Swanner carries Drillers to Game 3 win

Will Swanner said the cold and windy conditions in Game 3 of the Texas League Championship Series were fun because they brought out the real competitors. And no one brought more to Security Bank Park on Friday night than the Tulsa Drillers first baseman.

Swanner smacked a go-ahead three-run homer in the 11th inning to cap a five-RBI night and power Tulsa a 5-2 win over Midland and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-5 series.

Brian Humphries singled with one out in the 11th and stole second before Tyler Massey drew a two-out walk. Swanner worked the count against RockHounds closer Jose Flores (0-1) to 3-1 before sending a fastball over the wall in right-center field.

"I hit it and as soon as I hit it, I knew it was gone," he said. 'Wow, that's gone,' [I thought]. And you realize that it's Game 3 of the playoffs, Game 3 of the Championship Series. It's like no adrenaline, no feeling you've ever felt before. I was chest-bumping everyone, everyone was slapping me in the ... everywhere."

Swanner provided all the offense for the Drillers, who can wrap up the title with another win on Saturday in Midland. After A's No. 4 prospect Matt Chapman homered in the second to give the RockHounds the lead, Swanner smacked an 0-2 pitch off the same fence in right-center for a two-run double in the fourth.

"I was just looking to put the ball in play, especially in these conditions," the Rockies' 2010 15th-round pick said. "I was just hoping [Midland starter Shawn Haviland] was going to make a mistake, and he left a fastball over the middle and I didn't try to do too much with it. I hit it off the right-field wall to score the runs. It was awesome."

Midland tied it in the eighth when D'Arby Myers drew a bases-loaded walk against reliever Nelson Gonzalez. The score remained knotted until Swanner connected for his first homer of the playoffs.

Drillers starter Carlos Hernandez, who pitched a complete-game shutout in the North Division finals, allowed a run on seven hits and a walk while striking six over seven innings. After Gonzalez issued the game-tying walk, Ken Roberts recorded the final two outs in the eighth and Nate Stirz (1-0) tossed two hitless frames for the win. Kraig Sitton worked a 1-2-3 11th to grab his second postseason save.

"We know we're close, and a lot of guys were in Asheville two years ago in the Sally League when we won the championship," Swanner said. "We know you don't want to get too excited, you can't get too excited. You have to play with the same energy."

Haviland struck out six over six innings, giving up two runs on three hits and four walks. Marcus Walden followed with three hitless frames before Flores gave up Swanner's homer in the 11th.