Miller Shines in Drillers Win
TULSA, OK – One of the best pitching matchups in the minor leagues took place at ONEOK Field on Saturday night. The Los Angeles Dodgers top pitching prospect Bobby Miller took the mound for the Tulsa Drillers, and the Texas Rangers top pitching prospect, Jack Leiter, got the start for
TULSA, OK – One of the best pitching matchups in the minor leagues took place at ONEOK Field on Saturday night. The Los Angeles Dodgers top pitching prospect Bobby Miller took the mound for the Tulsa Drillers, and the Texas Rangers top pitching prospect, Jack Leiter, got the start for the Frisco RoughRiders.
Miller came out on top as Tulsa’s bats exploded out of the gate, scoring six runs in the first two innings against Leiter as the Drillers cruised to an 11-1 win. Miller was dominant in his start as he delivered his longest outing of the season, pitching five scoreless innings to earn his first Double-A win.
The Drillers had scored eight first-inning runs in the first three games of the series against the RoughRiders, and the trend continued on Saturday as they put three runs on the board in the first. Back-to-back singles from Michael Busch and Jacob Amaya on Leiter’s first two pitches set the tone. Andy Pages plated both runners with a double to left field. Justin Yurchak brought home the third run home with a single that scored Pages for a 3-0 lead.
Tulsa posted three more runs on Leiter in the second inning. With the bases loaded, Outman grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Kody Hoese from third. Ryan Ward followed with a two-RBI single that brought the score to 6-0.
Tulsa upped the margin to 8-0 on an RBI double from Pages in the fourth inning and Hunter Feduccia’s RBI single in the fifth.
In the seventh, Frisco scored its lone run on a fielding error from Hoese that allowed Kellen Strahm to score from first base.
The Drillers added two more runs in the seventh inning when Hunter Feduccia blasted a two-run homer to right field, bringing the score to 10-1.
The final run for the Drillers came in the bottom of the eighth. Following a lead-off triple from Jeren Kendall, Frisco pitcher Sean Chandler threw a wild pitch that gave Tulsa its final run.
HIGHLIGHTS AND HAPPENINGS:
*The win clinched the Drillers first series win at ONEOK Field this season.
*Both teams wore special Negro League uniforms on Saturday night as Tulsa wore its T Town Clown jerseys and Frisco wore its Dallas Black Giants uniforms.
*Miller retired 15 of the 20 batters he faced. He allowed only three hits and they all came from the bat of Jonathan Ornelas.
*Tulsa has now scored 11 runs in the first inning in the five games against Frisco.
*Leiter lasted just 1.2 innings in his start, his shortest outing as a professional. He surrendered six runs on seven hits, both career highs for the first-year hurler. His season ERA climbed from 1.93 up to 4.43 after the outing.
*Frisco centerfielder Josh Stowers robbed Michael Busch of two would-be hits, making a leaping catch at the centerfield wall, and later, a fully-extended diving catch in left-center field.
*The RoughRiders were 0-7 at the plate with runners in scoring position.
*Tulsa’s bullpen did not allow an earned run for the fifth time this season.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers and RoughRiders will conclude their six-game series on Sunday afternoon at ONEOK Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. and the pitching matchup will be
Frisco- LHP Cole Ragans (2-1, 2.25 ERA)
Tulsa- TBA