Drillers Continue Winning Ways with Another Shutout
TULSA, OK – The Tulsa Drillers continued their successful home stand Wednesday afternoon thanks to another stellar performance on the mound. The Drillers did not light up the scoreboard like they did in Tuesday’s victory, but they generated enough offense to back starting pitcher River Ryan and a group of
TULSA, OK – The Tulsa Drillers continued their successful home stand Wednesday afternoon thanks to another stellar performance on the mound. The Drillers did not light up the scoreboard like they did in Tuesday’s victory, but they generated enough offense to back starting pitcher River Ryan and a group of four relievers.
Tulsa scored two first-inning runs and another in the sixth, while Ryan and the relievers produced the club’s minor league-leading fifth shutout of the season in a 3-0 win over Springfield at ONEOK Field.
The Drillers have now won seven of eight games in their current home stand with four games remaining in what is their longest home stand of the season.
A two-out rally in the bottom of the first inning gave the Drillers a quick lead. Jonny DeLuca singled on the first pitch of the inning, but he was taken off the bases on a fielder’s choice ground out. With two outs and Jorbit Vivas at first, Jose Ramos extended the inning with a base hit.
With Eddy Leonard at the plate, Vivas successfully swiped third, and when catcher Jose Alvarez’s throw sailed into left field, he came home with the game’s first run.
Following a walk to Leonard, Imanol Vargas made it a two-run inning when he lined a single into centerfield that scored Ramos.
The trio of Ramos, Leonard and Vargas struck again in the sixth inning with three straight two-out singles to increase Tulsa’s lead to 3-0.
It was more than enough support for the pitching staff. Ryan blanked the Cards through the first 4.2 innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out three.
Tanner Dodson got the final out in the fifth, while Lael Lockhart worked a scoreless sixth inning but departed after a leadoff single in the seventh. Ryan Sublette got a caught stealing and retired all five batters he faced, including three on strikes, in two official innings.
Jordan Leasure worked a 1-2-3 ninth to complete the shutout victory.
HIGHLIGHTS AND HAPPENINGS:
*Drillers’ pitchers continue to produce spectacular numbers. As a staff, they lead the Texas League in nearly every team pitching category. Their 2.77 staff ERA is not only the lowest in the TL, but in all of Minor League Baseball
*With Ryan’s outing, Tulsa’s starting pitchers have now combined for a 1.81 ERA in 29 games.
*With his sixth-inning single, Leonard has now hit safely in seven of the eight games on the home stand. In those eight games, he is 13-26 (.500), including eight extra-base hits.
*With a 19-10 record, the Drillers off to their best start since the 2012 club began its season with a 20-9 mark.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers and Cardinals will play the third game of their six-game series Thursday night at ONEOK Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. in downtown Tulsa, and the starting pitchers are scheduled to be:
Springfield – RHP Connor Lunn (0-2, 9.50 ERA)
Tulsa – RHP Emmet Sheehan (2-1, 2.59 ERA)