Two Blasts Give Drillers Third Straight Win
SPRINGFIELD, MO – The Tulsa Drillers offense continued to roll on Thursday night. The Drillers never trailed in the game as they used a six-run second inning, capped by three-run homers by Austin Beck and Dalton Rushing, to lead the team to a 9-3 victory at Hammons Field. It was
SPRINGFIELD, MO – The Tulsa Drillers offense continued to roll on Thursday night. The Drillers never trailed in the game as they used a six-run second inning, capped by three-run homers by Austin Beck and Dalton Rushing, to lead the team to a 9-3 victory at Hammons Field. It was Tulsa's third consecutive win after sweeping the doubleheader the day before.
The win gave Tulsa its sixth over the past seven games, and the Drillers are again on a three-game winning streak. Tulsa also knocked the Cardinals out of first place in the Texas League North Division for the first time this season, as the Drillers are now 4.0 games back of first-place Arkansas.
The Drillers big inning began with two singles as Beck followed with his three-run blast into the Drillers bullpen in right field. Two walks set up Rushing for his three-run homer to left field to give Tulsa ahead 6-0.
The Cardinals did gain two runs back in the bottom half of the second when Ramon Mendoza drove in two runners with a double to center.
Jose Ramos brought the score to 7-2 with his deep home run to center field. It was his first home run since April 25.
Jared Karros bounced back from his first start with the Drillers by keeping the Cardinals at bay in his first road start for Tulsa. On Thursday, Karros earned his first Double A win and allowed just two runs over six innings with five strikeouts. Karros was also helped by three double plays.
Two doubles and a single helped the Drillers score two final runs in the ninth inning to increase their lead.
INSIDE THE GAME
*Hammons Field has been friendly to the Drillers in the series' first four games. Tulsa now has hit seven home runs in four games and has a team batting average of .280.
*For the second time in the series, the Drillers scored seven runs. Tulsa is 9-2 when scoring seven or more runs this season.
*The Drillers used three relievers to help secure the win. Antonio Knowles and Logan Boyer each worked a scoreless inning.
*Ramos' home run gave him seven for the season and tied him with Griffin Lockwood-Powell for the team lead.
*Yeiner Fernandez increased his on-base streak to 30 games by drawing two walks. The streak is the longest in Double A and the second-longest active streak in all the minors.
*Taylor Young finished with a stolen base to bring his season total to 17. It is the second most in the Texas League and he is 17-19 in stolen base attempts this season.
*Lockwood-Powell earned two hits in the win to increase his hit streak to seven games.
*St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Keynan Middleton made a rehab appearance for Springfield. The major leaguer tossed a scoreless inning but walked three batters.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers will continue their seven-game series in Springfield with game five on Friday night. Starting time is set for 7:05 p.m. and the starting pitchers are scheduled to be:
TUL – LHP Justin Wrobleski (2-1, 4.35 ERA)
SPR – RHP Tink Hence (3-2, 3.18 ERA)