Johnson Gets League-Leading Seventh Save in Naturals 4-1 Win

May 23, 2025

By AJ Swiatek SPRINGDALE, AR – Brandon Johnson brought the fireworks before the postgame show with two perfect innings en route to his seventh save of the season as the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (21-22) knocked off the Arkansas Travelers (24-19) 4-1. The two teams continue their series Saturday with the

By AJ Swiatek

SPRINGDALE, AR – Brandon Johnson brought the fireworks before the postgame show with two perfect innings en route to his seventh save of the season as the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (21-22) knocked off the Arkansas Travelers (24-19) 4-1. The two teams continue their series Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for 6:05 PM CT at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, Arkansas.

Northwest Arkansas’ starting pitcher Hunter Owen allowed back-to-back singles to start the game but got himself out of the jam to keep the top of the first inning scoreless. In the home frame, Jack Pineda led off with a single and was plated on Carter Jensen’s sac fly, which gave the Naturals a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the second inning Brett Squires hit a leadoff single and scored when Dustin Dickerson doubled. In the next at-bat Sam Ruta hit an RBI triple and was eventually driven in on Justin Johnson’s sacrifice fly, which put the Nats up 4-0.

Owen allowed his first run to score in the top of the fifth. However, he left the damage there and exited the game with 5.0 innings of work that saw five strikeouts and the Naturals up 4-1.

Chazz Martinez earned his fourth hold of the season with a scoreless sixth inning and Christian Chamberlain delivered an inning with no runs allowed of his own. Johnson finished the night with his seventh save of the season after he pitched the eighth and ninth innings, with four strikeouts along. The staff’s strong day helped the Northwest Arkansas Naturals defeat the Arkansas Travelers 4-1.

Northwest Arkansas continues their series against the Arkansas Travelers on Saturday at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, Arkansas. Tomorrow’s first pitch is scheduled for 6:05 PM CT. Fans can follow the action with the “Voice of the Naturals,” Shawn Murnin, on MiLB.TV, MLB.TV, the MiLB and MLB Apps, and nwanaturals.com with a subscription. Free audio is available through the MiLB App and team website, and fans can also stream for free on the Bally Sports Live app.