Plummer’s 3 Homers Power Cards over Drillers
SPRINGFIELD, MO – It was the Nick Plummer show Thursday night at Springfield’s Hammons Field. The Springfield Cardinals designated hitter belted three home runs in the game’s final four innings, including a two-run game winner in the bottom of the tenth, to give the Redbirds a 10-9 win. For the
SPRINGFIELD, MO – It was the Nick Plummer show Thursday night at Springfield’s Hammons Field. The Springfield Cardinals designated hitter belted three home runs in the game’s final four innings, including a two-run game winner in the bottom of the tenth, to give the Redbirds a 10-9 win. For the Drillers, it was their third straight loss with two of them coming in walk-off fashion to the Cards.
In a game that was difficult for pitchers, it was the Drillers bullpen that suffered the most. Tulsa relievers gave up eight runs over the final six innings, surrendering a lead on three occasions.
Trailing 8-7 entering the ninth inning, the Drillers tied the game with a gift run. Springfield reliever Jacob Bosiokovic walked leadoff batter Miguel Vargas on four pitchers. After a passed ball and a wild pitch moved him to third, Michael Busch hit a ground ball to first baseman Luken Baker and Vargas slid home safely just ahead of Baker’s throw to the plate.
After the Cards failed to score in the bottom of the ninth, Tulsa went ahead in the top of the tenth when Ryan Noda singled home the placed runner.
It only set up Plummer to cap off his big night. With the placed runner at second base, Tulsa reliever Nick Robertson struck out the leadoff batter. He then jumped ahead in the count on Plummer before the DH belted a 1-2 pitch for a no-doubt home run high over the right field wall for the game winner.
Plummer accounted for half of the Cardinals runs and finished the night with three hits, all homers, and with five runs batted in.
For Robertson, it was his third straight loss.
The game was a back-and-forth contest throughout with the offensive output starting early. The Drillers struck first, scoring the game’s first run in the second inning when Devin Mann doubled and came home on Romer Cuadrado’s two-out hit.
Tulsa starting pitcher Gerardo Carrillo worked two scoreless innings before the Cardinals took their first lead of the game in the third inning. Carrillo hit the first two batters of the inning with pitches before a base hit by Brendan Donovan loaded the bases. Carrillo walked in the first run and Malcom Nunez singled home another.
The Drillers scored twice in the top of the fifth to temporarily go back in front before the Redbirds answered with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Hunter Feduccia and Cuadrado opened Tulsa’s fifth with consecutive singles. Feduccia eventually scored on a sacrifice fly from Jacob Amaya, and Cuadrado came home on a base hit by Donovan Casey.
Cyrillo Watson replaced Carrillo to begin the bottom of the fifth and promptly hit the first batter with a pitch. Alec Burleson followed with a two-run homer that put the Cardinals in front 4-3.
Tulsa tied the game in the sixth when Michael Busch was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on another double by Mann and scored on a ground out by Cuadrado.
A big three-run seventh inning gave the Drillers a 7-4 lead. Amaya and Casey opened the inning with back-to-back hits, but they were still at first and third with two outs. Busch drew a walk to load the bases, and Mann cleared them with a three-run double. It was his third two-base hit of the night.
The lead would not last as the Cardinals moved closer with two runs in the seventh. Nunez singled off Justin Hagenman to begin the inning, and Plummer followed with his first homer, a two-run shot, that trimmed Tulsa’s lead to 7-6.
The second homer of the night from Burleson leading off the eighth off Aaron Ochsenbein tied the score. After a strikeout, Mark Washington took over for Ochsenbein and Plummer matched Burleson with his second homer of the game to put the Cardinals back in front 8-7.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
*The game featured some unusual pitching numbers. The two teams combined to use 11 total pitchers who threw a total of exactly 400 pitches, 6 of which struck batters. There were also 13 walks in the game, with 9 being issued by Tulsa pitchers.
*It took 4 hours and 8 minutes to complete the contest.
*Mann had his second three-hit game of the season and all were doubles. He also had three RBI.
*Cuadrado also enjoyed a big night, going 2-4 with two runs batted in.
*The game marked the second time this season that a Drillers opponent has hit five home runs in a game. Wichita also did it on June 10 at ONEOK Field in a 12-10 win for the Drillers.
*Carrillo hit three batters in the game and has now hit 16 batters on the season, the most in major and minor league baseball. The Drillers franchise record for a pitcher in one season is 18.
UP NEXT
Tulsa at Springfield on Friday, July 9 at 7:05 PM at Hammons Field. The pitching matchup will be Tulsa RHP Michael Grove (0-3, 8.10 ERA) versus Springfield LHP Kevin McGovern (0-0, 2.50 ERA).