Drillers Sweep San Antonio to Extend Season-Best Win Streak

TULSA, OK – Last week, the Tulsa Drillers suffered through their longest losing streak of the season, dropping four straight games. They have now followed it up with their longest winning streak of the year.

Entering a doubleheader with San Antonio Friday at ONEOK Field, the Drillers carried a three-game winning streak that increased to five in a row with a sweep of the Missions. Tulsa won the opener 4-0 behind five scoreless innings from Emmet Sheehan, before scoring late in the nightcap to take a 2-1 win.

GAME 1 BOX SCORE

GAME 2 BOX SCORE

Tulsa starting pitchers continue to be dominant as Sheehan and Landon Knack combined to stretch the starting staff’s scoreless streak to 27 innings before the Missions produced a late run off Knack in game two. It was the first run given up by a Drillers starting pitcher in over five games.

In the first game, Jose Ramos put Sheehan and the Drillers on top with a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning. It was his sixth homer of the season.

Tulsa scored its second run in the fifth inning when Eddys Leonard walked, stole second base and scored on a base hit from Jonny DeLuca.

Imanol Vargas doubled the lead to 4-0 with a two-run homer in the sixth. For Vargas, it was his fifth homer of the year.

The four runs were plenty of backing for Sheehan and a pair of relievers. The Tulsa starter worked five shutout innings, allowing just three hits and zero walks while striking out eight batters.

Ryan Sublette pitched around a walk in a scoreless sixth inning, and Jordan Leasure did the same in the seventh to close out the win.

Pitching was also the story in the second game with starters Landon Knack and Nolan Watson both pitching effectively.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth. With a 2-2 count and Carson Taylor at the plate, Watson left a 2-2 pitch out over the plate, and Taylor belted it into the bullpen beyond the right field fence for his first home run of the year.

Tulsa’s 1-0 lead did not last long as San Antonio promptly answered with its first run of the game in the sixth inning. Jorge Ona led off with a double and scored to tie the game when Ray Patrick-Didder singled off Knack with one out.

It took the Drillers just five pitches to retake the lead in the bottom half of the sixth. Jonny DeLuca doubled on the second pitch of the inning before Jorbit Vivas flied out on the first pitch he saw. Andy Pages took a pitch before lining a double into the left field corner to score DeLuca and give the Drillers a 2-1 lead.

John Rooney, who recorded the final two outs in the sixth, quickly set the Missions down in order in the seventh to close out the win and complete the doubleheader sweep.

HIGHLIGHTS AND HAPPENINGS:

*With the sweep, the Drillers moved into first place in the Texas League’s North Division, one-half game in front of Arkansas. Saturday will mark just the second day this season that the Travelers have not at least been in a tie for the top spot.

*In two starts against San Antonio this year, Sheehan has not allowed a run and only three hits in ten combined innings. He has not walked a batter while striking out 16.

*In his game two start, Knack blanked the Missions through the first five innings while allowing just one hit. Despite being charged for the sixth-inning run, Knack’s season ERA stands at just 1.50.

*After 24 games, Tulsa’s starting pitchers have a 1.77 combined ERA with 118 strikeouts in 91.1 innings pitched. The starting staff has compiled a 0.99 WHIP. At the conclusion of the doubleheader, the 1.77 ERA was tied with Class-A Lake Elsinore, a Los Angeles Angels affiliate, for the lowest in Minor League Baseball, pending the completion of west coast games.

UP NEXT:_
*_The Drillers and Missions will continue their series on Saturday night at ONEOK Field. Starting time is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and the pitching matchup is scheduled to be:

San Antonio – LHP Daniel Camarena (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Tulsa – RHP Nick Frasso (1-1, 1.23 ERA)