First-Place Drillers Sweep Doubleheader from San Antonio

The Tulsa Drillers generated early offense in a pair of games Friday night at ONEOK Field and swept a doubleheader from San Antonio. The Drillers scored in the first inning of both games and never trailed at any time in a 9-0 victory in game one and 6-3 win in game two.
With the sweep, first-place Tulsa increased its lead in the Texas League North Division standings to 2.5 games over second-place Arkansas and to 5.5 games over third-place Northwest Arkansas.
In the opener, Keibert Ruiz got the Drillers off to a fast start when he belted his 12th home run of the season in the bottom of the first inning.
Zach McKinstry upped Tulsa's lead to 4-0 in the second inning with a three-run homer in the bottom of the second.
Four more runs in a wild fourth inning put the game out of reach. The Drillers loaded the bases when the first three batters reached on a single, an error and a walk. San Antonio starting pitcher Michael Baez uncorked a wild pitch that brought one run home, and when catcher Austin Allen threw wildly back to the plate, a Wes Darvill raced home for the second run. After a pair of outs, Drew Jackson lofted a drive into the Busch Terrace beyond the left field fence for a two-run homer that increased the Tulsa lead to 8-0.
Mike Ahmed made it a four-homer game for the Drillers when he hit a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth inning. Ahmed had just entered the game in the top of the inning in a double-switch from manager Scott Hennessey.
It was a tough-luck outing for starting pitcher Dustin May, as the Los Angeles Dodgers top pitching prospect fell one out short of working the five innings necessary to qualify for the win. May lasted 4.2 innings and allowed just one hit and two walks while striking out six. He was hampered by a pair of Drillers errors that increased his pitch count.
The Missions were held to just three hits in the opener, a season low for hits by a Tulsa opponent.
The second game began much like the first with Tulsa taking a first-inning lead. Errol Robinson led off the bottom of the first, and Darvill and Zach Reks drew walks to load the bases. Cael Brockmeyer singled home two runs, and McKinstry singled home another to give the Drillers the quick 3-0 lead.
Nick Schulz delivered the first run of the night for the Missions when he hit a solo homer in the top of the second, cutting the Tulsa lead to two runs.
Tulsa game two starting pitcher Yadier Álvarez escaped a tough jam in the third when the Missions loaded the bases with no outs. Alvarez used a double play and a ground out to get out of the trouble and limit San Antonio to just one run.
The Drillers increased their lead to 4-2 in the fifth when McKinstry tripled home Brockmeyer, who had walked.
One inning later, they added two more insurance runs before San Antonio's Taylor Kohlwey produced a pinch-hit homer to lead off the seventh inning to account for the final score.
Like May in game on, Alvarez did not go the necessary five inning to get credit for the win. Reliever Jason Richman followed Alvarez to the mound and did not allow a hit in 2.1 innings to gain the victory.
WHAT YOU MISSED
Reliever Nolan Long recorded the final four outs of game one and was credited with the victory by the official scorer. The win improved his Double-A record to 3-0.
Ruiz and Gavin Lux extended their hitting streaks to six straight games.  
Brockmeyer played both games for the Drillers and was retired only one time in seven plate appearances. He singled, drew a walk and was hit by a pitch in his first three at-bats of each game. He was called out on strikes in his final at-bat of game two.
McKinstry finished 3-5 on the night, while Darvill was 3-6. Tulsa had nine hits in each game.
UP NEXT
The Drillers and Missions will play the third game of their four-game series Saturday night at ONEOK Field. First pitch in downtown Tulsa is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The starting pitchers will be:
SAN     Emmanuel Ramirez (0-1, 4.50 ERA)
TUL      Mitchell White (4-5, 4.92 ERA)