O'Brien's Slam Caps Big Comeback in Drillers 9-8 Win

Just when it looked like the Tulsa Drillers were going to extend their season-worst losing streak to four straight games Monday night, Peter O'Brien came to the rescue. O'Brien turned a three-run deficit into a one-run lead with a majestic, grand slam homer in the bottom of the eighth inning that propelled Tulsa to a 9-8 victory over Springfield at ONEOK Field.
The blast was the final blow for the Drillers in a comeback that overturned what was once a seven-run deficit. With the slam, O'Brien has homered in three straight games. Thursday's home run traveled 427 feet and cleared the left field fence by nearly 100 feet, but it was still 59 feet shorter than his 486 foot blast on Sunday in Northwest Arkansas.
Trailing 8-5 entering the bottom of the eighth, the Drillers filled the bases on a single by Zach Reks and walks to Keibert Ruiz and Errol Robinson. On a full-count offering from Ramon Santos, the O'Brien lofted the pitch high over the outfield fence and out of the ballpark. It was his fifth home run of the season, and four of them have been tape-measure shots.
Reliever Andrew Istler secured the lead and the win with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to collect his first-ever, Double-A win.
The game did not begin as if nine runs would be necessary to claim the win as starting pitchers Dennis Santana and Connor Jones breezed through the first two innings.
The Cardinals generated the game's first run in the top of the third, but the Drillers answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning. Angelo Mora hit the first pitch of the third into the gap in left-center field for a leadoff double. After a wild pitch, Mora tagged up and slid home safely on Luke Raley's foul, fly ball to shallow left field.
Things unraveled for Santana in the top of the fifth. A walk and an error put runners at the corners with one out. Randy Arozarena doubled home two runs before Santana loaded the bases with a walk and a hit batter.
An infield ground out plated a third run, and Santana's night ended with a 3-1 count on the next batter. Reliever Dylan Baker threw ball four and then a wild pitch that gave the Cards a 5-1 lead. The disastrous inning was capped by a two-run single from Chris Chinea.
Springfield added a single run in the top of the sixth, before the Drillers got back into the game with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. The first two came on a two-run homer from D.J. Peters, his team leading eighth of the season. Connor Joe reached on an infield single and eventually scored on a base hit by Ruiz to pull Tulsa to within 8-4.
The Drillers continued to pull closer with another run in the seventh as newcomer Tyler Colvin singled with two outs, moved to second on a balk and scored on a base hit by Raley, cutting the Cards' lead to three runs and setting the stage for O'Brien's slam.
WHAT YOU MISSED
The roster shuffle continued for the Drillers on Monday as pitcher Justin Hoyt was assigned to Great Lakes and was replaced on the roster by Colvin, a former major league outfielder. The 32-year-old last played in organized baseball during the 2015 season before previously spending parts of six seasons in the majors with the Cubs, Rockies and Giants from 2009-2014.
Santana's outing lasted 4.2 innings. The right-hander was charged with seven total runs but only three were earned.
Raley was hit on the hand by a pitch leading off the sixth inning, but he remained in the game after a visit from athletic trainer Kalie Swain.
Peters was ejected from the game after being called out on strikes to end the bottom of the seventh by home plate umpire Tyler Olson.  
UP NEXT
The Drillers and Cardinals will continue their four-game series on Tuesday evening at ONEOK Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM, with the probable starting pitchers being:
SPR      Chris Ellis (2-0, 2.90 ERA)
TUL      Caleb Ferguson (3-0, 0.54 ERA)