Travs Answer Drillers Back With 1-0 Win

Little Rock  - Runs continued to come at a premium at Dickey-Stephens Park on Wednesday afternoon as the Arkansas Travelers stopped the Tulsa Drillers with a 1-0 victory. Kramer Sneed (2-2) and two relievers combined on a three-hit shutout, the club's first whitewash of an opponent. Kyle Hudson's two-out single in the sixth inning provided the day's only run.

Sneed finished seven innings without allowing a run to pick up the win. He held Tulsa batters to three base hits and two walks while striking out three batters. He got help from Travs fielders who threw out four Drillers runners on the bases. Carmine Giardina and David Carpenter each fired one inning to preserve the Travs' second win in 11 games.

Tulsa right hander Jonathan Gray (1-2) was overpowering during most of his six inning start. Last year's third overall pick struck out eight batters and was perfect over 5.2 innings until Andy Workman stroked a two-out single in the sixth. With Hudson batting, Workman stole second base and scored when Hudson broke an 0-for-16 slide with a single to center. That base hit also ended a streak of 23 innings without a run scored by the Travs.

Sneed, acquire by the Angels in a March 2013 from the New York Yankees, walked his first batter putting Tyler Massey on base in the first. Massey stole second and tried to advance to third when Tim Smalling hit a grounder to deep shortstop. With the play right in front of him, shortstop Eric Stamets threw Massey out. Then Sneed caught Smalling stealing between first and second.

Tulsa right fielder Jared Simon blooped a double over first base to begin the third and took third on a fly out by Jayson Langfels. With the infield playing up, Joey Wong grounded to Stamets for the second out. Then Sneed got Massey to pop to third base to end the inning.

Sneed wiggled out of a tight spot in the fourth when Smalling hit a leadoff single and Dustin Garneau walked. After Tom Murphy popped up an attempted sacrifice bunt, Adam Melker made a sliding catch of a foul ball hit to right field by Brian Humphries then hopped to his feet and doubled Garneau off first base for the third out.

Sneed retired nine in a row before Murphy hit a soft single in the seventh inning. Humphries grounded into a fielder's choice with Murphy forced out at second. Catcher Jett Bandy pegged Humphries on a pickoff for the third out.

Giardina pitched around two walks in the eighth inning when Massey grounded out to second out.

Then in the top of the ninth inning Carpenter missed with his first seven pitches issuing a walk to Smalling then falling behind 3-0 on Garneau. Carpenter battled back to fill the count, and Garneau ripped the next pitch to the left field wall where Zach Borenstein made a fantastic catch before slamming against the pads. Carpenter responded by striking out Murphy and Humphries to clinch the win.

Time of game was 2:18 and the paid attendance was 7,132.

The series concludes on Thursday evening with Yeiper Castillo (1-1, 6.28) on the mound for the Travelers. Tulsa counters with lefty Tyler Anderson (1-1, 3.00). Game time is set for 7:10 and the gates open at 6:10 p.m.