SPRINGDALE -- Emilio Ogando tossed six shutout innings in his Class AA debut to lead the Northwest Arkansas Naturals to a 4-0 victory over the Arkansas Travelers on Saturday evening in Arvest Ballpark.
The 23-year-old left-hander was activated earlier Saturday and didn't allow a Travelers base runner past second base. Naturals Manager Vance Wilson was pleased with what he saw, but he also credited catcher Allan de San Miguel with helping the newcomer.
Texas League Baseball
Northwest Arkansas 4, Arkansas 0
Arkansas^000^000^000^—^0^6^1
Northwest Arkansas^010^000^30x^—^4^11^0
Arkansas^AB^R^H^RBI^BB^SO^LOB^AVG
Taylor, C, CF^4^0^1^0^0^1^0^.338
Baum, 3B^4^0^0^0^0^0^1^.181
Waldrop, RF^4^0^1^0^0^0^0^.282
Casteel, 1B^4^0^2^0^0^0^1^.289
Marlette, C^3^0^1^0^1^1^1^.243
Mack, LF^3^0^0^0^1^2^4^.194
Petty, DH^4^0^1^0^0^2^4^.238
Wong, SS^4^0^0^0^0^1^2^.224
Hebert, 2B^3^0^0^0^0^1^0^.164
Totals^33^0^6^0^2^8^13^
BATTING
TB: Marlette; Taylor, C; Waldrop; Petty; Casteel 2. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Wong; Petty 2; Marlette. Team RISP: 0-for-6. Team LOB: 8.
NW Arkansas^AB^R^H^RBI^BB^SO^LOB^AVG
Dewees Jr., LF^4^0^0^0^0^1^3^.213
Escalera, RF^3^0^2^1^0^0^0^.287
Duenez, 1B^4^0^0^0^0^0^5^.295
Schwindel, DH^4^0^0^0^0^0^4^.356
Ramos, 3B^4^2^2^1^0^1^0^.258
Arteaga, SS^4^1^3^1^0^1^0^.227
Lopez, Jac, 2B^4^1^1^0^0^0^2^.286
de San Miguel, C^3^0^2^1^0^0^0^.200
Gore, CF^3^0^1^0^0^0^1^.245
Totals^33^4^11^4^0^3^15^
BATTING
2B: Escalera (4, Unsworth); Arteaga (2, Unsworth). 3B: Ramos (1, Unsworth). HR: Ramos (3, 2nd inning off Unsworth, 0 on, 0 out). TB: de San Miguel 2; Arteaga 4; Gore; Lopez, Jac; Ramos 7; Escalera 3.RBI: Ramos (7); Arteaga (5); de San Miguel (1); Escalera (12). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Schwindel 3; Lopez, Jac.Team RISP: 3-for-9. Team LOB: 6.
Arkansas^IP^H^R^ER^BB^SO^HR^ERA
Unsworth (L, 1-2)^6.0^10^4^4^0^2^1^5.24
Gillies^2.0^1^0^0^0^1^0^5.23
NW Arkansas^IP^H^R^ER^BB^SO^HR^ERA
Ogando (W, 1-0)^6.0^5^0^0^2^4^0^0.00
Goudeau (S, 1)^3.0^1^0^0^0^4^0^3.12
HBP: Escalera (by Gillies).
Umpires: HP: Cody Oakes. 1B: Justin Robinson. 3B: Reid Gibbs.
T: 2:13. Att: 5,988.
"We actually saw him pitch a couple times in spring training on our field and I liked him," Wilson said. "I don't do a ton of research when we get guys, but I know there were some struggles. The one thing we'd heard is he wasn't being aggressive and that obviously wasn't the case tonight."
"I thought de San Miguel did a heck of a job getting him through the game. I think de San Miguel gets as much credit even though Emilio was pitching."
Ogando (1-0) was 1-0 with a 5.47 ERA in five games at Class A Wilmington, but he was called up when Miguel Almonte was recalled to Kansas City on Friday. He scattered 6 singles, struck out 4 and walked only 2.
The Naturals (15-12) maintained a share of the lead in the Texas League North Division with the victory.
Mauricio Ramos got Ogando all the offense he needed with a 437-foot solo home run -- his third of the season -- on the first pitch leading of the bottom of the third inning off Travs starter Dylan Unsworth (1-2). He was one of three Naturals with two hits, and shortstop Humberto Arteaga went 3 for 4 and also drove in a run.
The Naturals broke open the game with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. They sent 10 batters to the plate as Arteaga and de San Miguel contributed RBI singles and Alfredo Escalera was hit by a pitch to drive in a run.
Travs Manager Daren Brown said the Travelers (12-16) haven't been consistent offensively.
"Both of their guys threw the ball well tonight," said Brown, whose team dropped to 12-16. "We never were able to string much together against them. I still think we're trying to figure some things out. We've got some guys that started off really good. We don't have enough of them.
"We win two or three in a row and swing the bats well, then we scored one run until the ninth yesterday and then nothing today."
Ryan Casteel accounted for two of the Travs' six hits.
Sports on 05/07/2017