Naturals trip up Travelers, lift Wilson to 400th victory

On the surface, Northwest Arkansas’ 6- 2 victory Monday night over the Arkansas Travelers didn’t appear more significant than any other May game in the Texas League.

By winning, the Naturals improved their record to 19- 16 in the Texas League first- half standings, tied for first with the Springfield Cardinals, 5 ½ games ahead of the last- place Travelers.

But to Northwest Arkansas Manager Vance Wilson, this was a May day to remember. Wilson, 44, and his players celebrated the manager’s 400th minor- league victory with cake and stories.

“I didn’t even know this was my 400th,” said Wilson, who has reached the milestone in his seventh season in the [ Kansas City] Royals’ organization. “The guys let me know it. This is why we do what we do, it’s the relationships. This was cool. This is what’s great about baseball. It’s the epitome of life. It’s managing failure. It’s relationships. It’s working together. In the grand scheme, it really epitomizes life.”

Life was good for Wilson and the Naturals on Monday at DickeyStephens Park in North Little Rock.

It started with a three- run first off Travelers right- hander Lindsey Caughel, highlighted by right fielder Elier Hernandez’s two- run double, and continued with Hernandez’s RBI single in the third that pushed the Naturals’ lead to 4- 0.

“Giving up three runs in the first inning puts you behind the eight ball in a hurry,” Travs Manager Daren Brown said.

The Travs struggled for runs and got none from four hits and two walks through four innings, but center fielder Ian Miller, known best for his speed as a leadoff batter, began the fifth with a home run to right field.

“Obviously, we didn’t do a whole lot tonight at the plate,” Brown said. “We had a few singles but wasn’t about to string anything together.”

Miller stole 50 bases in 2016 and has 13 in 36 games this season. He had three hits in five at- bats against the Naturals. He improved his batting average for the season from .331 to .340.

“I’m not playing for myself,” he said. “I’m playing to win. I play every game hard. When things aren’t going well as a team, you just have to focus on what you can control. If you’re not putting runs on the board, you do what you can.”

Brown said Miller is making progress.

“We know the speed thing, but he’s done a nice job at the plate at the beginning of this year, and it’s good to see,” he said. “That was a big night, obviously. I don’t expect to get three hits every night, obviously, but I like the way he’s approaching his at- bats.” Wilson has noticed Miller, too. “He’s very good,” said Wilson, who has managed for the Royals at Class A Kane County ( Ill.) in 2011, Class A Wilmington ( Del.) in 2012- 2013 and the Class AA Naturals starting in 2014. “He can really run, and he has some power. I don’t know if he’ll show that every night, but he definitely did tonight and it put them in the game.”

“I’ve been seeing the ball very well, and taking it one pitch at a time,” Miller said. “It’s hard to play a game that’s so results oriented, but when you’re on the right side of them, it’s easier to play. To say it again, I just take it one pitch at a time. This game has taught me a lot.”