Drillers Blank Sod Poodles in 3-0 Win
AMARILLO, TX– Games this week for the Tulsa Drillers have featured some record-breaking offensive numbers, but Friday night in Amarillo, it was Tulsa pitchers who shined. Landon Knack and three Tulsa relievers combined to blank Amarillo and lead the Drillers to a 3-0 victory at HODGETOWN. The win was the
AMARILLO, TX– Games this week for the Tulsa Drillers have featured some record-breaking offensive numbers, but Friday night in Amarillo, it was Tulsa pitchers who shined. Landon Knack and three Tulsa relievers combined to blank Amarillo and lead the Drillers to a 3-0 victory at HODGETOWN. The win was the third in four games for the Drillers in a six-game set with the Sod Poodles.
Knack was making just his second start of the year, but he showed no signs of early season rust. The East Tennessee State product did not walk a batter and allowed only three hits in five shutout innings. He set a season high for Tulsa pitchers with nine strikeouts in the outing.
Knack was not the only pitcher to shine for the Drillers, as manager Scott Hennessey turned to his bullpen for the final four innings, and four different relievers each worked a shutout inning to close out the game.
The Sod Poodles had a pair of hits against Knack in the first inning and got a two-out double from Jeison Guzman in the second. After Guzman’s two-base hit, Amarillo would go without another hit until Leandro Cedeno singled with one out in the ninth.
The Drillers got the only run they would need in the top of the third inning. James Outman doubled with one out and scored the first run of the game on Ryan Ward’s two-out hit.
Jeren Kendall doubled Tulsa’s lead with his first home run of the season in the fifth.
The Drillers third and final run came in the sixth when Carson Taylor walked and scored on Kody Hoese’s two-out triple.
It was plenty of support for the Tulsa bullpen. Relievers Nick Robertson, Jose Adames and Mark Washington each worked a perfect frame to get the game to the ninth inning.
Guillermo Zuniga was summoned to close out the win in the ninth, and he allowed Cedeno’s one-out single and a walk. After a wild pitch advanced runners to second and third, Zuniga got a pair of strikeouts to end the game and pick up his team-leading fifth save.
HIGHLIGHTS AND HAPPENINGS:
*The Drillers now have an 11-6 record in games away from ONEOK Field this season.
*Kendall’s home run to lead off the fifth marked the nine straight game that Drillers batters have homered.
*Tulsa pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts in the game, matching a season high.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers and the Sod Poodles will play the fifth game of their six-game series on Saturday night in Amarillo. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at HODGETOWN. The starting pitchers are scheduled to be:
Tulsa Bobby Miller (1-1, 4.22 ERA)
Amarillo Bryce Jarvis (2-1, 5.58 ERA)