MILB Trout covage

Mike Trout had a big Saturday night at the plate, but he wasn't happy after the game.
MLB.com's No. 1 prospect went 3-for-4 with a triple, two stolen bases and three runs scored, but the Double-A Arkansas Travelers fell to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, 6-4.

The loss trimmed the Travelers' lead over the second-place Naturals to one game in the Texas League North Division first-half standings.

"You know, I was happy with my success as an individual, but as a team it was definitely a big loss for us," Trout said. "We had a four- or five-game win streak, then split a doubleheader yesterday. Tonight was a big game for us and we fell short at the end."

Trout began his night with a bang, leading off the bottom of the first inning with a triple to right-center field. He trotted home one batter later when Darwin Perez singled to left.

"The first pitch was a strike; I was taking a strike in the first AB of the game. He got ahead, 0-2, and I fouled some pitches off and got a good pitch to hit," he said, adding that he was thinking triple straight off the bat.

The 19-year-old center fielder's first steal of the game came in the fourth, when he continued to third base on catcher Salvador Perez's throwing error. He scored again on a single by Darwin Perez.

Trout again stole second in the eighth after drawing a one-out walk. Two batters later, Luis Jimenez drove him in with a single, getting the Travelers within a run.

"Once I got on base, I told myself I had to get on second," Trout said. "I got good jumps. Both the pitchers had slow times to the plate; you gotta take advantage of that stuff."

The Naturals got back that run in the ninth, however, when Anthony Seratelli hit a two-out RBI single. Arkansas' Angel Castillo lined into an unassisted double play in the bottom half to end the game.

Trout is hitting .417 (15-for-36) with five multi-hit contests over his last 10 games. He's reached safely in 22 consecutive games.

"I'm not trying to do too much," he said. "Once I start to do too much, I get jumpy. When I try to do too much, I pop out, I get out in front. I feel comfortable at the plate. I'm just staying back and trying to hit the ball the other way."

Trout also has been hot on the basepaths, with 11 steals in 12 tries over his last 13 games. He ranks second in the league with 21 thefts in 27 chances.

"I'm definitely getting comfortable out there," Trout said. "At the beginning [of the season], I was a little tense, not comfortable yet. I did my early work and got in my comfortable zone. I'm getting good jumps -- that's definitely key."

For the year, Trout is batting .316 with seven homers, seven triples, 19 RBIs, 43 runs scored and a .959 OPS. Still, the Angels prospect said he is focused on a Texas League championship, not a promotion.

"I don't really think about that stuff," Trout added. "Whatever they wanna do, they'll do. I just want to win a championship, win the first half. It would be big to win first half -- [the Travelers] haven't done that in a while. That's our main goal."