SPRINGDALE -- The Arkansas Travelers used 15 hits to whip the Northwest Arkansas Naturals 13-3 at Arvest Ballpark on Saturday.
Marcus Littlewood, Ryan Casteel and Seth Mejias-Brean drove in a combined 10 runs for the Travs.
Naturals' pitchers helped the Travs' cause by issuing a season-high 11 walks.
"I thought we did a good job of making them throw strikes, and tonight, that was tough for them," Travs Manager Daren Brown said. "We put ourselves in a good position, and when we did get pitches, we didn't miss."
Littlewood didn't miss when he turned on a Foster Griffin fastball for a two-run home run in the second inning. It was his ninth home run and gave the Travs a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish. The Travs scored another run in the third inning, and Mejias-Brean's two-run single highlighted a three-run fourth inning as the Travs took a 6-1 lead.
Casteel added insurance with a three-run double during a six-run ninth inning.
Griffin's outing ended after he issued a walk -- his fourth -- to Casteel to load the bases in the fourth inning, but Naturals Manager Vance Wilson said his left-hander never got back on track after Littlewood's homer.
"In the first inning and up until that two-run homer, he actually looked pretty good," Wilson said. "Then he just lost his groove and rhythm and, unfortunately, his command."
A 2014 first-round pick, Griffin was Kansas City's lone prospect selected for the 25-man Futures Game roster after winning five consecutive starts from June 9-July 1. But since that streak, Griffin has posted a 4-4 record and his ERA has risen from 1.93 to 3.74.
The Naturals grabbed an early advantage in the first inning when singles by Alfredo Escalera, Nick Dini and Anderson Miller resulted in a 1-0 lead.
Dini, who was 2 for 3, gave the Naturals a lift with a two-run single in the fifth to trim the deficit to 6-3. It was one of only two hits in eight at-bats with runners in scoring position.
"We're throwing away too many at-bats," Wilson said. "We'd get one hit, then no hits. Two hits, then no hits. When you do that, you can't sustain enough to score much in any one inning."
Mejias-Brean finished 4 for 6 for the Travs, and Casteel and Chuck Taylor each scored three runs. Ryne Harper picked up the victory with two clean innings of relief.
Today’s game
TRAVELERS AT NATURALS
WHEN 2:05 p.m. WHERE Arvest Ballpark, Springdale RADIO KARN-AM, 920, in central Arkansas; KQSM-FM 92.1 in Northwest Arkansas WEBSITE travs.com PITCHERS Travs: RHP Chase DeJong (0-2, 6.00 ERA) Naturals: RHP Zach Lovvron (4-7, 4.71 ERA) TICKETS $13 Home Plate Premium, $10-$12 Dugout Premium, $8 Reserved. $7 Grass Berm
THE WEEK AHEAD
TODAY at NW Arkansas, 2:05 p.m. MONDAY at NW Arkansas, 7:05 p.m. TUESDAY at Springfield, 6:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY at Springfield, 6:30 p.m. THURSDAY at Springfield, 7:10 p.m. FRIDAY at Springfield, 7:10 p.m. SATURDAY vs. NW Arkansas, 6:10 p.m.
Sports on 08/27/2017