Drillers Drop Late Lead, Lose to Hooks
TULSA, OK – The largest crowd of the season at ONEOK Field watched not one, but two late-inning rallies on Saturday night. Unfortunately for the Tulsa Drillers, it was Corpus Christi that staged the final one. After the Drillers overcame a three-run deficit with four runs in the bottom of
TULSA, OK – The largest crowd of the season at ONEOK Field watched not one, but two late-inning rallies on Saturday night. Unfortunately for the Tulsa Drillers, it was Corpus Christi that staged the final one.
After the Drillers overcame a three-run deficit with four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to take a lead, but the Hooks responded with a three-run ninth to claim a 7-5 win before a sellout crowd of 8,102.
The Hooks claimed the victory despite being limited to just five hits, while their pitching staff issued 12 walks. The Drillers stranded a season high 13 runners on base.
Trailing 4-1, Tulsa brought the big crowd to life with its eighth-inning rally. Hunter Feduccia walked to open the inning, and Kody Hoese followed with an infield single after second baseman Shay Whitcomb could not come up with his bouncer.
Devin Mann doubled home Feduccia before Jeren Kendall walked to load the bases. James Outman struck out, and Ryan Ward produced a sacrifice fly to pull the Drillers to within a run. Andy Pages hit the next pitch just inside the third base bag for a double that scored both Hoese and Kendall to put Tulsa in front 5-4.
The ninth-inning quickly unraveled as reliever Jordan Pleasure walked the first two batters. He recovered to strike out the next two before the walks came back to haunt him. With the Drillers one out away from a win, the left-handed hitting Enmanuel Valdez hit the first pitch he saw from Leasure just inches inside the left-field foul pole for a three-run homer that put the Hooks back in front.
Corpus Christi reliever Devin Conn issued a leadoff walk in the bottom of the ninth but retired the next three batters, two on strikeouts, to end the game.
James Outman had gotten the night off to a good start for the Drillers, belting his fifth home run of the season in the bottom of the first inning. The solo shot hit almost halfway up the hitter’s background in centerfield, just to the left of the 400-foot marker.
Tulsa starting pitcher Bobby Miller kept the Hooks scoreless until the fourth when he walked Wilyer Abreu to open the inning. With one-out Abreu stole second base and then scored on a base hit from Valdez, just beating a strong throw from Kendall in center field.
Corpus Christi took its first lead in the sixth inning. Tulsa reliever Melvin Jimenez walked the first two batters before being replaced by Tanner Dodson. Dodson got a strikeout before Yainer Diaz dropped a looping fly just inside the right field foul line for a run-scoring double, giving the Hooks a 2-1 lead.
The Hooks scored two more times in the seventh against reliever Dodson, setting the stage for the back-and-forth final innings.
HIGHLIGHTS AND HAPPENINGS:
*Miller, the Los Angeles Dodger top pitching prospect, made his fourth start of the season for the Drillers. After struggling in his last two outings, the right-hander was effective in Saturday’s outing, allowing just one hit and one run in four complete innings. He walked one batter and struck out seven while lowering his season ERA from 7.04 down to 5.40.
*Tulsa reliever Aaron Ochsenbein retired all five batters he faced, keeping his perfect season intact. The reliever has not allowed a base runner in five appearances this season, retiring all 17 batters that he has faced.
*The Hooks have now won three of the first five games of the series despite having just a .160 team batting average. They have only a combined 25 hits in the series.
*Ward officially finished 0-3 in the game, snapping his eight-game hitting streak.
*Outman reached base in four of his five plate appearances with two hits and two walks, extending his on-base streak to ten straight games.
*Leasure suffered the loss in just his second Double-A appearance.
UP NEXT:
The two teams will meet for the final time in the regular season with the finale of their six-game series Sunday afternoon at ONEOK Field. Starting time is slated for 1:05 p.m. The starting pitchers are scheduled to be:
CC – RHP Jose Bravo (1-0, 1.80 ERA)
Tulsa – RHP Michael Grove (0-1, 3.12 ERA)