Drillers Drop Fourth Straight in Loss to Naturals

TULSA - The Tulsa Drillers losing streak extended to four straight games following a 3-1 loss to Northwest Arkansas Friday night at ONEOK Field. The four-game skid matches the longest of the season for the Drillers.
Since the break for the Texas League All-Star Game, Tulsa has gone just 2-7 after opening the second half with a 5-1 record.
The Naturals took a lead in third inning they would not surrender. D.J. Burt led off with a double and stole third base. After a walk to Nick Heath, Burt came home with the game's first run on a wild pitch from Tulsa starting pitcher Edward Paredes. Khalil Lee made it 2-0 when he lined a hit to right field that scored Heath.
Jackson Kowar, who is considered one of the top three pitching prospects in the Kansas City Royals farm system, got the start on the mound for the Naturals, and the right-hander lived up to the billing. Kowar, who was the 33rd pick in the 2018 June draft out of the University of Florida, blanked the Drillers through the first 6.1 innings while allowing only three hits. He walked just one hitter and struck seven.
After Kowar departed, Tulsa got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth on a solo home run by Zach McKinstry, his 11th of the season.
The Naturals got the run back in the ninth when former Driller Taylor Featherston belted a solo homer that restored the two-run lead.
Tulsa got the tying run to the plate when Chris Parmelee opened the bottom of the ninth with a leadoff single, but Naturals reliever Tyler Zuber struck out the next three hitters to end the game.
Kowar was credited with the win, giving him his first-ever Double-A victory.
WHAT YOU MISSED
A strong, late-afternoon thunderstorm moved through the downtown Tulsa area, delaying the start of the game for 59 minutes.
Paredes got the last-minute start on the mound for the Drillers after expected starter J.D. Martin was assigned to Oklahoma City earlier in the day.  
Ryan Moseley and Victor Gonzalez combined for 5.2 scoreless innings in relief of Paredes. Moseley did not allow a hit in 2.2 innings, and Gonzalez gave up just one hit in three innings.
Tulsa hitters were a combined 0-7 with runners in scoring position.
*The Drillers had seven hits in the game, with Parmelee and Cristian Santana picking up two each.

UP NEXT:  Northwest Arkansas at Tulsa, Saturday, July 6, 7:05 PM at ONEOK Field. RHP Gerson Garabito (4-6, 4.60 ERA) versus RHP Logan Bawcom (0-0, 6.52 ERA).