The Arkansas Travelers got roster help Monday, but they're still a man short of their limit with no relief in sight and the piece of reinforcements they received could produce some confusion.
Right-handed reliever Eduardo Paredes was promoted to Class AA Arkansas from Class A Inland Empire by the Los Angeles Angels on Monday and was in town in time to pitch in Arkansas' 8-3 loss to the Springfield Cardinals on Monday night at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.
Paredes, 21, didn't factor into the decision while giving up three runs in the seventh inning, a performance Manager Mark Parent said he wasn't discouraged by much.
"Tonight was not indicative of what we saw in spring training," Parent said.
Eduardo Paredes, the recently-added reliever, is not to be confused with Edward Paredes, the veteran left-hander who has been on the Travs' roster since opening day. Edward Paredes immediately proceeded Eduardo Paredes in Monday's game. The left-handed Paredes is a bit older, 29, and a bit leaner than his newest teammate.
But for now, Parent isn't sure how they'll tell the two apart.
"We'll figure something out," he said with a laugh. "There's a lefty and a righty, that's all I know."
Results could have been the easiest way to differentiate Monday.
Eduardo Paredes struggled when he gave up a single to Breyvic Valera, a double to Bruce Caldwell, a two-run triple to Luke Voit and sacrifice fly as the Cardinals' lead grew from 5-3 to 8-3 in the seventh. Edward Paredes, however, had another solid outing.
He pitched 1 2/3 shutout innings, his fifth consecutive scoreless outing as he lowered his season earned-run average to 0.64. The 29-year-old from the Dominican Republic has held teams scoreless in 12 of 13 outings this season after struggling with control early in the season.
"He turned it on," Parent said. "I think he got over the pity-party of being here, being that age and being in AA, and he realized the only way he's going to get out is performing well."
Those results weren't mirrored by the Travs' offense, which was controlled by Springfield starter Trey Nielsen (5-3) for the second time this season. Nielsen held the Travs to one hit in a Cardinals victory May 2. Although he wasn't as dominant this time, he held them to 3 runs, 1 earned, on 8 hits over 6 innings.
Even still, Parent said the outing was a sign of improvement for the Travs, which hit .280 and scored 19 runs, both above their season averages, in the split of the four-game series with Springfield. That was specifically true of left-fielder Bo Way, who singled in the second and doubled in the sixth to raise his average to a team-best .306. Way was 7 of 13 in the series and has raised his average more than 40 points since May 12.
"I went through a rough patch, and I was really just trying to slow myself down in the box," he said. "I'm not trying to over-do it, make too much happen. Just trying to let it come to me."
Parent complimented Way for the week, as well as right fielder Cal Towey, whose single Monday was his fifth hit in the series. Towey is one of the players for which Parent hopes relief comes soon. He's played in 42 of 44 games this season, including 24 consecutive.
But with the loss of catcher Anthony Bemboom, who was promoted to Class AAA Salt Lake on Thursday, Parent has little roster fluctuation and he's not sure when he'll get it. The Travs begin a six-game road trip tonight at Corpus Christi, not long after completing a 12-hour bus ride..
"They just tell me it's a little tough right now to send somebody, so that's the way it goes," Parent said, referring to parent club Angels. "Another guy would be nice, but we got what we got. I think these guys are used to getting out there and playing. It's nothing to us, maybe on the road we'll get some help."
Sports on 05/24/2016