Drillers Fall Behind Early, Lose to Wichita
TULSA, OK – The Tulsa Drillers were back on the field Friday night following a four-day break for the Major League All-Star Game. In their return, the Drillers resumed the Coors Light Propeller Series with the Wichita Wind Surge in the first game of a three-game series. Tulsa fell into
TULSA, OK – The Tulsa Drillers were back on the field Friday night following a four-day break for the Major League All-Star Game. In their return, the Drillers resumed the Coors Light Propeller Series with the Wichita Wind Surge in the first game of a three-game series. Tulsa fell into an early five-run hole and was never able to recover and dropped the opener to the Surge, 7-3.
Bobby Miller made the start on the mound for the Drillers in his first appearance since starting for the National League in last Saturday’s Future’s Game at Dodger Stadium. It was a difficult first inning for the hard-throwing right-hander, as he gave up an early run while needing 32 pitches to get through the first inning.
Miller pitched a scoreless second inning before running into further trouble in the third. The first two batters in the third reached safely, in front of a fly out and a run-scoring ground out that upped Wichita’s lead to 2-0.
The third out of the inning would prove to be elusive as Miller gave up three straight hits and two more runs, ending his outing. Gus Varland relieved and surrendered a base hit that plated the fourth run of the inning before he got a strikeout to end the inning.
Wichita scored a single run in the sixth to increase its lead to 6-0 before the Drillers got on the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame. Justin Yurchak drew a leadoff walk, and Brandon Lewis followed with a double that put runners at second and third. Yurchak came home on Carson Taylor’s ground out, and Lewis scored on Leonel Valera’s two-out hit, making it 6-2.
Each team scored a late-inning run. Tulsa’s final tally came in the bottom of the ninth when Valera led off with a triple and scored on ground out by Jonny DeLuca.
HIGHLIGHTS AND HAPPENINGS:
*With the loss, the Drillers still need two more victories to win this year’s version of the Coors Light Propeller Series. Tulsa now leads the series between the two teams 11-5 with eight games remaining. It will take a total of 13 wins to claim the series victory and gain possession of the Propeller Trophy.
*Yurchak lined a single into centerfield in the second inning to extend his hitting streak to 13 straight games, the longest this season for a Tulsa batter. The last Drillers player to have a longer streak was Jacob Scavuzzo who hit in 21 straight games in 2018.
*Outfielder DeLuca made his ONEOK Field debut in the game and singled to lead off the seventh inning. He has now hit safely in 11 of his 12 games since joining the Drillers.
*Miller was charged with the loss, dropping his record to 4-4. He gave up six hits and five runs, four earned, in 2.2 innings.
*Jose Martinez pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for the Drillers, striking out all three batters he faced.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers and Wind Surge will continue their brief, three-game series on Saturday night at ONEOK Field. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. and the starting pitchers will be:
Wichita – RHP Louie Varland (7-3, 3.50 ERA)
Tulsa – RHP Clayton Beeter (0-3, 4.79 ERA)