Tulsa Snaps Losing Streak with Sunday Win
Springfield, MO – Two streaks were on the line in Sunday’s series finale at Springfield’s Hammons Field. The Tulsa Drillers entered the afternoon on a six-game losing streak, and the Springfield Cardinals had won seven straight games. The Drillers claimed the 5-3 victory, their first of the series, and snapped
Springfield, MO – Two streaks were on the line in Sunday’s series finale at Springfield’s Hammons Field. The Tulsa Drillers entered the afternoon on a six-game losing streak, and the Springfield Cardinals had won seven straight games. The Drillers claimed the 5-3 victory, their first of the series, and snapped their streak by surviving a bases-loaded ninth-inning rally from the Redbirds.
The win placed Tulsa 9.5 games back of first-place Springfield but just 6.5 games behind Arkansas for the final playoff spot with only 18 games remaining in the regular season.
R.J. Yeager quickly put the Cardinals out front in the series finale with a two-run homer off Tulsa starting pitcher Jackson Ferris in the first inning. It was the first home run surrendered by Ferris in his fourth start with the Drillers.
Tulsa responded in the next inning when Cristian Santana hit a leadoff home run, his first since re-joining the Drillers earlier in the week. Jose Ramos followed with a triple, and after a flyout and a pop out, Bubba Alleyne scored Ramos with a bunt single to tie the game at 2-2.
Ferris settled in after the first inning by not allowing a run over the next three frames, which allowed Tulsa to take the lead in the fourth inning. Damon Keith and Noah Miller each hit one-out singles and advanced to second and third base with a double steal. Sanatana drove in both baserunners with a triple that gave the Drillers a 4-2 lead.
Pitcher Ben Harris had runners at first and third base in the fifth inning and committed a balk to force in a run and bring the Cardinals within one run at 4-3.
Brendon Davis added a big insurance run in the eighth with a solo home run to left field. The blast was Davis’ first with Tulsa since June 29.
After pitching a scoreless eighth inning, Lucas Wepf returned to the mound to begin the ninth. Wepf walked the first two batters of the inning before Ryan Sublette was summoned from the bullpen. The Chicago native recorded two strikeouts before he walked Yeager to load the bases. The walk brought Tuesday’s hero, Chris Rotondo, to the plate, but Sublette struck him out on three pitches to close the game and give Tulsa the win.
INSIDE THE GAME
*The Drillers are now 2-10 in their last two road series, and both wins have come in the Sunday finale.
*Juan Morillo was credited with the win after pitching two scoreless innings with one strikeout. The Venezuela native’s record is now 4-1 with the Drillers.
*Ferris allowed just two runs on two hits and a walk in four innings pitched. He has a 1.53 ERA after four starts with Tulsa.
*Sublette earned his first save of the season and is now 1-3 in save opportunities.
*With the two runs scored by Springfield in the first inning, Tulsa pitchers have now allowed 81 runs in the first, the most in Double A.
*The home run from Santana was his first in a Tulsa uniform since August 4, 2019, when he was in his first stint with the Drillers.
*Tulsa stole four bases in the game, two of which were from Keith.
*The two triples hit by the Drillers marked the third multi-triple game by Tulsa’s offense this season.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers will continue their extended road trip and travel to Corpus Christi to begin a six-game series against the Hooks on Tuesday, August 27. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at Whataburger Field and the starting pitchers are expected to be:
Tulsa – RHP Carlos Duran (0-1, 0.66 ERA)
Corpus Christi – TBA