Nate Smith didn't inspire much confidence while warming up in the bullpen prior to Sunday's start.

"He almost killed six people," Arkansas Travelers' pitching coach Pat Rice said.

Smith was fine once he got to the mound to make his Class AA debut in front a season-high crowd of 9,159 at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock, though. Smith struck out eight while holding the San Antonio Missions to five hits over seven innings in the Travs' 3-1 victory.

"Unreal," Travs Manager Phillip Wellman said. "Very good for him. I'm sure he was a little amped and anxious and nervous."

Smith, a 22-year-old left-hander in his first full season in the Los Angeles Angels' system, was given a quick promotion last week partially because of the struggles of one of the Angels' top prospects.

Mark Sappington, their No. 2 pitching prospect according to Baseball America, was 1-4 with a 6.44 ERA through nine Class AA starts before he and Yeiper Castillo were demoted to Class A Inland Empire on Thursday. That meant Smith and Kyle McGowin, who will start today, were sent to Arkansas to fill out its rotation.

The moves wouldn't have been made had Smith and McGowin not been ready to move up.

Smith was 6-3 with a 3.07 ERA in 10 Class A starts, less than a year removed from being picked by the Angels in the eighth round out of Furman.

"It was the last thing that I expected," Smith said. "But, I felt ready. No matter what, it's 60-feet, 6-inches and when you step out on the mound nothing changes. You still got to execute your pitches, you still got to get hitters out."

He had no problem doing that for most of Sunday.

Smith retired the Missions, who are hitting .227 as a team, in order in the first and got into real trouble in the fifth. He fell behind 3-0 to Casey McElroy before leaving a fastball up that was pulled down the right-field line for a home run that tied the game 1-1.

Then, Smith gave up consecutive singles to Adam Buscini, Reymond Fuentes and Yeison Asencio to load the bases, but got Jason Hagerty to pop out to end the inning and start a string of seven consecutive batters retired to end his outing.

Wellman said he didn't worry when Smith got into trouble in the fifth, and he didn't have the bullpen up until he was trying to protect a 3-1 lead in the seventh as Smith regrouped.

"It's essential," Smith said of responding to trouble. "When those runners are out there, I'm telling myself there's no way I'm letting them score. I'll do whatever I have to do. It's a mentality."

The Travs took a lead with a two-run sixth. Drew Heid led off with a triple and scored on a Brian Hernandez single to go up 2-1. Hernandez moved to second on a wild pitch and made it 3-1 when he scored on a throwing error by Buschini at third base.

The Travs were held to five hits in their first game without outfielder Zach Borenstein, their No. 3 hitter who was promoted to Class AAA Salt Lake after hitting .327 with 11 RBI over his past 12 games. Wellman said expects Borenstein to fare just fine in hitter-friendly parks of the Pacific Coast League.

"He started off terrible, but he had been hot," Wellman said. "I think he'll put up better numbers up there than he did here. He might have 10 home runs in a month up there."

Today’s game

ARKANSAS VS. SAN ANTONIO

WHEN 2:10 p.m. WHERE Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock RADIO KARN-AM, 920, in central Arkansas WEBSITE travs.com PITCHERS Travelers: Kyle McGowin (RHP 1-5, 2.93 ERA); Missions: Odrisamer Despaigne (RHP 0-0, 1.17) TICKETS Gates open 1 hour before first pitch. $12 box; $8 reserved ($5 children); $6 general admission ($4 children) PROMOTIONS Bring a ticket stub from any game dated May 21-25 and get $1 general admission, $2 reserved seat or a $6 box seat. Look inside today’s sports section of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for $3 off a ticket. SHORT HOPS OF Zach Borenstein was sent to Class AAA Salt Lake on Sunday, after hitting .268 with 5 home runs and 27 RBI in 46 games with Class AA Arkansas. OF Erik Komatsu was sent to Arkansas from Salt Lake.

THE WEEK AHEAD

TODAY San Antonio, 2:10 p.m. TUESDAY at Corpus Christi, 7:10 p.m. WEDNESDAY at Corpus Christi, 7:10 p.m. THURSDAY at Corpus Christi, 7:10 p.m. FRIDAY at San Antonio, 7:05 p.m. SATURDAY at San Antonio, 7:05 p.m. SUNDAY at San Antonio, 7:05 p.m.

SATURDAY’S GAMES

Corpus Christi 7, Northwest Arkansas 4 Arkansas 4, San Antonio 2

Midland 3, Tulsa 2 Springfield 8, Frisco 6

SUNDAY’S GAMES

Arkansas 3, San Antonio 1 Northwest Arkansas 7, Corpus Christi 4

Tulsa 2, Midland 1 Frisco 3, Springfield 2

TODAY’S GAMES

All times Central

Tulsa at Midland, 2 p.m.

Corpus Christi at NW Arkansas, 2:05 p.m.

Springfield at Frisco, 2:05 p.m.

San Antonio at Arkansas, 2:10 p.m.

TUESDAY’S GAMES

NW Arkansas at San Antonio, 7:05 p.m.

Frisco at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m. Midland at Springfield, 7:10 p.m.

Arkansas at Corpus Christi, 7:10 p.m.

Sports on 05/26/2014