Drillers Suffer “Hair-y” 18-4 Loss to Frisco
TULSA, OK – Less than 24 hours after scoring 11 runs in a lopsided victory over Frisco, the Tulsa Drillers were on the opposite side of an offensive outburst Sunday afternoon at ONEOK Field. The RoughRiders hit a record eight home runs, including three from third baseman Trey Hair, while
TULSA, OK – Less than 24 hours after scoring 11 runs in a lopsided victory over Frisco, the Tulsa Drillers were on the opposite side of an offensive outburst Sunday afternoon at ONEOK Field. The RoughRiders hit a record eight home runs, including three from third baseman Trey Hair, while handing the Drillers an 18-4 loss in the final game of a six-game series.
Hair entered the record books as the first Tulsa opponent to hit three home runs in a regular season game at ONEOK Field. It had been accomplished once before in a playoff meeting with Springfield in 2012 by the Cardinals Chris Swauger.
The eight total homers from Frisco matched the all-time record for most home runs in a single game by a Tulsa opponent, dating back to 1905.
Despite being on the wrong side of the one-sided finale the Drillers still claimed their first home series win of the year, taking four of the six games between the two teams.
Just like the Drillers did in Saturday night’s contest, the RoughRiders jumped in front on Sunday with three first-inning runs. They never lost the lead as the runs kept coming on a rough day for the Tulsa pitching staff.
The Riders scored in every inning but the fifth. Twelve of the 18 runs crossed the plate on their eight home runs.
Hair’s first homer was a solo shot that came off Drillers starting pitcher Jose Martinez in the top of the second. He added a three-run homer in the third, also off Martinez, before capping his big day with a two-run blast in the eighth against Guillermo Zuniga.
Ezequiel Duran matched Hair with five RBI. Duran was a fantasy baseball owner’s dream as he went a perfect 4-4 with two doubles, two homers, a sacrifice fly and five runs scored.
Designated hitter Dustin Harris went 2-6 with a homer and drove in four runs as the trio accounted for 14 of Frisco’s 18 runs.
The Drillers tried to keep pace with the Riders, scoring two run in the bottom of the first on a RBI single by James Outman and a sacrifice fly from Kody Hoese.
Michael Busch led off the third with a solo home run, his 11th of the season. But, the Drillers could not keep up with the Riders, as they totaled only four hits in the game.
Tulsa’s fourth and final run came in the sixth inning on Ryan Ward’s tenth homer.
HIGHLIGHTS AND HAPPENINGS:
*It was announced prior to the game that Tulsa pitcher Michael Grove had been promoted to the Los Angeles Dodgers and would make his big league debut Sunday afternoon in a start against the Philadelphia Phillies.
*The six-game series drew a total paid attendance of 38,791 to ONEOK Field, an average of 6,465 per game.
*Tulsa used six pitchers in the game. Jose Adames was the only one to not give up a run as he recorded the final two outs in the ninth inning without allowing a base runner.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers will now go back on the road for a series in Amarillo against the Sod Poodles. The two teams split a six-game series at ONEOK Field earlier this season. The upcoming series will begin with an early start of 11:05 a.m. on Tuesday morning at Amarillo’s Hodgetown. The starting pitchers for the opener are scheduled to be:
Tulsa- RHP Gus Varland (0-3, 6.85 ERA)
Amarillo - TBA