Drillers Start Quickly to Beat Cards and Snap Streak

SPRINGFIELD, MO – Carlos Rincon hit another home run, and Ryan Pepiot was once again impressive as the Tulsa Drillers broke a four-game losing streak Saturday afternoon in Springfield. The Drillers scored three runs in each of the first two innings and never trailed in a 9-5 win at Hammons Field.

BOXSCORE

In a game that started five hours earlier than originally scheduled because of the threat of severe weather in Springfield, the Drillers were ready to go from the first pitch. The first two batters of the game, Donovan Casey and Ryan Noda, drew walks. With one out, Rincon hit his team-leading 12th home run of the year and his second in as many games to stake Tulsa to a quick 3-0 lead.

They doubled the margin with three more runs in the top of the second. Casey led off with his fifth homer of the year, and Hunter Feduccia belted a two-out, two-run blast to make it 6-0.

The only damage against Pepiot was self-inflicted, and it came in the bottom of the second. With one out, the right-hander walked three straight hitters, setting up a sacrifice fly from Nick Dunn.

Pepiot departed the game with a 6-1 lead, but he was not credited with the win as he worked just four innings. He allowed only one hit, a one-out single from Malcolm Nunez in the fourth. The three successive, second-inning walks were all he issued, and he struck out six.

Three straight singles from Devin Mann, Romer Cuadrado and Jacob Amaya plated Tulsa’s seventh run in the top of the fifth. Cuadrado scored all the way from second on a fielder’s choice ground out to up the lead to 8-1.

The Cardinals got back into the game with three runs in the sixth. Reliever Nick Robertson retired the leadoff batter before a single and a walk put two runners on. Zach Willeman replaced Robertson and gave up two hits and two walks that plated three runs before getting a pair of strikeouts to end the inning with Tulsa holding an 8-4 lead.

Aaron Ochsenbein worked a scoreless seventh inning before a solo home run from Nick Plummer in the eighth inched the Redbirds closer. Plummer hit three home runs in Thursday’s win for the Cards and has ten RBI in the series.

The Drillers closed the scoring on an RBI single by Mann in the top of the ninth.

Justin Hagenman survived a shaky bottom of the ninth to close out the win. The right-hander walked the leadoff batter and hit the next one with a pitch, but recovered to retire the next three batters, including the dangerous Plummer to end the game.

THE HIGHLIGHTS

*In two starts in the month of July, Pepiot has pitched 11 innings and allowed only 1 hit and 1 run while striking out 17. He has allowed just 18 hits in 45.2 innings this season, holding opponents to a .121 batting average with a 1.77 ERA.

*Mann and Miguel Vargas each had three hits in the game for the Drillers. Mann has now hit safely in nine straight games and has nine hits in his past four games.

*The Tulsa bullpen surrendered four runs in four innings but had its best game of the series. In the first five games of the six-game series, relievers have now pitched 29.1 innings and have surrendered 40 hits, including 10 home runs, and 30 earned runs, for a 9.21 ERA.

*Ochsenbein was credited with the victory, improving his record to 2-1.

*St. Louis Cardinals reliever Kodi Whitley started the game for Springfield on an injury-rehabilitation assignment. Whitley, who was charged with the loss, faced just four batters and departed after Rincon’s first-inning homer.

*The Drillers are now 14-14 in road games this season.

*Tulsa’s 13 hits were just one shy of matching a season high.

UP NEXT

Tulsa at Springfield on Sunday, July 11 at 6:05 PM at Hammons Field. The pitching matchup will be Tulsa RHP Bryan Brickhouse (1-2, 3.86 ERA) versus Springfield RHP Andre Pallante (3-2, 2.72 ERA).