Walks Help Drillers Win Fifth Straight
Tulsa, OK – The Tulsa Drillers continued their hot start to the second half of the Texas League season on Tuesday night, but with some help from the Corpus Christi Hooks. Tulsa earned a big 13-6 win, aided by a season-high 12 walks from Corpus Christi pitchers, to open a
Tulsa, OK – The Tulsa Drillers continued their hot start to the second half of the Texas League season on Tuesday night, but with some help from the Corpus Christi Hooks. Tulsa earned a big 13-6 win, aided by a season-high 12 walks from Corpus Christi pitchers, to open a six-game series at ONEOK Field.
The win was Tulsa’s fifth straight, matching a season high as the first-place Drillers are now 9-4 in the second half.
The night began with five combined runs in the first inning thanks to six walks. Consecutive walks began Tulsa starting pitcher Jerming Rosario’s night, and a single from Jacob Melton produced the game’s first run. Following a third walk, a double play and a single scored two more runs for the Hooks.
Tulsa answered with two runs in the bottom of the first with both runs scoring on bases-loaded walks.
A walk and a single began Tulsa’s half of the third inning with a fielder’s choice allowing the Drillers to tie the game at 3-3. Two more walks gave Tulsa the lead by forcing in its fourth run. Yeiner Fernandez extended the lead by driving in two runs with a single to make the score 6-3.
The fifth inning was the Drillers most productive of the night. Austin Beck started the inning with a lead-off home run, and Damon Keith added four more with a grand slam. In his second at-bat of the inning, Beck drove in the inning’s sixth run with a sacrifice fly to put Tulsa up 12-6.
Brendon Davis drove in his third run of the night and the Drillers 13th and final run with an RBI single in the seventh inning.
INSIDE THE GAME
*Rosario recovered from the rough first inning to complete five innings and earn his second Double-A win. The right-hander allowed only three runs on three hits and four walks with two strikeouts.
*Keith’s grand slam was the fourth by a Tulsa hitter this season. He joins Dalton Rushing and Beck, who has blasted two grand slams. Keith also stole two bases in the game as he entered Tuesday with only one stolen base this season.
*Beck’s home run was his 13th of the season, the most on the Drillers and the fifth most in the Texas League.
*Fernandez earned three hits from the nine spot in the lineup. It was the third time he collected three hits in a game this season. He also threw out a base runner at second playing in his third game as catcher this season.
*Ronan Kopp tossed perfect seventh and eighth innings with two strikeouts. He has now tossed four scoreless innings over his last two appearances.
*The Drillers announced today that infielder Jose Izarra from Great Lakes was added to the roster.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers will continue their extended home stand on Wednesday with game two of the six-game series against the Hooks. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and the starting pitchers are expected to be:
CC - RHP Jose Fleury (0-3, 5.40 ERA)
TUL - RHP Chris Campos (0-0, 0.00 ERA)