Keith’s Homer Gives Drillers Walk-Off Win in Suspended Game
TULSA, OK - The Tulsa Drillers had to wait almost 24 hours to complete their July 4th game against Wichita after it was suspended by rain, but it proved to be worth the wait. Trailing by two runs entering the bottom of the ninth inning, the Drillers staged a three-run
TULSA, OK - The Tulsa Drillers had to wait almost 24 hours to complete their July 4th game against Wichita after it was suspended by rain, but it proved to be worth the wait. Trailing by two runs entering the bottom of the ninth inning, the Drillers staged a three-run rally that was capped by a two-run, walk-off home run from Damon Keith that provided a 5-4 victory early Friday evening at ONEOK Field. It was Keith’s third walk-off, game winning hit of the season.
The Drillers and Wind Surge were tied at 1-1 on Thursday when rain stopped the action prior to the start of the sixth inning. It took the teams just a few minutes to match that offensive production.
The very first batter after the restart, Wichita’s Aaron Sabato, belted a 3-0 pitch from Antonio Knowles into the Budweiser Terrace in left field to put the Wind Surge in front.
In the bottom of the sixth, Tulsa’s Austin Beck matched Sabato with his team-leading 12th homer of the season to tie the score at 2-2.
It remained tied until the ninth inning. Wichita appeared on its way to a win after scoring two times in the top half of the ninth, including a solo home run from Ben Ross.
Yeiner Fernandez started Tulsa’s rally in the bottom of the ninth with a one-out single. After Alex Freeland lined out, Taylor Young doubled home Fernandez to make it 4-3 and bring Keith to the plate.
Keith took a ball and fouled a pitch off from Travis Adams, who is normally a starter for the Wind Surge, but he entered the game as a reliever at the restart in the sixth inning. Keith drove the next pitch from Adams into the gap in right-center field and the ball carried into the bullpens for his fourth home run of the year. The blast promptly ended the game and set up a celebration at home plate from the Drillers.
The dramatic victory moved Tulsa into a three-way tie for first place in the Texas League’s North Division.
INSIDE THE GAME
*Young had three hits in the game and extended his hitting streak to ten straight games. It is the longest hitting streak this season for a Tulsa player.
*Ryan Sublette picked up the win despite allowing the two runs in the ninth inning. Sublette has now won each of his last three decisions, dating back to May 29.
*The result evened this season’s Coors Light Propeller Series between the two teams at eight wins each. There are eight games remaining in the series with the last six games taking place in Wichita in the final series of the regular season.
*It was the 12th one-run win of the season for the Drillers and ten of them have taken place at ONEOK Field.
*Tulsa and Wichita have now played 12 one-run games this season.
UP NEXT
The Drillers and Wind Surge will play their regularly scheduled Friday game at 7:00 p.m. at ONEOK Field. The pitching matchup is:
WCH – RHP Marco Raya (0-1, 5.28 ERA)
TUL – RHP Orlando Ortiz-Mayr (3-4, 6.12 ERA)