Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon
Double-A Affiliate
The Official Site of the Tulsa Drillers Tulsa Drillers

Ninth-Inning Rally Drops Tulsa

Tulsa starting pitcher Mitchell White allowed 4 runs in 4.2 innings Tuesday night (Evan Brown)
July 17, 2018

For six innings Tuesday night, Petroleros de Tulsa (Tulsa Drillers) trailed the Arkansas Travelers before Will Smith turned a two-run deficit into a one-run lead with his 7th homer in the month of July. But, the lead would not last as Arkansas staged a rally of its own, hitting a

For six innings Tuesday night, Petroleros de Tulsa (Tulsa Drillers) trailed the Arkansas Travelers before Will Smith turned a two-run deficit into a one-run lead with his 7th homer in the month of July. But, the lead would not last as Arkansas staged a rally of its own, hitting a pair of home runs in a five-run ninth that propelled the Travelers to a 10-6 win.  
The late comeback ended Tulsa's five-game winning streak. The loss was only its second in the past 13 games.
The Travelers took an early lead in the game, scoring in each of the two innings. In the top of the first, Chuck Taylor hit a ground-rule double and advanced to third on a groundout. Taylor eventually scored the first run of the game on a Joey Curletta groundout.
In the top of the second, Logan Taylor homered to start the inning. After Donnie Walton was hit by a pitch, he moved to third on a double. Taylor struck again with an RBI single to put Arkansas on top 3-0.
Los Petroleros rallied for a pair of runs in the fourth. After two singles and a walk loaded the bases, Drew Jackson plated a run with a fielder's choice groundout. Wes Darvill followed with a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 3-2.
An inning later, the Travs got a run back after Eric Filia doubled and Dario Pizzano knocked him in with a single. In the top of the seventh, Curletta led the inning off with a solo home run to extend the Arkansas lead to 5-2.
In the bottom of the seventh, Los Petroleros' bats awoke. After a single and walk started the inning, Luke Raley delivered an RBI double to cut the deficit to two. With two on, Smith capped the inning by depositing a home run into the Busch Terrace to give Los Petroleros a 6-5 lead, their first of the night.
But the lead would not last. After retiring the Travs in order in the eighth, Michael Johnson came back out in the ninth and walked Chuck Taylor on four pitches. Johnson recorded an out, then Dylan Baker was called upon to finish the game.
Things did not go well for Baker. After working Curletta to a 0-2 count, the former Drillers slugger hit his second homer of the game to give the Travs the lead. Arkansas followed with two more singles, and Joe DeCarlo delivered another home run to further extend the lead to 10-6.
In the bottom of the ninth, Los Petroleros managed to get a man to first base on a walk, but they would not be able to advance him, giving them just their sixth loss in 24 games in the second half.
WHAT YOU MISSED
Jacob Scavuzzo extended his hitting streak to 19 games with a first-inning single, matching the second-longest streak in the Texas League this season. Ruben Mateo holds the Drillers record, hitting in 27 games during the 1996 season.
Smith's home run in the seventh inning was his seventh in his last 12 games. He also has 21 RBI during that span.
The Drillers are 1-1 playing as Los Petroleros de Tulsa.
Tuesday was only the third time the Drillers were defeated after having a lead in the ninth inning. They are 47-3 on the year when entering the scheduled last inning with the lead.
UP NEXT
The Drillers will take on the Travelers in the series finale on Wednesday night. First pitch at ONEOK Field is scheduled for 7:05 PM, and the probable starting pitchers will be:
ARK    Chase De Jong (5-4, 4.15 ERA)
TUL     Dean Kremer (1-0, 0.00 ERA)