Drillers Score Four in Ninth to Beat Travs
Published on May 13, 2012 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
Tulsa, Oklahoma - In a stunning turn of events the Tulsa Drillers scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the Arkansas Travelers to a 6-5 defeat on Saturday night at ONEOK Field. Ben Paulsen delivered a game-tying two-out double and later scored the winning run on a wild pitch. The Travs were unable to capitalize on a fantastic performance by Jean Segura, who made his first start of the season at second base. Segura finished 3-for-5 with four stolen bases and two runs scored, while turning the pivot on three double plays.
The loss knocks the Travs back to nine games out of first place at 14-21, while their record in one-run games is now 5-11. With back-to-back wins against the Travs the Drillers improve to 23-12 wth a five game lead in the TL North. The game was the fourth straight and eighth overall between the Travs and Drillers decided by one run.
The Travs had built a 5-1 lead heading into the eighth inning mostly on the strength of a four-run rally against Colorado Rockies pitcher Jorge De La Rosa, pitching on a rehab assignment with Tulsa. Segura started the game with a double past third base and scored when Roberto Lopez's high fly near the left field line popped out of Mike Zuanich's mitt on his sliding attempt at a catch. After the second out the Travs got three consecutive base hits to jump on top 4-0. Adam Heether singled to knock Lopez home. Then after stealing second base, Heether came home on a triple to center field by Carlos Ramirez. Darwin Perez singled through the right side to complete the rally.
The lead was preserved by Orangel Arenas during his 6.1 inning performance. He set down 9 of the first 10 Tulsa batters then tiptoed through the middle three innings. The Travs turned three double plays behind Arenas and he was charged with just one run allowed on eight base hits. He left two runners in the fourth inning, but found trouble quickly in the fifth inning allowing singles to Tim Torres and Mike Zuanich with no outs. Arenas though squeaked through getting Lars Davis to bounce into a fielder's choice before Angelys Nina grounded to Perez at short who started a 6-4-3 double play.
Segura helped the Travs increase their lead to 5-0 on nearly nothing other than his speed alone in the seventh inning. He reached base with one out against Mike Marbry when Tulsa third baseman Nolan Arenado slightly bobbled his grounder then threw wildly for an error. Segura then stole his way to third base before scampering home on a wild pitch.
Tulsa finally broke through in the seventh inning. Arenas allowed Torres a double with one out in the seventh inning then issued his one walk putting Zuanich on base. Davis singled to right field to bring Torres around third to score ending the night for Arenas. Mike Piazza inherited runners at first and third, but got Nina to hit a grounder to Renny Osuna at third base to begin a 5-4-3 double play.
Piazza came back for the eighth inning but loaded the bases with two outs then forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk to Torres. Dakota Robinson relieved and struck out Zuanich looking to end the inning with a 5-2 Travs lead.
Robinson was the victim of poor luck early in the ninth when Davis's broken bat pop up fell behind the mound allowing the lumbering Tulsa catcher to beat out an infield single. Josh Rutledge then hit a high fly that fell just out of reach of Angel Castillo on the right field line for a double setting up James Cesario with runners at second and third. Robinson allowed Cesario a single to right field scoring Davis, but retired Arenado on a fly ball to right field. With the Drillers down to their last out, Paulsen cracked his game-tying double just out of the reach of Adam Heether at the left field fence scoring both Rutledge and pinch runner Mike Mitchell.
Christian Scholl replaced Robinson and struck out Kent Matthes on a slider that bounced past catcher Carlos Ramirez allowing Matthes to reach base while Paulsen moved the winning run to third base. Then with Torres batting, Scholl uncorked another wild pitch that allowed Paulsen to score the winning run.
The finale of the series is set for 2:05 on Sunday afternoon as the Travs send Eddie McKiernan (3-0, 0.45 ERA) to the mound against Nick Schmidt (1-1, 4.36 ERA).
Texas League Stories from May 13, 2012
- Missions Defeat Midland 7-4, Sweep Series - San Antonio Missions
- Schoop's Shot Gives Naturals Win - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Cardinals Fall to Naturals 6-5 - Springfield Cardinals
- Schmidt Stays Sharp vs. Travs - Tulsa Drillers
- Schmidt Shuts Down Travs as Tulsa Takes Series - Arkansas Travelers
- Seventh Inning Separation - Frisco RoughRiders
- Drillers Score Four in Ninth to Beat Travs - Arkansas Travelers
- 12's a Charm - Frisco RoughRiders
- Drillers Rally for Wild Victory - Tulsa Drillers
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