth. Mario Lisson led off and reached second base on a pair of errors by Travelers' third baseman Adam Heether. Yem Prades followed and singled, taking second on the throw to put a pair on with none out before Testa delivered a sacrifice fly.
Wil Myers was plunked with two out in the fifth and scored on an ensuing double from Johny Whittleman that put the Naturals up 3-2.
The two teams traded runs in the sixth. The Travs got a sacrifice fly from Rian Kiniry before Orlando's RBI hit in the bottom of the frame.
Dwyer (1-3) went a season-high 6 2/3 for the Naturals and besides the first inning, had a very solid outing. Although he allowed nine hits, he fanned five and didn't walk anybody to earn his first win of 2012. Schugel (0-3) took the loss, allowing all four runs.
There was a scary moment in the top of the eighth when, with Casey Hearther, who had singled, on first, Heether laced a ball at Naturals' shortstop Christian Colon. The ball took a strange hop and ricocheted sharply into Colon's cheekbone. Colon, who along with Wil Myers were both plunked by the Travs' starter Schugel, was helped off the field and left with Trainer Masa Koyanagi.
Incidentally, the ball deflected to second baseman Rey Navarro, who flipped wildly to first, but Heether made the turn as if to go to second, and then had other thoughts and was tagged out by Naturals first baseman Johnny Whittleman to end the frame.
With utilityman Sharlon Schoop unavailable due to injury, the injury to Colon caused the Naturals to have to put Carlo Testa, the designated hitter, into the field, because Kurt Mertins, the Naturals' lone reserve, had already entered the game for Myers after the fifth.
That resulted in reliever Blaine Hardy entering the batting order, although he didn't bat. He did pitch the final 2 1/3 innings to record his second save on the season. Hardy is just one save away from tying Chris Hayes for second place on the Naturals' all-time saves list.
Game three of the series if Sunday afternoon with first pitch coming at 2:00 P.M. In a matchup of highly regarded right-handers, Jake Odorizzi (2-1, 4.08) will get the start for Northwest Arkansas opposite Johnny Hellweg (0-1, 5.32) for the Travs. Listen live on News/Talk 1030 KFAY. The game will also be available on Milb.TV (subscription required).