Travs sharp early, falter

Arkansas Travelers centerfielder Travis Witherspoon (left) slides safely into home behind Frisco’s Zach Zaneski during the first game of Friday’s doubleheader at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.

Arkansas Travelers centerfielder Travis Witherspoon (left) slides safely into home behind Frisco’s Zach Zaneski during the first game of Friday’s doubleheader at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

The Arkansas Travelers’ season-opening doubleheader with the Frisco RoughRiders didn’t end as well as it started Friday night in front of announced crowd of 5,367 at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.

Arkansas beat Frisco 7-0 in the first game behind the near-perfect pitching of journeyman starter Jarrett Grube, who didn’t allow a base runner for 5 2/3 innings.

The Travelers lost the second game 6-3 when the RoughRiders scored four in the top of the sixth to complete a rally from a 3-1 deficit.

Things started well in the first of two seven-inning games after rain washed out Thursday night’s scheduled opener.

Grube retired the first 17 batters he faced before Hanser Alberto reached on Kaleb Cowart’s error. Grube got out of the sixth with his no-hitter intact and retired the first RoughRider in the seventh before a ground-rule double by Jared Hoying ended Grube’s no-hit bid and his night.

“He had reached his pitch limit and we decided that the first hit he gave up would be his last,” Arkansas Travelers Manager Tim Bogar said. “He pitched a heck of a game, though.”

Newcomer Randal Grichuk, the No. 6-ranked prospect in the Los Angeles Angels organization, was Arkansas’ offensive star. Grichuk hit a three-run home run and finished the first game 2 for 2 with 3 RBI.

Arkansas jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the second game, but the RoughRiders scored one in the fifth and four in the top of the sixth to end the Travelers’ hopes of an opening-night sweep.

Grube started last season with the Travelers before being released and signed by the Mariners to a free-agent contract. He spent the last half of last season with Class AAA Tacoma, a Mariners affiliate. He struggled there, going 0-5 with 9.26 earned run average.

“That’s the beauty of baseball, it’s not an age-game, it’s about your ability and playing the game,” Bogar said. “Gruber showed you tonight that he’s a pretty good pitcher. I hope that he’s with us a long time, and I also hope that he gets called up pretty quickly.”

Grichuk is one of four Travelers players ranked among the Angels’ top 10 prospects.

“If we play every game this season like we did the first game, we’ll be in pretty good shape,” Bogar said of a Travelers team that went 62-78 last season. “Grube came out and set the tone and our boys did a great job of base running.”

TODAY’S GAMES All times Central

Frisco at Arkansas, 6:10 p.m.

Midland at Northwest Arkansas, 7 p.m.

Springfield at Corpus Christi, 7:05 p.m.

Tulsa at San Antonio, 7:05 p.m.

Travelers at a glance

ARKANSAS TRAVELERS VS. FRISCO ROUGHRIDERS WHEN 6:10 p.m.

WHERE Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock RADIO KARN-AM, 920, in central Arkansas WEBSITE travs.com PITCHERS Travelers: Manny Correa (RHP, 9-10, 4.31 ERA); RoughRiders: Neil Ramirez (RHP, 8-13, 6.28 ERA). (Statistics from 2012).

TICKETS Gates open 1 hour before game.

Tickets are $12 box, $8 reserved ($5 children), $6 general admission ($4 children)

THE WEEK AHEAD TODAY vs. Frisco, 6:10 p.m.

SUNDAY vs. Midland, 4:10 p.m.

MONDAY vs. Midland, 7:10 p.m.

TUESDAY vs. Midland, 7:10 p.m.

WEDNESDAY off THURSDAY at Frisco, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY at Frisco, 7 p.m.

Sports, Pages 23 on 04/06/2013