After plugging away, Lewis becomes Travs’ spark

For the past month or so, 23-year-old outfielder Kyle Lewis has been a major spark plug in the Arkansas Travelers’ lineup. At times, even a game-saver.

On Monday night at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock, Lewis played the role of spark plug when he smoked a solo home run over the left-field wall on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the fourth inning. The ball traveled 397 feet and nearly hit the scoreboard, which read 1-1 as Lewis trotted around the bases.

“Got a good piece of that, especially out here with this humid air and this big field,” Lewis said. “Sometimes it’s a little tougher. I definitely felt like that was one of my best ones so far this year.”

It was just the shot in the arm Arkansas needed as the Travelers prevailed over the Northwest Arkansas Natural 4-2 in the opening game of a three-game series.

Lewis’ teammate, third baseman Logan Taylor, played the role of game-saver in the bottom of the eighth, lacing a two-out, two RBI double down the third-base line that broke a tie and put the Travs ahead 4-2. But it had been Lewis’ ground-rule double — his second hit of the night — earlier in the inning that set it all up, putting him on second and Aaron Knapp on third.

Taylor has been impressed watching Lewis orchestrate two walk-off hits over the past week — and a couple of more clutch hits Monday.

“Yeah, no doubt,” Taylor said with a grin. “There are a lot of guys on this team that are fun to watch, and he’s definitely one of them.”

Lewis, who’s in his first full season in Class AA after spitting time between the Travs and Class A Modesto in 2018, has watched his batting average ascend over the past month and a half — from sub.220 in late May to .266 now.

In early June, the Snellville, Ga., native recorded six multihit games in eight games. After a six-game slump, Lewis heated up again. Over five games from June 18-23, Lewis collected 11 hits, scored 7 runs and walked 6 times.

Less than a week later, he began his heroics.

On June 29 against the Tulsa Drillers at home, Lewis led the Travs to a 2-1 victory thanks to his walk-off single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth.

A week later, on Saturday, Lewis did it again, this time against the Springfield Cardinals at home. Lewis ripped a walk-off, ground-rule double into right field in the bottom of the 11th, propelling the Travs to another 2-1 win.

“In late innings,” Lewis said, “I try to bear down and see if I can make something happen — try to help the team.”

Lewis’ confidence at the plate, as well as his ability to play every position in the outfield, has turned him into one of the Travelers’ top players this season. A first-round draft pick by the Seattle Mariners in 2016, the Mercer product is tied for first in the Texas League this year in walks with 45. Lewis also has 44 RBI, which is the most of any member on the Travs’ current roster. He also has 42 runs scored and 16 doubles.

“I’ve progressed nicely, and I think just learning a lot about myself, continuing to try to learn each and every day, understand my process, understand my pregame, understand my mindset I need to be in,” Lewis said. “That’s what I get really excited about.”