Another Big Inning Drops Drillers
TULSA, OK – In an important series against the Arkansas Travelers, big innings continue to haunt the Tulsa Drillers. Prior to the start of the series, the Drillers had given up seven runs in an entire game just 6 times in 51 games. In the first three games against the
TULSA, OK – In an important series against the Arkansas Travelers, big innings continue to haunt the Tulsa Drillers. Prior to the start of the series, the Drillers had given up seven runs in an entire game just 6 times in 51 games. In the first three games against the Travelers, Tulsa has now allowed at least seven runs in three different innings, with one coming in each of the three meetings.
Thursday night at ONEOK Field, a nine-run fourth inning from the Travelers erased Tulsa’s early 3-0 lead. The Drillers were unable to recover and eventually dropped the game by a score of 9-5.
The result left the two teams tied for first place in the Texas League’s North Division with just three games remaining in the first half of the season.
The Travelers have now won the first three games of the series by a combined score of 39-14. The 39 runs mark the most that the Drillers have surrendered in a series this season and there are still three games remaining in the set.
Thursday’s contest began positively for the Drillers. In the second inning, Eddys Leonard opened the scoring when he led off with his sixth home run of the year. With two outs in the inning, Kody Hoese singled and scored when Austin Gauthier followed with a triple. After Jorbit Vivas walked, Jose Ramos plated the third run of the inning when he beat out an infield single that allowed Gauthier to score.
Tulsa starting pitcher River Ryan breezed through the first three innings, allowing just one hit and one base runner, but Warmoth ended the run when he homered on the first pitch of the fourth.
Ryan picked up two outs, but the third would prove to be elusive. Isiah Gilliam’s run-scoring single would start a run in which nine straight Travelers’ hitters reached base safely on seven singles and two walks. It produced eight more runs before Gilliam eventually struck out to end the inning.
The Drillers cut their deficit to 9-5 with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the fourth. The first came when Hoese singled and scored on Gauthier’s double. Ramos plated the second run with another double.
It was the final run of the night as the bullpens from both teams put up zeroes over the final five frames.
HIGHLIGHTS AND HAPPENINGS:
*Each team had 13 hits in the game, but nine of the Travelers hits came in their nine-run fourth inning.
*Tulsa reliever Ben Harris retired all five batters he faced, four of them via strikeouts. Of the last 16 outs Harris has recorded, 13 have come on strikeouts.
*At the beginning of the series, the Drillers pitching staff led Minor League Baseball with a 2.80 ERA. After Thursday’s game, the team ERA is at 3.28, still the lowest among all 30 Double-A teams.
*Former University of Oklahoma hurler Kyle Tyler got the win for Arkansas despite allowing the five runs in six innings of work. Tyler improved his record to 3-4.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers and Travelers will play the fourth game of their six-game series on Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at ONEOK Field, and the starting pitchers are scheduled to be:
ARK – TBA
TUL – RHP Emmet Sheehan (4-1, 1.64 ERA)