Winning Streak Ends with Lopsided Loss
Tulsa, OK – The Tulsa Drillers have been on an impressive run recently, winning 14 of 15 games since May 25, so an off night was long overdue. It came on Friday at ONEOK Field. Wichita scored seven runs over the first two innings and never trailed in handing the
Tulsa, OK – The Tulsa Drillers have been on an impressive run recently, winning 14 of 15 games since May 25, so an off night was long overdue. It came on Friday at ONEOK Field. Wichita scored seven runs over the first two innings and never trailed in handing the Drillers a 14-0 loss in downtown Tulsa.
The defeat ended Tulsa’s five-game winning streak.
The good news for the Drillers is that it counts as only one loss. Despite the lopsided defeat, Tulsa remains in first place in the Texas League’s North Division, two full games in front of Arkansas. The Travelers were rained out on Friday.
The Drillers have eight games remaining in the first half, while the Travelers have ten games left in the half.
After winning the first three games of their six-game series with the Wind Surge, the Drillers were never in Friday’s game.
Cody Morissette led off the game with a double, and Caleb Roberts followed with a base hit. Two more hits, a walk and three stolen bases led to a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning for Wichita.
The margin increased to 7-0 with four more runs in the bottom of the second. The inning featured, three walks, two errors and two wild pitches with three of the runs being unearned.
The Wind Surge put together an even bigger inning in the fifth, scoring five times. Billy Amick hit a three-run homer, and Kala’i Rosario added a two-run shot. The final run of the inning scored on an infield ground out.
Wichita closed out the scoring with two runs in the sixth.
Tulsa was limited to five hits with Josue De Paula accounting for two of them.
The Drillers used seven pitchers in the game, including catcher Frank Rodriguez. Rodriguez provided one of Tulsa’s few highlights in the game, working two scoreless innings on the mound.
The 14 runs scored by Wichita were the most the Drillers have given up in a game this season.
GAME NOTES
*It marked just the second time this season that Tulsa has been shutout, and the first time at ONEOK Field.
*With the loss, the Drillers lead in this year's edition of the Coors Light Propeller Series was cut to 7-3.
*The game ended the Drillers home run streak. They had hit a homer in 11 straight games.
*Mike Sirota was able to extend his on-base streak by drawing a walk in the sixth inning. Sirota has now reached base safely in all 21 games that he has played with Tulsa. Overall, he has reached in 51 consecutive games, the longest on-base streak this season in all of Minor League Baseball.
*Elijah Hainline’s 25-game, on-base streak came to an end. Hainline grounded out in the bottom of the first inning and did not return to his shortstop position in the top of the second inning.
*Like Sirota, Jake Gelof extended his on-base streak by drawing a walk. Gelof has now reached base in 25 straight games.
*Lucas Wepf and Christian Ruebeck each threw 1 2/3 scoreless relief innings.
*De Paula has now hit safely in 17 of his last 19 games.
*Tulsa committed four errors in the game, matching a season high.
*Wichita’s Rosario finished with three hits and four runs scored and fell a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.
*The Drillers made a roster move on Friday. Catcher Griffin Lockwood-Powell departed with his transfer to Triple A where he will reunite with former Tulsa manager Scott Hennessey. The Drillers added catcher Hayden Gilliland, who was recently signed as a minor league free agent by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Gilliland attended Tennessee Tech University and spent two years in the Toronto Blue Jays system.
UP NEXT
The Drillers and Wind Surge will continue the Coors Light Propeller Series on Saturday night at ONEOK Field. Starting time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and the pitching matchup is expected to be:
Wichita – RHP Preston Johnson (0-2, 4.61 ERA)
Tulsa – RHP Roque Gutierrez (5-0, 5.00 ERA)