Izarra’s Hit Delivers Another Walk-Off Victory for the Drillers

Tulsa, OK – An incredible series for the Tulsa Drillers continued Saturday night at ONEOK Field. Jose Izarra’s leadoff single in the bottom of the tenth inning scored placed runner Donovan Casey with the winning run in a 2-1 victory over the Midland RockHounds. It was the fourth win of the series for the Drillers and all four have come in their final at-bat.

Overall, it was Tulsa’s 11th walk-off victory of the season.

It continued a trend of close games. Five of the Drillers last six contests have been decided by one run, and they have a perfect 5-0 record in those one-run games.

BOX SCORE

The two teams were tied 1-1 after four innings and the score remained unchanged through the ninth inning.

Midland threatened to take the lead in the top of the tenth with runners at first and third and only one out, but Ryan Sublette kept the game tied when he induced and inning-ending double play.

It set the stage for another dramatic, walk-off win for the Drillers, and it did not take long. With Casey at second, Izarra took the first pitch of the inning for a ball before lining the second offering into right field for a base hit. Casey slid home safely ahead of right fielder Henry Bolte’s throw to the plate and set off another celebration for the Drillers.

The RockHounds only run of the game came in the top of the first inning. The second batter of the game, Brennan Milone, doubled with one out and scored on Shane McGuire’s two-out single.

The Drillers tied the game in the top of the fourth. Damon Keith led off with a base hit and scored when Griffin Lockwood-Powell doubled to centerfield.

Pitching from both teams dominated from there. Tulsa starter Orlando Ortiz-Mayr settled in after the first-inning run. The right-hander worked six complete innings, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out five. The game marked the 11th straight outing that Ortiz-Mayr has worked at least five innings.

Midland starter Jake Walkinshaw worked the first four innings before giving way to reliever James Gonzalez. The left-hander allowed just one hit in four shutout innings, getting strikeouts on 7 of the 12 outs he recorded.

Blake Treinen and Lucas Wepf got the game into extra inning for the Drillers, setting down all nine hitters they faced in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings.

INSIDE THE GAME

*Treinen, on a MLB injury-rehabilitation assignment from the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitched the seventh inning all three batters he faced on strikeouts.

*Four of the six outs Wepf recorded in the eighth and ninth came on strikeouts.

*The win evened Tulsa’s home record at 56-56 and improved their record at ONEOK Field to 34-27, including 17-9 in the second half.

*In his 11-game streak of pitching at least five innings, Ortiz Mayr has a 2.95 ERA. He did not receive a decision in Saturday’s win, but he is 6-2 during the streak.

*The Drillers are now 10-4 in one-run games in the second half of the season. In the first half, their record in games decided by one run was just 8-13.

*Tulsa’s pitching staff has given up just 11 runs in the first five games of the six-game series with Midland.

*It was the 29th comeback win of the season for Tulsa and 18 of them have come at ONEOK Field.

UP NEXT:

The Drillers will wrap up their series with the RockHounds and their home stand on Sunday afternoon. First pitch for the finale is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at ONEOK Field and the starting pitchers are expected to be:

Midland – RHP Jack Perkins (1-1, 4.30 ERA)
Tulsa – RHP Chris Campos (1-1, 3.00 ERA)