Arkansas roughed up heralded pitching prospect Jon Gray early, then held on for a 6-2 victory over Tulsa in a Texas League North game Sunday night at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.
An announced crowd of 5,240 watched the Travelers win for the 12th time in 17 games and stretch their second-half lead over Northwest Arkansas to two games.
Arkansas and Northwest Arkansas open a three-game series tonight at Dickey-Stephens.
Gray, the third overall selection in the 2013 Major League Draft, was bidding for his league-leading 10th victory, but the hard-throwing right-hander took his fifth loss after being touched for six earned runs, including four in the first inning.
"When you face a pitcher of that caliber, that's always a blessing," Arkansas Manager Phillip Wellman said of the early offensive outburst. "You saw what he did to us the rest of the game. That's why he is who he is. That doesn't happen very often to him."
Gray settled down after a 25-pitch first inning to retire eight consecutive batters before allowing single runs in the fourth and seventh. He allowed one hit after the first inning.
Arkansas starter Michael Roth (9-6) pitched five innings for the victory.
Roth struck out five of the first eight hitters he faced. He walked five and allowed six hits, including a two-run single by designated hitter Will Swanner in the fourth.
"To his credit, he continued to compete and made it through five," Wellman said of Roth.
Jonesboro native Delta Cleary Jr. went 1 for 4 for the first-half champion Drillers, who outhit the Travelers 8-7.
Arkansas scored four runs on five hits in the first inning.
Maikol Gonzalez led off with a single and moved to third when Alex Yarbrough doubled off the wall in right.
Brian Hernandez followed with a two-run single to center.
Gray struck out the next two hitters, but Jett Bandy dumped a single to right field. Hernandez and Gray scored on Kaleb Cowart's two-run double to left center that made it 4-0.
The Travelers made it 5-2 in the fourth on an RBI single to center field by Drew Heid. Yarbrough's sacrifice fly made it 6-2 in the seventh.
Los Angeles Angels left-handed pitcher C.J. Wilson is scheduled to start tonight for the Travelers against the Naturals.
Wilson, 33, is on a rehab assignment after suffering a sprained ankle against Toronto on July 9.
Wilson, a two-time Major League All-Star, is expected to make one minor-league appearance before rejoining the Angels. He is 8-6 with a 4.33 ERA this season.
Wilson will be the first pitcher to start a game for the Travelers on a rehab assignment since their affiliation with the Angels began in 2001, according to an Arkansas news release.
Wellman said Wilson will be limited to 75 pitches tonight.
Sports on 07/28/2014