Homers Back Smeltzer as Drillers Top Cards 7-1

Pitcher Devin Smeltzer did not need a lot of offensive support Tuesday morning in his start against Springfield, but the lefthander got plenty from his Tulsa Drillers teammates. The Drillers matched a season high with four home runs in back of Smeltzer who continued his recent strong form. The result was a 7-1 win for the Drillers who improved to 2-0 in the second half of the season.
The only damage from the Cardinals against Smeltzer was an unearned run in the top of the first inning. The lefthander allowed just six hits and no walks while striking out four in his six-inning outing. It continued an impressive run for Smeltzer, who has not allowed an earned run in his last 17 innings and has not surrendered more than two earned runs in any of his last five starts. In that time, he has lowered his season ERA from 6.98 to 4.48.
The Cardinals scored an unearned against Smeltzer in the top of the first inning to take their only lead of the day. The second batter of the game, Edmundo Sosa, reached safely on an error and came around to score on a two-out double from Evan Mendoza.
The Drillers erased the deficit in the bottom of the second with the first of their four home runs. Will Smith led off the second with a base hit, and Jacob Scavuzzo followed with an opposite-field blast into the bullpens in right field. The two-run shot was the 8th homer of the season for Scavuzzo and put Tulsa in front 2-1.
A similar script plated two more runs in the fourth. Mike Ahmed drew a leadoff walk, and Drew Jackson belted a drive into the Busch Terrace beyond the left field fence to make it 4-1.
One inning later, Smith's solo homer upped the Drillers lead to 5-1. For Smith, it was his 8th home run of the season.
Jackson struck again in the bottom of the sixth. After Cael Brockmeyer doubled, Jackson launched his second homer of the day, and his 7th of the season, to make the score 7-1.
The Tulsa bullpen turned in three shutout innings to close out the game. Karch Kowalczyk allowed only one hit while blanking the Cardinals in the seventh and eighth innings, and Layne Somsen worked a 1-2-3 ninth.

WHAT YOU MISSED
Drillers right fielder Zach Reks made the defensive play of the game, robbing Victor Roache of an extra-base hit with a sliding catch on the warning track to end the top of the sixth.
Jackson finished the day 2-4 with 4 runs batted in.
Brockmeyer and Smith joined Jackson with two hits in the game.
With the four homers, the Drillers have now hit 95 home runs in 72 games this season, tops in the Texas League. It is a pace that would easily break last year's record of 168 home runs.  
UP NEXT
The Drillers long homestand will continue Thursday night at ONEOK Field when they begin a four-game series with Northwest Arkansas. First pitch for the opener is scheduled for 7:05PM. The starting pitchers are scheduled to be:
NWA   Jake Kalish (1-2, 5.40 ERA)
TUL      Logan Bawcom (2-4, 3.97 ERA)