The red-eye flight out of Modesto, Calif., arrived in central Arkansas at 6 a.m. Saturday, bringing along a pair of ascending prospects in a Seattle Mariners organization that has made some major transactions in the past few days.
Center fielder Braden Bishop and second baseman Chris Mariscal went a combined 1 for 5 in their debut with the Arkansas Travelers, which were shutout for the eighth time this season in a 7-0 loss to the Springfield Cardinals on Saturday night at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.
Travs 20-year-old right-hander Nick Neidert (0-1, 3.38 ERA) also made his first start for the Class AA team, pitching 5⅓ innings and giving up 4 hits, 2 earned runs and 2 walks while striking out 4 before an announced crowd of 5,591.
The Cardinals scored five runs total in the seventh and eighth innings, including a four-run seventh inning against Travs right-hander Darin Gillies (2-1, 1.83), who gave up five hits and two walks. The Travs earned all of their four hits against Cardinals right-hander Dakota Hudson, who is St. Louis' No. 10 prospect according to MLB.com, and the team went 1 for 5 with runners in scoring position.
Neidert gave up two runs during a rocky first inning, when the Cardinals hit three singles and scored twice on wild pitches. He retired eight of his next nine batters with four strikeouts.
"I thought it was good," said Neidert, who went 5-2 with a 4.96 ERA in 19 starts in Class High-A Modesto. "Got a few first-inning hits, but that kind of stuff is going to happen in baseball."
The Mariners' 2015 second-round pick out of Peachtree Ridge High (Ga.), who according to MLB.com ranks as the Seattle Mariners No. 2 prospect, is the second pitcher to be called up from Modesto since left-hander Anthony Misiewicz (2-1, 3.00) was called up July 6 after going 5-2 for Modesto with a 4.96 ERA.
The Travs roster has shifted throughout last week, moving along with two trades involving the Mariners. On Thursday, Seattle traded four minor-leaguers for major league right-hander David Phelps (2-4, 3.45). On Friday, the Mariners traded No. 2 outfield prospect Tyler O'Neill to the St. Louis Cardinals for left-hander Marco Gonzales (6-4, 2.90 ERA, Class AAA), who was assigned to Tacoma.
Travs center fielder Ian Miller, who was leading the Texas League with a .326 batting average, was called up to fill O'Neill's spot in Tacoma on Saturday. Bishop and Mariscal were called into the Modesto coaches office after their Friday night game, and they were told they would be taking a 4 a.m. flight to Arkansas.
"It was exciting, so much work up to this point," said Bishop, who hit .296 in 88 games at Modesto. "I felt like I was learning after every inning, adjusting to the game, which is a lot faster up here."
Modesto finished first in the California League North Division in the first half of the season, and five of its players are now playing for the Travs. Right-hander Tyler Knigge (1-1, 3.44) is the fifth.
Travs Manager Daren Brown said left-fielder Chuck Taylor is out for "a couple" more days after he suffered muscle tightness in his leg after he jammed his knee in the ground catching a fly ball Wednesday in Tulsa.
Bishop and Marsical, who hit .305 in Modesto, will fill in for Taylor's .293 bat.
"Both these guys have had solid years up to this point," Brown said. "[Their call-up] is well deserved, well earned. We'll see what they can do here."
Today’s game
TRAVELERS VS. CARDINALS
WHEN 6:10 p.m. Central WHERE Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock RADIO KARN-AM, 920, in central Arkansas WEBSITE travs.com PITCHERS Travs: RHP Dylan Unsworth (9-6, 3.32 ERA); Cardinals: RHP Sandy Alcantara (5-5, 5.22) TICKETS $13 box, $9 reserved ($6 kids), $7 general admission ($5 kids). Gates open one hour before start of game. PROMOTIONS Bring a church bulletin from the day’s service and a family (two adults and up to four kids 14 and under) will be admitted for $10.
THE WEEK AHEAD
TODAY vs. Springfield, 6:10 p.m. MONDAY vs. NW Arkansas, 7:10 p.m. TUESDAY vs. NW Arkansas, 7:10 p.m. WEDNESDAY vs. NW Arkansas, 7:10 p.m. THURSDAY at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m. FRIDAY at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m. SATURDAY at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m.
Sports on 07/23/2017