Homers from Vivas and DeLuca Power Drillers Comeback
TULSA, OK – Entering Sunday’s contest with Wichita, Tulsa Drillers second baseman Jorbit Vivas was enjoying one of the best starts to a season by any hitter in Minor League Baseball. It got only better in the finale of a six-game series with the Wind Surge. Vivas hit two home
TULSA, OK – Entering Sunday’s contest with Wichita, Tulsa Drillers second baseman Jorbit Vivas was enjoying one of the best starts to a season by any hitter in Minor League Baseball. It got only better in the finale of a six-game series with the Wind Surge. Vivas hit two home runs that helped the Drillers overcome an early three-run deficit and rally for a 4-3 win over the Wind Surge at ONEOK Field.
The victory gave Tulsa four victories in the six-game set and another series win. The Drillers have won each of their three series to open the season and now have a 10-5 record.
For the first time in the series on Sunday, the Wind Surge scored first and they did it with a big first inning. Tulsa starting pitcher Landon Knack entered the game having given up just one total run in three starts this season, but Wichita topped that total just two batters into the game.
Brooks Lee led off with a double, and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. followed with his second home run of the series. An error prolonged the inning, allowing another run to score and ending Knack’s day after just 2/3 of an inning.
Tulsa cut into its three-run deficit in the third inning on back-to-back, solo home runs from Jonny DeLuca and Vivas.
It remained that way until the Drillers used another two-run inning in the sixth to go in front. Vivas accounted for the first one when he led off with his second homer of the afternoon.
Following the home run, Andy Pages drew a four-pitch walk. Pages stole his third base of the season to move into scoring position and eventually scored the go-ahead run on a two-out base hit from Jose Ramos.
Tulsa’s bullpen was outstanding after being called into duty in the first inning. Five relievers combined to blank the Wind Surge over the final 8 1/3 innings while allowing just two hits.
Trevor Bettencourt picked up his second win of the season after coming on in the sixth inning. Bettencourt retired all five batters he faced, three on strikeouts.
Ryan Sublette, who had just officially joined the Drillers on Friday, worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning with two strikeouts to collect his first Double-A save.
HIGHLIGHTS AND HAPPENINGS:
*DeLuca has now homered in four straight games, marking the first Drillers player accomplish the feat since Ryan Noda homered in four straight from July 21-25, 2021.
*The home run by Vivas extended his hitting streak to 15 straight games, marking the longest streak by a Tulsa player since Jacob Scavuzzo hit safely in 21 straight during the 2018 season. Vivas has a hit in every game this season and has now raised his average to .400.
*The Drillers won the game despite being limited to just four hits, but three of them left the park. They hit a total of 11 homers in the six-game series.
*The Drillers accomplished something on Sunday that they had not done in over ten years. The last time they won at least three series to open a season was 2012 when that Drillers team opened the campaign with four series wins.
*The Drillers used Sunday’s game to honor Jackie Robinson. Every Tulsa player wore Robinson’s number 42 on their jerseys.
*With the victory, the Drillers took a 4-2 advantage over Wichita in the 2023 Coors Light Propeller Series. The two teams will play 18 more times this season with 13 wins needed to claim the season series.
UP NEXT:
*After an off day on Monday, the Drillers will begin their second road trip of the season on Tuesday morning in Little Rock. The Drillers and Arkansas Travelers will play a six-game series at Dickey-Stephens Park. Tuesday’s opener will begin at 11:05 a.m. and the pitching matchup will be:
Tulsa – RHP Nick Frasso (0-1, 1.38 ERA)
Arkansas – RHP Bryce Miller (0-2, 7.98 ERA)