Eleventh-Inning Eruption Buries Tulsa
TULSA, OK – The Tulsa Drillers and Arkansas Travelers staged a back-and-forth battle for over three hours Wednesday afternoon at ONEOK Field with both teams rallying from behind twice in a game that needed extra innings to determine a winner. The outcome was eventually decided with two swings of the
TULSA, OK – The Tulsa Drillers and Arkansas Travelers staged a back-and-forth battle for over three hours Wednesday afternoon at ONEOK Field with both teams rallying from behind twice in a game that needed extra innings to determine a winner. The outcome was eventually decided with two swings of the bat just seconds apart.
In the top of the eleventh inning, Jonatan Clase and Logan Warmoth hit back-to-back home runs on consecutive pitches to produce three runs. Later in the eleventh, a run-scoring single and a three-run homer from Matt Scheffler capped a seven-run inning that produced a 15-9 win for the Travelers over the Drillers.
Arkansas has now won the first two games of the six-game series between the two teams and has pulled to within one game of the first-place Drillers. There are 16 games remaining in the first half of the season.
Only 14 hours after Tuesday night’s 15-0 loss for Tulsa, Wednesday afternoon’s game had very similar beginning with Arkansas again scoring three times in the top of the first inning. The game began with a four-pitch walk, followed by a two-run homer from Warmoth. The next batter reached on an error and eventually scored to give the Travelers a quick 3-0 lead.
Unlike the previous game, the Drillers delivered an immediate response. In the bottom of the first, leadoff batter Austin Gauthier walked, and Jorbit Vivas followed with a base hit. Vivas was picked off first base before Jose Ramos singled to put runners at first and third. After a strikeout, Yusniel Diaz came through when he doubled off the glove of Clase in deep centerfield, scoring both runners. Carson Taylor followed with a ground-rule double that tied the game at 3-3.
Pitching settled in before the Drillers took their first lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. After Taylor led off with a base hit, Eddys Leonard hit what looked to be a double-play grounder, but shortstop Warmoth threw wildly past second, giving the Drillers runners at the corners. Brandon Lewis followed with another infield grounder that did turn into a double play, but Taylor trotted home with the go-ahead run.
Arkansas promptly erased the lead with another three-run outburst in the fifth. Warmoth walked in front of a home run from Robbie Tenerowicz that accounted for the first two runs. One batter later, Isiah Gilliam belted a blast over the right field fence and on to Elgin Avenue for another homer that gave the Travs a 6-4 lead.
Just like the first inning, the Drillers had a quick response. Gauthier led off the bottom half of the fifth with his first Double-A home run. A walk to Vivas and a base hit by Ramos set up an RBI single from Imanol Vargas that tied the game. Another double-play grounder allowed Ramos to score and give Tulsa a 7-6 lead.
The scoring continued when Scheffler led off the Travelers’ seventh inning with a single to center. He stole second base and scored on Warmoth’s double that tied the game again at 7-7.
Both teams scored the placed runner in the tenth inning to set up the seven-run outburst from the Travelers in the eleventh.
An infield single from Vivas in the bottom of the eleventh scored a consolation run for the Drillers.
HIGHLIGHTS AND HAPPENINGS:
*The Drillers lost by six runs despite out-hitting Arkansas 13-12. Half of the Travelers’ 12 hits were home runs.
*Entering this series, the Drillers had given up 71 runs this season in 27 home games. They have given up 30, or nearly half that total, in just two games against the Travelers. Entering Wednesday night’s game, Arkansas is tied with Midland for the most offensive runs in the Texas League.
*Vivas led Tulsa offensively with three hits, while Ramos, Diaz and Taylor finished with two each. Diaz also drove home three runs.
*At the beginning of the series, the Drillers pitching staff led Minor League Baseball with a 2.80 ERA. After Wednesday’s game, the team ERA is at 3.17.
*The Drillers were 6 for 19 with runners in scoring position, while the Travelers were 7-16.
*Despite the loss, the Drillers scored at least seven runs in the game and that means fans can purchase a large, one-topping pizza from Mazzio's for just $7 on Thursday. The special offer is good throughout the day and is only available online at Mazzios.com when you use the code DRILLERS at checkout.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers and Travelers will continue their series on Thursday evening at ONEOK Field. First pitch for game three of the six-game series is set for 7:05 p.m. and the starting pitchers are scheduled to be:
ARK – RHP Kyle Tyler (2-4, 6.18 ERA)
TUL – RHP River Ryan (1-1, 1.67 ERA)