Tulsa Outscores Arkansas for Third Straight Win
Tulsa, OK – Tulsa and Arkansas squared off in a high-scoring battle on Wednesday night at ONEOK Field. Each team held leads at various points in the game, but it was the Drillers finished on top. After a five-run sixth inning from the Travelers put them in front, the Drillers
Tulsa, OK – Tulsa and Arkansas squared off in a high-scoring battle on Wednesday night at ONEOK Field. Each team held leads at various points in the game, but it was the Drillers finished on top. After a five-run sixth inning from the Travelers put them in front, the Drillers responded with a run in the bottom half of the sixth and another in the seventh to go back in front, and then held on to post a 9-8 victory.
It was the third straight win the Drillers and allowed them to keep pace with first-place Springfield in the second-half division standings of the Texas League’s North Division. In a much different type of game, the Redbirds edged Northwest Arkansas 3-1 to maintain a one-game lead over Tulsa.
Josh Caron accounted for the first of 17 runs in the game when he put Arkansas on top with a solo home run in the top of the second inning.
The Drillers took their first lead in the bottom half of the third. Taylor Young singled and Josue De Paula followed with a drive to deep, right-center field. Centerfielder Jonny Farmelo raced far to his left in pursuit of the hit, but the ball deflected off his glove for a double with Young racing home to tie the score.
After Mike Sirota grounded out, Jake Gelof lined his 23rd home run of the season into the Country Financial Terrace beyond the left field fence, giving the Drillers a 3-1 lead.
Tulsa starting pitcher Adam Serwinowski allowed just three hits and the one run through the first four innings before running into trouble in the fifth. Jared Sundstrom led off the inning with a base hit to left field, and after a disengagement violation on Serwinowski, he scored when Knight lined a base hit into centerfield.
Serwinowski got a pair of strikeouts but Charlie Pagliarini delivered a clutch, two-out double that brought Knight home to tie the score at 3-3.
The Drillers retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, De Paula walked and Sirota singled to set up a run-scoring double from Elijah Hainline. Logan Wagner made it two straight run-scoring hits when he lined a base hit into right field. Wagner’s hit had an exit velocity of 110 m.p.h. and scored Sirota.
Kole Myers capped the inning with a triple into the right field corner that plated Hainline and Wagner to give Tulsa a 7-3 lead.
But again, the Travelers provided a response, and it all came with two outs in the top of the sixth. Reliever Evan Shaw walked Caron to open the inning, but he retired the next two hitters. From there, four straight Travelers’ hitters reached. Bill Knight was hit by a pitch, and Farmelo grounded a single into right field that scored Caron.
Christian Suarez took over for Shaw and walked Celesten to load the bases. Suarez got two quick strikes on Pagliarini, but the Travelers’ second baseman lined the third pitch over the left field fence for a grand slam home run that promptly gave Arkansas an 8-7 lead.
The runs kept coming in Tulsa’s half of the sixth inning. Young grounded a one-out single and advanced to third on a stolen base and a throwing error by the catcher. He came home to tie the game on Sirota’s single up the middle.
The Drillers produced the final run in the bottom of the seventh, and it proved to be the game winner. Gelof drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on an infield ground out. Wagner came through again with another single to right field, scoring Gelof to give Tulsa a 9-8 lead.
Cam Day made sure this lead held, helping his cause with a pair of pickoffs. Knight was hit by a pitch in the eighth, but he was promptly picked off first by Day.
It was a near replay in ninth inning. Pagliarini singled with one out, but again, a quick move to first by Day resulted in a pickoff for the second out. Two pitches later Hunter Fitz-Gerald swung through a 100 m.p.h fastball from Day to end the game.
It was the sixth save of the year for Day, but his first since June 10.
GAME NOTES
*With 23, Gelof is now tied for the team lead in home runs this season. Zyhir Hope hit 23 homers with the Drillers before his trade to the Detroit Tigers at the trading deadline.
*Young had his second straight three-hit game, finishing 3-5. He also stole two bases, giving him 14 total steals with the Drillers this season. Young is now the top base stealer in franchise history with 104 career steals in a Tulsa uniform.
*De Paula had one hit and has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games.
*Serwinowski came up short in his pursuit of his ninth win of the year. The lefthander was charged with three runs on six hits and one walk in 4 2/3 innings pitched. He recorded seven strikeouts and has 130 on the season to lead the Texas League, two more than Kade Anderson of the Travelers. Serwinowski has had at least 6 strikeouts in 12 of his last 15 outings.
*Day’s six saves tie him with Kelvin Ramirez for the team lead.
UP NEXT
The Drillers will continue their series with the Travelers on Thursday night at ONEOK Field. Starting time for game three of the six-game series between the two teams is set for 7:00 p.m. and the pitching matchup is expected to be:
Arkansas- LHP Nico Tellache (6-6, 4.37 ERA)
Tulsa- LHP Zach Root (1-0, 7.27 ERA)