SINGER SIZZLES FOR SEVEN, NATURALS WIN, 3-0

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Royals' top prospect, Brady Singer , pitched like a number one on Wednesday night, dominating the Arkansas Travelers over seven shutout innings and striking out nine hitters. The 23-year old played the stopper to the Naturals six-game road losing skid in a 3-0 win over the Travelers at Dickey-Stephens Park.
 
The Naturals (48-71/30-22) quickly gave Singer the early lead with a run-scoring single by Taylor Featherston off Travelers' starter, Ricardo Sánchez (8-9, 3.72) in the opening frame. Dairon Blanco raced home to score from second after coaxing a lead-off walk to open the ballgame.
 
Singer (4-3, 3.93) protected the 1-0 advantage relative ease. The 6-foot-5 right-hander walked the lead-off hitter and proceeded to retire the following six hitters - three with strikeouts. He worked around a pair of singles in the third inning and a two-out hit in the fourth.

His only inning with true adversity came in the fifth and his defense stepped up. Logan Taylor started the inning with an infield hit, moved to second on a passed ball and to third on a sacrifice bunt. The infield came-in for the Naturals with Donnie Walton , the lead-off hitter, at the plate. Walton smashed a rocket to the first baseman, Jordan George , who snagged the shot for a key second out. He then made the routine play on a grounder to him to retire the side.
 
Singer went on to put down the final six straight hitters and punctuated his outing in the seventh. Singer threw 15 pitches in the seventh inning and struck out the side, punching out his ninth batter, looking to polish off his outing.
 
His final line reads: seven innings, four hits, no runs, one walk and nine strikeouts. Singer has struck out eight-plus batters three times this season, including back-to-back starts. He shaved his earned run average from 4.36 down to 3.93. Over his last six starts, he's worked to the tune of a 2.04 ERA (35.1 IP/8 ER) with 41 strikeouts and 10 walks.
 
The Naturals are now 9-4 when Singer starts and with his start tonight, he's tossed five quality starts in his last seven.
 
Northwest Arkansas tacked on a pair of runs in the eighth inning using a bases-loaded walk to DJ Burt and then a sacrifice fly by Nate Esposito to push the advantage to 3-0.
 
Right-hander, Grant Gavin struck out two in a perfect eighth inning and Tyler Zuber locked down his seventh save with a scoreless ninth inning.
 
The victory gives the Naturals a chance to split the club's second consecutive series in the finale on Thursday night. Right-hander, Gerson Garabito (5-9, 4.11) takes the ball for his 23^rd start of the season against right-hander, Justin Dunn (7-4, 3.66) countering for the Travelers.
 
Join the "Voice of the Naturals," Benjamin Kelly on 92.1-FM, the Ticket and the Naturals Radio Network for a 6:50 Indigo Sky Casino Pregame Show leading up to the 7:10 p.m.
 
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League Affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. The Naturals play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, Ark. For more information, including statistics, ticket options, and more, please visit NWANaturals.com, and follow us on Twitter @NWANaturals and Facebook.com/Naturals.
 
-Naturals-