Drillers blast past RockHounds, 12-3

When the Tulsa Drillers went to the bullpen in the seventh inning, Andrew Thurman entered the game. As we said on RockHounds Radio, the reliever could have been Uma Thurman and the Drillers might still have had closed the deal. By the time Thurman (Andrew, that is) took the hill the Drillers, on the strength of a half-dozen home runs, had an 11-0 lead.
Tim Shibuya, who one-hit the RockHounds on July 3, wasn't as dominating on Saturday night, but tossed six scoreless innings, scattering seven hits, with no walks and one strikeout, for the win.

Tulsa's Tim Locastro set the tone for the game, driving Grant Holmes' first pitch of the last of the first, out to left field for a solo home run. Jacob Scavuzzo then drove in two more runs with a double as the Drillers took a 3-0 lead after the first inning and never looked back.
Holmes was roughed up for eight runs - all earned - on eight hits (four home runs) over five innings, walking four and striking out five. 
Peter O'Brien, signed this week as a minor league free agent by the Los Angeles Dodgers, had a pair of two-run home runs, with Jose Miguel Fernandez adding a pair of solo shots (the pair went back-to-back against reliever Sam Bragg in the sixth). Scavuzzo added a solo homer and a sacrifice fly to his two-run double. Both Scavuzzo and O'Brien each had four runs batted in.

Quick Notes:
The RockHounds are 1-3 on their six-game road trip (1-2 at Springfield), 4-12 in the second half (39-47 overall), 4-6 against the Drillers and .500 (26-26) against the South Division, but 13-21 vs. the North.
"This Game Will Keep You Humble" Department: On the July 3 against the RockHounds, Tim Shibuya allowed one hit over nine innings. Saturday, he allowed twice that many in the game's first 0.2 innings. Grant Holmes, who started the July 3 game with six scoreless innings (and allowed only one earned run over seven innings), gave up a home run (to Tim Locastro) on the game's first pitch, the start of his very rough night.
Dating back to his last start against them in 2016, Tim Shibuya has now shut out the RockHounds for 20 consecutive innings.
Andy Paz allowed two runs in "emergency relief" in the eighth inning, but both runs were unearned. Paz also struck out one batter. The RockHounds catcher has a 0.00 ERA in two mound appearances in 2017.  
B.J. Boyd (1-for-4) extended his hitting streak to 10 games (14-for-43, .326) with five doubles, a solo HR and five RBI. 
Since May 16, Max Schrock (1-for-4) has reached base in 24 of his last 27 games (38-for-101, .376).
Jordan Tarsovich has a hit in five straight games (7-for-22, .318, two doubles, solo HR) and in eight of his last nine games (12-for-39, .308).
J.P. Sportman (2-for-4, RBI) broke out of a 3-for-19 stretch on Friday and is now 5-for-9 in his last two games.
Tyler Ramirez (1-for-4, RBI) has hit in five straight games (6-19, .316, double, home run, three RBI) and has hit in six of his seven games since being promoted to the RockHounds from Class-A Advanced Stockton. 
On Deck:
The RockHounds and Drillers continue their three-game series at Tulsa's ONEOK Field on Sunday and Monday, with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch both nights.
Tuesday is a league-wide off/travel day, with the 'Hounds returning to Security Bank Ballpark to host the Corpus Christi Hooks in a four-game homestand beginning Wednesday, July 12.
Sunday's pitching match-up is another rematch from the July 3-5 series at Security Bank Ballpark, with Tulsa's Josh Sborz (3-6, 4.85 ERA) facing the RockHounds' Heath Fillmyer (5-2, 3.38 ERA). Each is a top 20 prospect in their respective organization.
The RockHounds won the Fourth of July matchup, 9-2, with Fillmyer getting the win and Sborz taking the loss. The Tulsa right-hander went just 2.1 innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on three hits and four walks with two strikeouts. Fillmyer went five innings, scattering eight hits and allowing just one earned run with two walks and six strikeouts. His night ended after 99 pitches over five innings.
Sborz is rated the Los Angeles Dodgers' #18 prospect by Baseball America and #15 by MLB.com. He was selected by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2015 draft out of the University of Virginia after being named the College World Series' Most Outstanding Player. His season line (14 starts): 59.1 IP, 57 H, 33 BB, 38 K (1.52 WHIP, .252 average against, 1.15 K/BB ratio).
Fillmyer enters Sunday's game ranked sixth in the Texas League with a 3.38 ERA. Rated Oakland's #15 prospect by Baseball America and #12 by MLB.com, Fillmyer was Oakland's fifth round draft choice in 2014 out of Mercer Community College in West Windsor Township, New Jersey. He makes his fourth start against Tulsa (1-0, 3.38 ERA). His season line (19 starts): 82.2 IP, 89 H, 35 BB, 61 K (1.50 WHIP, .277 average against, 1.74 K/BB ratio).