Tulsa Loses Opener in Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, TX – The Tulsa Drillers extended road trip continued Tuesday night in Corpus Christi, and runs were again difficult to come by. The Drillers were held to three hits and one run and fell to the Corpus Christi Hooks 6-1 in game one of a six-game series at
Corpus Christi, TX – The Tulsa Drillers extended road trip continued Tuesday night in Corpus Christi, and runs were again difficult to come by. The Drillers were held to three hits and one run and fell to the Corpus Christi Hooks 6-1 in game one of a six-game series at Whataburger Field.
Only an infield single from Chris Newell in the ninth inning kept the Drillers from matching a season low of two hits. They have been held to two hits on four occasions this season, and three of them have come in the month of August.
The loss came despite an effective outing from starting pitcher Carlos Duran, who was charged with just two runs. The first of came in the bottom of the second and opened the game’s scoring. Duran retired the first two batters in the inning before surrendering three straight hits with Yamal Encarnacion’s double plating the run.
After Encarnacion’s hit, Duran retired eight of the next nine Hooks’ batters before issuing a one-out walk in the bottom of the fifth. The free pass ended his night after a season-high 74 pitches. Christian Suarez relieved and got a strikeout before giving up a walk and a two-run double to Luis Baez.
Logan Cerny tripled home the fourth run in the sixth inning before scoring himself on a sacrifice fly from Encarnacion that upped the Hooks’ lead to 5-0.
Jorge Benitez took over for Suarez and issued a pair of walks before throwing wildly on a pick-off attempt that gave the Hooks their sixth run.
An error gave the Drillers their only run of the game in the eighth inning. Bubba Alleyne drew a leadoff walk, stole second and then scored when pitcher Miguel Ullola’s pickoff attempt bounced into centerfield.
Despite his effective outing, Duran took the loss to stay winless on the year with an overall 0-4 record, including 0-3 with the Drillers. The 23-year-old was charged with two runs on four hits in 4.1 innings. He walked just one batter and struck out four. Duran now has a 2.01 ERA in nine starts with Tulsa.
INSIDE THE GAME
*Taylor Young walked and stole his Texas League leading 42nd base in the sixth inning. The 42 steals tie him with Bobby Ball for the ninth most in one season by a Drillers player. Ball stole 42 bases in the 1981 season. Young needs four more steals to join Wayne Tolleson (1980) and Eric Young Jr. (2008) for seventh spot on the all-time season list.
*Outfielder Damon Keith had to exit the game in the eighth inning after being hit by a pitch from Ullola. A fastball from the reliever sailed inside and appeared to strike Keith on the hand.
*The Drillers have now lost six of the first seven games of their 12-game road trip to Springfield and Corpus Christi. They have been held to two runs or less in five of the six losses.
*Tulsa is just 6-17 on the road in the second half of the season.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers and Hooks will play the second game of their six-game series on Wednesday night at Whataburger Field. The game is scheduled to begin at 6:35 p.m. and the starting pitchers are expected to be:
Tulsa – RHP Jerming Rosario (2-4, 5.01 ERA)
Corpus Christi – RHP James Hicks (2-2, 5.26 ERA)