Drillers Overtake Travs For First With 3-2 Defeat

North Little Rock, Arkansas - The Tulsa Drillers stepped into first place in the Texas League North Division with a 3-2 victory over the Arkansas Travelers on Wednesday night at Dickey-Stephens Park. Dustin Garneau delivered the go-ahead base hit with a two-out single in the eighth inning. Robbie Widlansky homered (4) for the Travs, who dropped into second place by a half-game with their fifth loss in six games. 

 

The Drillers earned their ninth win in 11 games to run their record to 32-32, good for a half-game lead over the Travs and Springfield Cardinals. 

 

Early on a blunder on the bases cost the Travs dearly. Drew Heid hit a leadoff single in the first inning and advanced to second base when Jimmy Swift's sharp liner back at the mound was knocked down by Sean Gallagher. With first base open, Gallagher walked Taylor Lindsey but Heid jogged towards third base on the fourth ball and was caught in a run down for the second out. Randal Grichuk followed with a single that only advanced Lindsey to second base. CJ Cron then grounded to shortstop leaving two runners.

 

The Travs left nine runners on base on Wednesday going 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Eight of those runners were left at second or third base. 

 

Widlansky broke a 0-0 tie in the fourth inning sending a high fly ball over the right field wall with two outs in the fourth inning for a 1-0 Travs lead. 

 

In the bottom of the fifth inning Tulsa right hander Sean Gallagher quickly retired two batters. Jimmy Swift kept the inning alive with a sharp single to right following by another single to right field from Taylor Lindsey. Grichuk got ahead 2-0 and ripped a hard grounder past shortstop Cristhian Adames knocking in Swift for a 2-0 Travs lead.

 

Travs lefty Michael Roth lived dangerously throughout his start with four leadoff batters reaching including three walks. Roth squeezed through five innings before allowing a run in the sixth. After allowing a single to Kent Matthes to begin the second inning, Roth induced Angelys Nina to bounce to Lindsey at second base to start a double play. Jayson Langfels grounded to third to end the inning.

 

Roth caught Delta Cleary stealing on a pickoff move to first base after a one-out single in the third inning then got Rafael Ortega to line out to left field. A walk to Adames began the fourth inning, but Roth grabbed Kiel Roling's bouncer to the left of the mound and fired to Lindsey at second base to start another double play.

 

Roth walked Matthes to begin the fifth inning before inducing Nina and Langfels to fly out. Matthes stole second base but was stranded when Roth struck out Jose Gonzales for a second time. Roth didn't make it out of the sixth inning and allowed a run of the game before being pulled. For the third straight inning the Drillers got a leadoff walk when Cleary reached then stole second base and advanced to third on a single by Ortega. With Adames batting Ortega was picked off first base by Roth, who then got a grounder to shortstop for the second out but Cleary scored on the play. Roth left the game after walking Roling, and Michael Cisco was summoned from the bullpen. He walked Dustin Garneau pushing the tying run to second base. Then Matthes sent Swift to the hole at shortstop. He backed handed the ball and attempted a leaping throw to first base which bounced past C.J. Cron allowing the tying run to score on the throwing error.

 

Buddy Boshers worked a perfect seventh inning and then came back for the eighth and issued a leadoff walk to Ortega. Elvin Ramirez relieved Boshers after Adames's sacrifice bunt. With two outs and Garneau batting Ortega advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when Garneau slapped an 0-2 pitch to center field for a single giving the Drillers a 3-2 lead.

 

Leuris Gomez (1-0) earned the win with two scoreless innings where he stranded three runners in scoring position. Gomez hit Carlos Ramirez with a pitch to start the Travs' seventh inning, which was followed by a sacrifice bunt by Heid. Swift then bounced to third base and Taylor Lindsey flied to center.

 

Gomez walked Kaleb Cowart and Widlansky with two outs in the eighth inning. A wild pitch moved the go-ahead runs into scoring position, but Travis Witherspoon flied to center to end the threat.

 

Cole White (4) earned the save with an uneventful ninth inning.

 

The Travs and Drillers are scheduled for a doubleheader to make up a rainout from late April. Arkansas plans Manny Correa (3-6, 4.93) to start the opener against Tulsa's Tim Gustafson (4-4, 5.25). In the second game the Travs haven't announced a starter while the Drillers go with right hander Dan Houston (1-4, 4.42).