Big Inning Helps Drillers End Skid
Tulsa, OK – Carrying a five-game losing streak into Wednesday’s matchup with Amarillo, the Tulsa Drillers used their biggest inning of the season to ensure the streak ended. The Drillers erupted for nine runs in the second inning, all scoring with two outs, and cruised to a 16-2 victory at
Tulsa, OK – Carrying a five-game losing streak into Wednesday’s matchup with Amarillo, the Tulsa Drillers used their biggest inning of the season to ensure the streak ended. The Drillers erupted for nine runs in the second inning, all scoring with two outs, and cruised to a 16-2 victory at ONEOK Field.
It was the second game of the second-half of the season for the Drillers and evened their record at 1-1.
Tulsa’ big second inning was helped by an error that made all nine runs unearned against the team. A double, followed by the error and a walk loaded the bases. Another walk forced in a run before Taylor Young delivered a three-run double. Dalton Rushing followed with a two-run homer, his tenth of the season.
With six runs on the board, the Drillers were not through scoring. Two walks and a hit batter set up two wild pitches that upped the Drillers lead to 8-0. Jose Ramos capped the big inning with a run-scoring single.
Ramos struck again in the fourth inning with a two-run double.
In the fifth, after a two-run single by Brendon Davis, Ramos delivered another run-scoring single that provided the Drillers with their 14th run. For Ramos, it was his third hit of the game and his fourth RBI.
Starting pitcher Jerming Rosario took full advantage of the big lead to record his first Double-A win. Making just his third appearance and third start for the Drillers, Rosario was outstanding. The 22-year-old right-hander gave up just one run in five full innings. Eight of the 15 outs he recorded came on strikeouts.
The Drillers made it 16 total runs with two more in the bottom of the seventh when Young delivered a two-run double. The second baseman finished with three hits in the game and five runs driven in. He also scored two runs.
For the second straight night, control was an issue for Amarillo pitchers. Five different hurlers combined to walk 11 Tulsa batters and hit two others. In the first two games of the series, the Sod Poodles have issued a combined 21 walks.
INSIDE THE GAME
*The eight strikeouts by Rosario matched his season high. In his three starts for Tulsa since his promotion from Great Lakes, he has logged a 2.45 ERA.
*Damon Keith was one of the two hit batters in the game. Keith appeared to be hit in the ribs by a pitch in the second inning and was removed from the game before the Drillers took the field in the top of the third.
*Reliever Ben Harris worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning, striking out the side.
*Jake Pilarski, who was activated from the Injured List on Tuesday, made his first appearance since April 30. Pilaraski worked around two walks to record a scoreless ninth inning.
*Tulsa’s previous biggest inning this season had been seven runs which it had accomplished on three occasions. The last time the Drillers scored nine times in an inning was August 23, 2023 in a win over Northwest Arkansas.
*The 15 hits in the game were two short of the season high.
*Rushing joined Ramos and Young with three hits in the game, the second time this season he has had three.
*Brandon Lewis had two hits and his now hitting .282 in the month of June, the highest average this month of any current Drillers player.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers will face the Sod Poodles in game three of their six-game series at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday night at ONEOK Field. The starting pitchers are scheduled to be:
AMA – RHP Dylan File (2-6, 6.14 ERA)
TUL – RHP Chris Campos (Double-A Debut)