Bats Silenced as Drillers Drop Home Stand Opener
TULSA, OK – The Tulsa Drillers entered Tuesday’s series opener with Corpus Christi as one of the hottest offensive teams in Minor League Baseball, but their bats were silenced by a quartet of Hooks pitchers. Tulsa was limited to just four total hits, as Corpus Christi was able to maintain
TULSA, OK – The Tulsa Drillers entered Tuesday’s series opener with Corpus Christi as one of the hottest offensive teams in Minor League Baseball, but their bats were silenced by a quartet of Hooks pitchers. Tulsa was limited to just four total hits, as Corpus Christi was able to maintain a lead it took in the first inning, sending the Driller to a 2-1 defeat at ONEOK Field.
The loss marks the first time this season that the Drillers have lost consecutive games. Despite the pair of defeats, Tulsa still occupies first place in the Texas League’s North Division.
The Drillers were coming off a six-game series in Springfield in which the offense combined for 51 runs and 16 homers. However, Tuesday’s first game with the Hooks was anything but an offensive battle, as all the runs came early.
Corpus Christi jumped to a quick lead as Wilyer Abreu opened the game by drawing a walk, and two outs later, Enmanuel Valdez hit a drive that just cleared the four-foot high fence in right field. It was the third homer of the season for Valdez and put the Hooks up 2-0.
Ryan Ward got the Drillers only run when he led off the bottom of the second with his second home run of the year.
From there, pitchers dominated. Three Hooks relievers combined to hold Tulsa without a hit over the final five innings, while the Drillers bullpen was also effective, working six scoreless innings while allowing just four hits.
Overall, the two teams combined for only 11 hits.
Ward was the star of the game for the Drillers, not only accounting for their only run, but also making two highlight-reel plays in left field. He made a diving, backhanded catch to rob Justin Dirden of a hit in the second inning. In the eighth, he threw out Yainer Diaz at second base trying to stretch a hit into a double.
HIGHLIGHTS AND HAPPENINGS:
*Tulsa starting pitcher Michael Grove, who left his last outing after being struck on the bicep by a line drive, was effective except for the homer by Valdez. Grove allowed the two runs on three hits and struck out six in 3.0 innings.
*Jose Martinez was outstanding out of the Drillers bullpen. The reliever allowed just two hits in four shutout innings of work, while walking just one and striking out two.
*Austin Drury and Mark Washington each worked a scoreless inning for Tulsa.
*The game took only 2 hours and 24 minutes to play, the quickest nine-inning game at ONEOK Field this season.
*Tuesday afternoon, the Drillers announced their first roster change of the season. Pitcher Justin Hagenman was transferred to Oklahoma City, and the Drillers received pitcher Jordan Leasure from Great Lakes. Leasure had a 1.93 ERA in five games this season as a reliever for the Loons, allowing just four hits in 9.1 innings pitched while striking out 21.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers and Hooks will have a quick turnaround as game two of their series will be played Wednesday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 12:05 p.m. at ONEOK Field. The pitching matchup will feature:
CC – RHP Angel Macure (0-2, 10.00 ERA)
Tulsa – RHP Gus Varland (0-2, 7.59 ERA)