Offense Struggles in Loss to Tulsa

Tulsa Drillers 3, RockHounds 0
Saturday, July 20, 2019                                                                     
ONEOK Field                                                                                             Tulsa, Oklahoma   
                                        
There were only seven hits, total, in Saturday night's game between Tulsa and the RockHounds. The Drillers had four of them, including the only two that mattered when all was said and done.
Zack McKinstry led off the fourth with a double into the right field corner and Omar Estevez, after falling behind, 0-2, ripped an RBI single up the middle for the game's first run. After the RockHounds missed scoring chances in the seventh and eighth, Tulsa scored twice in a "less than pretty" home half of the eighth (one hit, one walk, two errors) as the Drillers defeated the RockHounds, 3-0, Saturday night at ONEOK Field.
Matt Milburn (see below) rebounded from a tough start (last Sunday) against Corpus Christi with an outstanding performance. The right-hander gave up just one run on three hits (the other was a bunt single by Drew Avans in the seventh), while walking two and striking out eight in a tough loss.
Parker Curry followed "opener" Andre Scrubb to the mound, entering with two out in the second, and went 5⅓ innings, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out nine. Yordy Cabrera escaped an eighth-inning threat for the hold and Nolan Long retired the side in order in the ninth for his second save.
Texas League South Division
Saturday's games were a North Division sweep, including Northwest Arkansas' 14-3 trouncing of Amarillo, so the standings are unchanged.
The RockHounds and Sod Poodles (both 15-14) lead Corpus Christi (14-15) by one game … and Frisco (11-17) by 3½ games.
Notable
Tulsa has feasted on the South Division in 2019. The Drillers are 23-9 versus the South, including a 6-2 mark against the RockHounds. The clubs met early in the season (at the end of April) and, while the 'Hounds took 2-of-3 at Security Bank Ballpark, the Drillers swept a three-game series in Tulsa and have won the first two games of the current series at ONEOK Field.
Matt Milburn's last four starts have provided a remarkable contrast. Corpus Christi, rather obviously his nemesis, scored 21 runs on 23 hits in 6⅔ innings in the games of July 4 & 14 (a 28.35 earned run average). In his other two starts (July 9 at home against Amarillo and Saturday at Tulsa), Matt has allowed three earned runs on six hits over 14.0 innings … a 1.93 ERA.
Tyler Ramirez (1-for-3, walk, single) extended his on-base streak to 12 games (9-41, .220).
On the anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing (or hoax, if you are among the doubters), here is our "one small step" statistic:
Edwin Diaz ripped a double to left field in the seventh inning, and the 'Hounds sure hope it was a sign of things to come.
With 44% of the starting lineup (Luis Barrera, Dairon Blanco, Greg Deichmann and Mikey White ) on the Injured List, the club is searching for offense. Edwin's double (his 23^rd of the season and 36^th extra-base hit) was a welcome site. He is just 2-for-32 in his last nine games (.063) and 13-for-78 (.167) in his last 23.
Next Game
Sunday, July 21          vs. Tulsa Drillers
ONEOK Field Tulsa, Oklahoma          
First pitch 7:05 p.m.    
- Third of a four-game series and sixth of a seven-game road trip
- Radio: NewsTalk 550 with Bob Hards ... airtime 7:00 p.m.
Probable Starters          
TUL:                   Rob Zastryzny        (LH,     0-1, 3.00)
RH: Kyle Friedrichs (RH, 3-5, 3.95)