LITTLE ROCK — Daniel Cabrera did not pitch long enough Monday night to get the victory, but the former major leaguer’s start gave the Arkansas Travelers a much-needed boost.
Cabrera and eventual winner Taylor Wilding each had quality outings and closer Jordan Walden worked out of a ninth-inning jam as the Arkansas Travelers stopped a three-game losing skid with a 4-3 victory over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals in front of3,873 at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.
“They were awesome,” said Travelers catcher Roberto Lopez of Cabrera and Wilding. “They were both throwing the ball well. They were aggressive and they weren’t afraid to get hit. They were pitching to their strengths and it worked out well for us.”
Cabrera, an imposing 6-9 29-year-old who has a career record of 48-65 in six seasons of major league play, allowed only one hit and a walk in his four innings of work. The only hit he allowed was Clint Robinson’s 13th home run of the season, a line drive that landed in the Travelers’ bullpen in right field.
Wilding (3-4) pitched 3 2 /3 innings, allowing only two hits and one run before leaving with a runner on in the eighth inning.
“I’ve been using my cutter a lot more and I’ve been throwing that into the mix as well as my changeup,” said Wilding, who left the game with a 4-2 lead. “I’ve been trying to keep guys off balance with those pitches.”
Northwest Arkansas opened the ninth inning with three consecutive singles and closed within a run. The Naturals had runners at the corners with no one out, but Walden got Manny Pina to foul out to first baseman Efren Navarro, Ernesto Mejia to strike out and pinch hitter Johnny Giavotella to fly out to center.
It was Walden’s fifth save.
“Jordan did a great job of keeping his composure,” Wilding said. “And Roberto Lopez really did a good job of keeping the ball out in front of the plate and working hard.”
Navarro and Lopez had a combined five of the Travelers’ eight hits, the most the Travelers compiled in the four games with the Naturals in the series. Navarro was 3 for 3 with 3 singles and an RBI. Lopez was 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored.
“I haven’t had a muli-hit game in a while, so I feel like I’m on the plus side tonight,” Lopez said. “We’ve just got to keep working hard and keep it going.”
Naturals pitcher Ben Swaggerty (2-4) made his first start of the season and tossed a perfect first inning but ran into trouble in the second.
Back-to-back walks to Julio Perez and Lopez helped jump-start the Travelers’ three-run second. Abel Nieves singled to right to load the bases and Navarro followed with a line-drive single that got under the glove of left fielder Tim Smith. Lopez scored on the error, which was the only one the Naturals committed in the four-game series.
Rowdy Hardy was brought in to relieve Swaggerty and promptly reloaded the bases by walking Michael Demperio. Arkansas scored its third run of the inning when Nieves came home on Richard Cates’ double-play ball.
Arkansas added a run in the fourth on a single by Demperio.
Northwest Arkansas’ final two runs came home on an eighth-inning double by Derrick Robinson and on Paulo Orlando’s ninth-inning infield single.
Travelers at a glance
WHO Arkansas vs. Midland Rock Hounds WHEN 7 p.m. Thursday WHERE Citibank Ballpark, Midland, Texas PITCHERS Travelers: Will Smith (left-hander, 0-0, 0.00 ERA); RockHounds: TBA RADIO KARN-AM, 920, in Little Rock WEBSITE travs.com SHORT HOPS Arkansas second baseman Andrew Romine has been placed on the seven-day disabled with a left shoulder impingement. Catcher Alberto Rosario, batting .193 with no home runs and 8 RBI in 51 games, was demoted to Class A Rancho Cucamonga.
THE WEEK AHEAD ARKANSAS TODAY Off WEDNESDAY Off THURSDAY at Midland, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY at Midland, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY at Midland, 6 p.m.
SUNDAY at Frisco, 6 p.m.
MONDAY at Frisco, 7 p.m.
Sports, Pages 17 on 06/29/2010