Drillers' Parker misses cycle by double

Kyle Parker and the rest of the Tulsa Drillers skipped batting practice before Friday's game. A glance at the box score shows they didn't need it.

The Rockies' No. 4 prospect went 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs, falling a double shy of the cycle, in Double-A Tulsa's 12-5 win over Arkansas.

"It was great. Anytime you can go score a bunch of runs, it makes everyone's life easier," Parker said. "Everybody's been putting in the work and when you do, you're going to have success."

In snapping an eight-game losing streak, the Drillers scored more than four runs for the first time since June 10. Parker has homered in three of his last four games but was hitting .194 over his previous 10 contests.

"I've been coming in every day and working hard," the 23-year-old outfielder said. "When you're struggling, it's important to have a consistent routine. And hopefully, we're just starting see some of the results of that."

Although Tulsa skipped batting practice, "We still hit in the cage and guys were still working hard," Parker said. "I think it was a good call on [manager Kevin Riggs'] part."

The Kentucky native singled in a run in the first inning, working the count full against Travelers starter Manny Correa before sending a ground ball up the middle.

"It's always good to get in there with guys in scoring position and have a good at-bat," he said.

Parker saw six pitches from reliever Carmine Giardina in the seventh, sending the last one over the fence in right-center field for his 15th homer of the season.

"I was just trying to hit something hard. He was throwing me cutters in and I was trying to get the bat head out on them," Parker said. "I fouled a couple off and I was trying to stay in the middle of the field. Finally, I got a fastball over the plate."

With a runner on second in the eighth, he again lined the sixth pitch of his at-bat over an outfielder's head. It stayed in the park, but Parker was thinking three bases right away.

"I hit it really well to a big part of the ballpark. Once I hit, I kept running as hard as I could. It was kind of a no-doubt triple," he said. "It took a weird hop off the wall."

It was his ninth career triple, second of the year and first since April 18. Parker who played quarterback at Clemson and was picked by the Rockies in the first round of the 2010 Draft, ranks sixth among active Texas League in homers after belting 23 in the California League last year and 21 in the South Atlantic League in 2011.

He plans to build off the big night by "going in and doing consistent work, having a good idea of what I'm trying to do at the plate," he said. "I think if I keep doing that, good things are going to happen."

Cristhian Adames, Colorado's 18th-ranked prospect, collected three hits, three RBIs and three runs scored.

Angels No. 3 prospect C.J. Cron doubled and scored a run, while No. 7 prospect Randal Grichuk delivered a two-run triple for the Travelers.