It wasn't a kind welcome home at Dickey-Stephens Park for the Arkansas Travelers.
The Travs cruised through the first week of the season and entered Thursday's home opener riding a six-game winning streak, the only team at any level of affiliated baseball yet to take a loss, but Frisco left-hander Andrew Faulkner ended all that in the Travs' debut at their home park.
Arkansas was held to six hits, and only two off Faulkner through six innings, and advanced a runner to third base only twice in a 2-0 loss in front of an announced crowd of 6,696.
"On a night like this you tip your hat to a pitcher that worked both sides of the plate," Travs Manager Bill Richardson said. "I don't think we left our approach. I didn't see guys gashing tonight. That guy beat our approach. That happens."
It was a new feeling for the 2015 Travs, who collected a Texas League-high 62 hits in three-game sweeps at Frisco and Midland to open the season and entered Thursday with a league-high .319 batting average. Not only had the Travs not lost, they had scored first in all first six games, hadn't been caught stealing in 12 chances and hadn't allowed a stolen base.
All of those streaks ended Thursday.
The Travs fell behind when J.T. Wise singled, moved to second on Nick Williams' single and scored on Eric Stamets' throwing error to give the RoughRiders a 1-0 lead.
Cal Towey singled for Arkansas in the sixth but became the first Travs player thrown out while trying to steal when he was cut down at second base. Then Williams became the first opponent to steal a base on a Travs catcher this season when he took second base in the eighth inning.
Yet nothing had more to do with the Travs' loss than their struggles at the plate. Stamets picked up the Travs' first hit in the third and D'Arby Myers led off the fifth with a single, but Faulkner didn't allow any other hits while striking out seven in 5 2/3 innings.
The Travs' best chance came in the eighth inning. Wade Hinkle and Drew Maggi singled, and both moved up on Sherman Johnson's sacrifice bunt. Arkansas loaded the bases when Chad Hinshaw was hit by a pitch, but Towey struck out and Hernandez grounded into a fielder's choice to end the threat.
"It's tough and left us disappointed, obviously," Richardson said.
But Richardson said the loss doesn't discourage him after the Travs' start to the season.
"I couldn't be more pleased with their effort and the way they go about their business," he said. "For young men, they're pretty professional."
More worrisome than the loss was the condition of Stamets, who singled in the third inning but stumbled to the ground while rounding second base after Hinshaw lined out to end the inning. Stamets came up holding his left arm as he left the field.
Richardson said Stamets jammed his shoulder and was in the clubhouse wearing a sling after the game. Stamets, the Travs' second-year starting shortstop, is ranked by Baseball America as the Los Angeles Angels' 23rd-best prospect.
"When your guy goes down, it goes through the clubhouse," Richardson said. "I'm not blaming that on the [loss], but it will be a huge loss."
ROCKHOUNDS 8, NATURALS 3
SPRINGDALE — Northwest Arkansas pitchers struggled to throw strikes and Midland took advantage Thursday in the Naturals’ home opener at Arvest Ballpark.
The RockHounds (3-4) scored six runs on walks by the Naturals’ pitchers in the middle innings en route to a road victory in front of 6,673 fans.
Midland’s Matt Olson hit his third home run of the season, a two-run shot, and Bruce Maxwell drew a bases-loaded walk in a four-run fifth to give the RockHounds a 6-0 lead.
Midland starter Chris Jensen (2-0) allowed 3 runs on 7 hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked one.
Northwest Arkansas relievers Sam Selman and Ali Williams allowed a combined 6 runs — 5 earned — on 5 hits with five walks in 1 2/3 innings. Naturals pitchers walked eight batters over the first 5 2/3 innings. Naturals reliever Reid Redman retired all seven batters he faced.
Ethan Chapman got the Naturals on the board with a two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth, and Naturals second baseman Angel Franco went 3 for 4 and drove in a run.
Sports on 04/17/2015