Drillers Wait Until Late to Rally Past Wichita

Yeiner Fernandez's two-out double in the ninth inning gave the Drillers a 3-2 win in Wichita on Saturday night. (Rich Crimi)

September 14, 2024

Wichita, KS – In the next-to-last game of the 2024 season Saturday night, it appeared it was going to be a case of missed opportunities for the Tulsa Drillers. Through eight innings, the Drillers had ten hits, but just one run. They made up for those lost opportunities thanks to a pair of run-scoring doubles from Jose Izarra and Yeiner Fernandez. The clutch hits turned a one-run deficit into a one-run lead and led to a 3-2 win for the Drillers at Wichita’s Riverfront Stadium.

BOX SCORE

Tulsa trailed for almost the entire night after the Wind Surge opened the game’s scoring with a run in the bottom of the second inning against starting pitcher Jerming Rosario.

Three walks and a hit batter in the fifth inning gave the Wind Surge a second run without needing a hit.

Tulsa got its first run in the seventh to cut the deficit to 2-1. The run came through three straight singles from Chris Newell, Bubba Alleyne and Donovan Casey.

The Drillers still trailed by a run entering the ninth inning when they caught a break. With one out, Donovan Casey reached safely on an error. After Casey stole second base, Izarra doubled off the right field wall to tie the game.

Following a strikeout and another stolen base, Fernandez lined a 0-2 pitch into the right field corner to plate Izarra and give the Drillers their first lead of the games.

Michael Hobbs made sure the lead held, pitching around a one-out single in the ninth to close out the victory.

INSIDE THE GAME

*The win guaranteed the Drillers a series victory to close the season. They have now won four of the first five games of the six-game series with the Wind Surge. Thursday’s victory had clinched this year’s Propeller Series between the two teams, the third straight Propeller Trophy for the Drillers.

*For Hobbs, it was his first save of the season, and it also continued an impressive run to close the season. He has not allowed a run in his last eight games, a stretch that now covers 14 straight innings.

*Taylor Young stole his 46th base of the season in the game. The total ties him with Wayne Tolleson (1980) and Eric Young Jr. (2008) for the seventh most in one season for a Drillers player. He will also be the first Tulsa player since Corey Wimberly in 2008 to lead the league in stolen bases.

*Tulsa out-hit Wichita 12-5 in the game.

*The Drillers improved their record in one-run games to 21-23. Only five of those wins have occurred on the road. It was their 33rd comeback win of the year. They are now 6-6 in the month of September and can finish with a winning month with a victory in Sunday’s season finale.

UP NEXT:

The Drillers will play their final game of the 2024 season on Sunday afternoon in Wichita. First pitch for the finale is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. and the starting pitchers are expected to be:

Tulsa – RHP Orlando Ortiz-Mayr (7-7, 4.72 ERA)
Wichita – RHP C.J. Culpepper (0-1, 6.19 ERA)