Drillers Win Again to Move Within 1½ Games of First Place
SPRINGDALE, AR – The Tulsa Drillers are making things interesting in the final days of the Texas League’s first half of the season. On Wednesday night, the Drillers continued their winning ways with an 8-5 victory over Northwest Arkansas at Arvest Ballpark. The win, combined with Arkansas’ loss to Wichita,
SPRINGDALE, AR – The Tulsa Drillers are making things interesting in the final days of the Texas League’s first half of the season. On Wednesday night, the Drillers continued their winning ways with an 8-5 victory over Northwest Arkansas at Arvest Ballpark.
The win, combined with Arkansas’ loss to Wichita, moved the Drillers to within 1 ½ games of the first-place Travelers in the Texas League’s North Division with only four games remaining in the first half. It is the closest the Drillers have been to first place since April 11.
The two first-half division winners in the TL clinch their spots in the league’s September playoffs.
For the second straight game, the Drillers came from behind to beat the Naturals on Wednesday. As they did the previous night, the Naturals scored in the first inning to jump in front. A walk and an error by starting pitcher Kendall Williams set up an RBI single from Peyton Wilson. The inning could have been bigger, but Williams got a double-play grounder to end the threat and the inning.
It would not be the final time that a double play helped the Drillers escape a jam.
The Drillers answered with one of their biggest innings of the season in the top of the second. It was an unlikely rally as the first two batters in the inning were retired via strikeouts by Naturals starter Mason Barnett.
Back-to-back walks kept the inning going and set up a two-run double from Bubba Alleyne that put the Drillers in front. Yeiner Fernandez singled home the third run, and after another walk, Taylor Young singled home the fourth.
A two-run single from Griffin Lockwood-Powell plated two more runs and capped the big inning that gave Tulsa a 6-1 lead.
After the first-inning run, Williams blanked the Naturals over the next three frames before running into trouble in the bottom of the fifth. A double by River Town and a base hit from former Drillers infielder Leonel Valera put runners at first and third. Williams got another double-play grounder, trading a run for two outs.
The double play again proved big as consecutive doubles later in the inning from Tyler Tolbert and Wilson produced another run and pulled the Naturals to within 6-3. Williams finally ended the inning with a strikeout.
Ryan Sublette turned in two scoreless innings in relief of Williams before the third hit of the night for Fernandez gave the Drillers some breathing room in the eighth inning. A single by Cartaya and another double from Alleyne put runners at second and third. With the Northwest Arkansas infield playing in to try to prevent another run, Fernandez grounded a single into centerfield to plate both runners and up Tulsa’s lead to 8-3.
The Naturals got a run in the eighth inning against Drillers reliever Christian Suarez, before making things very interesting in the bottom of the ninth.
Logan Boyer, who leads the Drillers with four saves, came on for Suarez and loaded the bases with no outs, but again a double play would help short circuit a possible Naturals rally.
Boyer recorded his first two outs when Wilson’s grounder up the middle was fielded by shortstop Alex Freeland and turned into a 6-3 double play. With the lead down to three runs and a runner at third base, Boyer got a fly out to end the game and give Tulsa its third straight win.
INSIDE THE GAME
*The Drillers turned a season high four double plays in the win.
*On May 16, the Drillers were in last place in the Texas League’s North Division with a record of 13-21. Since then, they have gone 21-10.
*Springfield’s game in Corpus Christi was rained out on Wednesday, so the two teams will now play a doubleheader on Thursday. Since the Cardinals did not play, the Drillers moved into second place with their win, ½ game in front of the Redbirds.
*Tulsa has come from behind in 20 of its 34 wins this season.
*The Drillers have played better on the road this year than at home. They now have a 17-13 record on the road versus a 17-18 mark at ONEOK Field.
*Young continued to add to his impressive stolen base total. The infielder stole his 25th base of the season in the second inning, tying him with Midland’s Cooper Bowman for the most steals in the Texas League. Young has been caught stealing just three times this season.
*The six-run second inning was one run short of matching Tulsa’s season high. Twice this season, the Drillers have scored seven runs in an inning.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers will look to extend their winning streak on Thursday night in the third game of their six-game set with the Naturals. First pitch at Springdale’s Arvest Ballpark is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and the starting pitchers are expected to be:
TUL – RHP Jerming Rosario (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
NWA – LHP Tyson Guerrero (1-3, 5.48 ERA)