Drillers Losing Streak Hits Four with Loss to Naturals
SPRINGDALE, AR – After a four-day break for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the Tulsa Drillers resumed play Friday night by starting the first leg of a nine-game road trip with a brief three-game series against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. The Drillers struggles against left-handed pitching continued against the
SPRINGDALE, AR – After a four-day break for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the Tulsa Drillers resumed play Friday night by starting the first leg of a nine-game road trip with a brief three-game series against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. The Drillers struggles against left-handed pitching continued against the Naturals as southpaw Noah Cameron held Tulsa to just two runs across the first six innings. The performance, combined with three strong innings from the Northwest Arkansas bullpen, helped to hand the Drillers a 7-2 loss at Arvest Ballpark.
The loss was the Drillers fourth straight as they dropped the final three games against Corpus Christi to conclude the previous series.
The night began promising as Damon Keith proved his bat was still hot during his first at-bat. With two outs in the first inning, Keith hit a solo home run to left field to put the Drillers ahead 1-0.
The Naturals tied the game in the bottom half of the first inning. An error and a walk put two runners on base, and Luca Tresh tied the game at 1-1 with a double into the left field corner. The Naturals tried to take the lead on the same play, but a strong relay between Brendon Davis, Alex Freeland and Griffin Lockwood-Powell retired the potential go-ahead run at home plate.
Northwest Arkansas broke the tie in the fourth inning by striking for three runs on a pair of solo home runs from Carter Jensen and Peyton Wilson and a failed double play attempt to take a 4-1 lead.
The Drillers earned a run back in the fifth when Yeiner Fernandez began the inning with a double and later scored on Bubba Alleyne’s single.
Josh Lester doubled in the fifth inning to drive in two more runs for the Naturals to increase their lead to 6-2.
Wilson added a seventh run in the seventh inning with his second homer of the night.
INSIDE THE GAME
*Chris Campos had his shortest start since joining the Drillers, as his night ended with one out in the fifth. Campos was charged with six runs on six hits, with five runs being earned. He also walked four batters, which was a season-high in his 16 games across High-A and Double-A. It was also his first loss in his fourth start with Tulsa
*The loss brought the Drillers record to 8-15 against left-handed starting pitchers.
*Keith's solo shot was his seventh homer this season.
*The Drillers had two assists from the outfield on Friday night with a relay started by Davis recording an out at home plate and Alleyne threw out a runner at third base.
*Keith and Alleyne each finished with two hits to lead the Drillers on Friday.
*Tulsa hitters struck out ten times, marking the 45th game that the Drillers have struck out ten or more times this season.
UP NEXT:
Tulsa and Northwest Arkansas will continue their short three-game series on Saturday night at Arvest Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. and the starting pitchers are expected to be:
TUL –RHP Carlos Duran (0-0, 2.35 ERA)
NWA – RHP Andrew Hoffmann (0-0, 0.00 ERA)