Drillers Top Missions with Big Seventh Inning
Tulsa OK – The Tulsa Drillers and San Antonio Missions entered the seventh inning on Friday night tied at two runs each. In the bottom of the seventh, a hit by pitch and a big swing from Josue De Paula sparked a four-run rally for the Drillers, putting them ahead
Tulsa OK – The Tulsa Drillers and San Antonio Missions entered the seventh inning on Friday night tied at two runs each. In the bottom of the seventh, a hit by pitch and a big swing from Josue De Paula sparked a four-run rally for the Drillers, putting them ahead for good in a 7-2 victory.
The win was not the night's only highlight. The paid attendance of 7,928 was the first sellout at ONEOK Field this season.
The night did not begin well for Tulsa. The top prospect for the San Diego Padres, Ethan Salas, gave the Missions the initial lead as he led off the game with a solo home run into the right field berm.
The Drillers were held hitless through the first three innings, but the second time through the lineup proved successful. In the fourth, Kendall George and De Paula singled, and Elijah Hainline loaded the bases after he was hit by a pitch.
Zyhir Hope followed and drove in George with his single to center. A groundball double play produced the Drillers second run as De Paula scored to give Tulsa a 2-1 lead.
A leadoff walk and singles from Albert Fabian and Ryan Jackson in the top of the sixth allowed the Missions to tie the game at 2-2.
The Drillers retook the lead with their big seventh inning. Tulsa loaded the bases with three walks before George was hit by a pitch to force in a run. De Paula produced three more runs when he doubled off the glove of right fielder Braedon Karpathios, giving the Drillers a 6-2 lead.
Jake Gelof drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning to account for Tulsa’s seventh and final run.
Former University of Oklahoma pitcher Christian Ruebeck, worked a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts to close out the victory.
GAME NOTES
*San Antonio’s second run ended the night for Tulsa starting pitcher Payton Martin. The North Carolina native worked five-plus innings and gave up six hits and two walks with two strikeouts.
*The Drillers won even though they were out hit 8-6 by the Missions. Tulsa took advantage of six walks in the game, with three of those runners coming in to score.
*Roque Gutierrez picked up his third win of the season by pitching three shutout innings in relief of Martin. The win improved his record to a perfect 3-0, and it raised the overall record for the entire Drillers bullpen to 11-1.
*Most of the Drillers production came from the top four spots in the lineup with De Paula leading the charge with two hits and three runs driven in.
*Gelof’s eighth-inning walk raised his on-base streak to nine straight games.
*Sean McLain’s eight-game hitting streak was snapped as he finished 0-for-3. It was the third-longest hitting streak by a Drillers hitter this season.
UP NEXT
The Drillers and Missions return to action on Saturday night at ONEOK Field in game five of their six-game series. First pitch in downtown Tulsa is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and the starting pitchers are expected to be:
SA - RHP Ian Koenig (0-2, 5.04 ERA)
TUL – LHP Wyatt Crowell (1-2, 7.59 ERA)