Drillers Take Opener from RockHounds with Walk-Off Rally
Tulsa, OK – The Tulsa Drillers entered their series with the Midland RockHounds on Tuesday having scored more than four runs in a game just once in their past nine games. They totaled just three runs in the opener with the RockHounds, but another strong pitching performance helped to secure
Tulsa, OK – The Tulsa Drillers entered their series with the Midland RockHounds on Tuesday having scored more than four runs in a game just once in their past nine games. They totaled just three runs in the opener with the RockHounds, but another strong pitching performance helped to secure a victory. The Drillers produced their third run of the night on a run-scoring grounder from Donovan Casey in the bottom of the ninth inning to produce a dramatic 3-2 walk-off win at ONEOK Field.
It was the Drillers third win in their ten-game offensive slump, and it keeps them in the thick of the race for the second playoff spot from the Texas League’s North Division.
After a pair of eighth-inning homers from Midland had erased an initial 2-0 lead, the Drillers avoided a disappointing loss with their ninth-inning heroics. The rally began with consecutive singles from Griffin Lockwood-Powell and Brendon Davis. The next batter, Taylor Young, squared to attempt a sacrifice bunt and was hit by a pitch from Midland reliever Tyler Baum.
Baum recovered to retired Jose Ramos on a called strike three for the first out of the inning, bringing Casey to the plate. Casey bounced the first pitch up the middle and past the mound. Shortstop Jeremy Eierman raced in and to his left to field the ball. Realizing he had no chance to get a double play, Eierman attempted an awkward throw home that was wide of the plate and allowed Lockwood-Powell to score the winning run. The official ruling was a throwing error, but the end result was a much-needed win for the Drillers.
It was another low-scoring, tightly-contested game for Tulsa. In its series in Arkansas last week, five of the six games were decided by two runs or less with the two teams combining for a total of just 26 runs.
For much of the night, it looked as if the Drillers might get a shutout win. They took the initial lead thanks to a pair of two-out hits in the bottom of the second inning. Young delivered the first with a single to left. After Young had stolen both second and third, Ramos brought him home with base hit to centerfield.
The Drillers scored a second run in the sixth inning without getting a hit. Chris Newell drew a walk, stole second base and moved to third on a ground out. He came home on Lockwood-Powell’s sacrifice fly.
Three Tulsa pitchers combined to protect the lead. Starting pitcher Chris Campos turned in another impressive outing before leaving the game after just four innings. He allowed one hit in his four shutout innings while walking one batter and striking out two.
In his last two starts, Campos has combined for 12 scoreless innings, giving up only five hits. Since joining the Drillers, he has a 3.00 ERA in eight total starts.
Juan Morillo came on for Campos and kept the RockHounds off the scoreboard in the fifth and sixth innings, surrendering just one hit.
Midland had a good opportunity to end the shutout in the top of the seventh against Ronan Kopp. The first two batters of the inning singled, but Kopp induced a double-play grounder. With two outs and a runner still at third base, Kopp gave up a walk before escaping the threat with an inning-ending strikeout.
The RockHounds finally got on the scoreboard in the eighth. Former OSU outfielder Caeden Trinkle hit the first pitch of the inning from Ryan Sublette onto the grass berm beyond the right field bullpens for his third home run of the season.
Sublette, who was activated from the Injured List prior to the game and was making his first appearance since July 24, retired the next two batters before giving up the second homer of the inning to Henry Bolte to tie the game at 2-2.
It remained 2-2 until the Drillers’ walk-off rally in the bottom of the ninth.
INSIDE THE GAME
*The Drillers totaled just four hits in the victory. As a team, they hitting just .150 in their last ten games, the lowest average among all 30 Double-A teams. In that stretch, Tulsa has struck out 111 times, compared to only 45 hits.
*A rarity occurred in the bottom of the seventh inning when Young, who leads the Texas League with 38 stolen bases, was thrown out attempting to swipe second base for what would have been his third steal of the game. It was just the fourth time this season that he has been thrown out on a steal attempt, leaving him 38-42 on the season.
*Since the beginning of the series in Arkansas, the Tulsa pitching staff has combined for a 2.91 ERA while holding opponents to a .214 batting average.
*The Drillers roster was shuffled prior to Tuesday’s game. Relief pitcher Jake Pilarski was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers, and pitcher Ryan Sublette was activated from the Injured List to fill his spot on the roster.
Also, catcher Yeiner Fernandez was transferred to the Temporarily Inactive List, and catcher Carlos Avila was added from the Dodgers’ rookie league team in Arizona.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers will continue their series with the RockHounds on Wednesday night with the second game of the six-game set. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at ONEOK Field, and the starting pitchers are expected to be:
Midland – RHP Blake Beers (10-6, 3.66 ERA)
Tulsa – LHP Jackson Ferris (0-1, 1.59 ERA)