Drillers Win on Busch’s Walk Off
TULSA - The bats were hot and then cold for both sides Friday night at ONEOK Field. The Tulsa Drillers and Northwest Arkansas Naturals each scored five runs through the first two innings, but produced just one run each over the next seven innings. Tulsa finally ended the long deadlock
TULSA - The bats were hot and then cold for both sides Friday night at ONEOK Field. The Tulsa Drillers and Northwest Arkansas Naturals each scored five runs through the first two innings, but produced just one run each over the next seven innings. Tulsa finally ended the long deadlock when Michael Busch brought home the winning run on a bases-loaded single for a 7-6 Drillers win.
The game was the longest at ONEOK Field this season, lasting 4 hours and 16 minutes.
The Naturals jumped in front early, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning on home runs from Jeison Guzman and Seuly Matias.
The Naturals had Kansas City Royals pitcher Ronald Bolanos starting on the mound on an MLB rehab assignment. Bolanos did not complete an inning as the Drillers scored five runs in the bottom of the first. Jeren Kendall and Michael Busch got it started by hitting back-to-back solo home runs. Two more scored on RBI singles from Kody Hoese and Romer Cuadrado. The final run crossed on a bases-loaded walk, giving Tulsa took a 5-3 lead.
The Naturals tied the game in the second on a throwing error from Drillers’ pitcher Jose Martinez and an RBI single from Guzman.
An error committed by Busch allowed a run to score, giving the Naturals a 6-5 lead in the fifth, but Tulsa again tied the game on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom half of the inning.
Pitching took over for the next four innings as both teams were kept off the scoreboard, forcing extra innings.
Mark Washington worked his third scoreless inning in the tenth, setting up the winning rally for the Drillers.
To open the Drillers tenth, a fly ball from Romer Cuadrado advanced placed runner Jacob Amaya to third. The Naturals intentionally walked Devin Mann and Juan Zabala to load the bases. Kendall struck out for the second out, but on the second pitch to Busch, the Tulsa second baseman lined a base hit into center field to bring Amaya home with the winning run.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
*Washington did not allow a hit in his three shutout innings and earned his fifth win of the season.
*The Drillers left a season high 21 runners on base. The previous high was 15.
*Vargas has now hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games. He is batting .413 during that stretch.
*Kendall returned to the lineup Friday night after being on the injured list since July 11. He went 2-5 and hit his homer in the first on just the second pitch he saw. He also walked twice.
UP NEXT
Northwest Arkansas at Tulsa on Saturday, August 21 at 7:05 PM at ONEOK Field.
Northwest Arkansas has not announced a starting pitcher, while newcomer Clayton Beeter (0-4, 3.13 at Great Lakes) will take the mound for the Drillers.