Walks Help RockHounds Top Drillers
Midland, TX – A couple of days can make a big difference in the game of baseball, and that was the case for the Tulsa Drillers Tuesday night. Coming off a winning series against Springfield in which Tulsa pitchers allowed a total of just 12 runs and 17 walks over
Midland, TX – A couple of days can make a big difference in the game of baseball, and that was the case for the Tulsa Drillers Tuesday night. Coming off a winning series against Springfield in which Tulsa pitchers allowed a total of just 12 runs and 17 walks over 6 games and 55 innings, Drillers hurlers came close to matching those totals in the opening game of six-game series in Midland against the RockHounds.
Five Tulsa pitchers combined to issue 12 walks that led to 9 runs for the RockHounds as the Drillers dropped the opener 9-4 at Momentum Bank Ballpark.
The first inning was a quick sign of what was ahead for Tulsa. The Drillers went down in order in the top of the first on three strikeouts. In the bottom half of the inning, Midland’s leadoff batter Cody Holter drew the first of the walks, stole second and scored on a double by Junior Perez. Another hit scored Perez to give Midland a 2-0 lead.
The Drillers rallied to score the game’s next three runs and take a 3-2 lead. In the top of the second, Damon Keith reached on an error and later scored on a base hit by Ezequiel Pagán.
In the fourth, Keith walked and scored his second run following base hits from Nelson Quiroz and Sean McLain. Quiroz came home for the second run of the inning on Pagán’s ground out.
The RockHounds scored in each of their next two at-bats to erase the Drillers lead. A bases-loaded walk to Halter tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth.
A four-run fifth put Midland back in front. The inning featured three hits, three walks and an error.
Sean McLain doubled to lead off the sixth and scored on a single from Kole Myers to pull Tulsa within 7-4.
The Drillers kept the RockHounds scoreless in the sixth inning despite issuing four walks in the frame, before the Hounds plated single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to complete the scoring.
INSIDE THE GAME
*The 12 walks from Tulsa pitchers were just one short of matching the staff’s season high.
*Jeisson Cabrera was the only one of the five Tulsa pitchers who did not allow a run. Cabrera got two outs in the fourth and one in the fifth for a total of one complete inning. He issued three walks and gave up one hit.
*Chris Newell finished 1-4 and has now reached base safely in 14 straight games.
*Quiroz, Myers and McLain had two hits each for the Drillers.
*The game featured five errors, two by the Drillers and three from the RockHounds.
*The Drillers activated pitcher Jacob Meador from the Injured List prior to Tuesday’s series opener. He fills the spot on the active roster that was opened when pitcher Peter Heubeck was placed on the Injured List.
UP NEXT
The Drillers will continue their series with the RockHounds on Wednesday night in Midland. Starting time is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Momentum Bank Ballpark, and the starting pitchers are slated to be:
Tulsa – LHP Jackson Ferris (6-5, 4.54 ERA)
Midland – TBA