RoughRiders hang on for 6-5 win
August 9, 2012 - Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
The Tulsa Drillers staged one of their biggest ninth-inning rallies of the season Thursday night, but it fell one run short. Trailing Frisco by four runs entering the final inning, the Drillers scored three times but left the potential game-tying run at second base as the RoughRiders held on for a 6-5 victory at ONEOK Field.
The win was the second straight for the Riders in the three-game series between the first-half champions.
Former seven time All-Star, Major League closer, Lee Smith was on hand to deliver the first pitch on Thursday night. (Rich Crimi)
Trailing 6-2, Tulsa began the bottom of the ninth with a pair of singles from Lars Davis and Mike Mitchell off Frisco closer Ross Wolf. Chris Pettit made it three straight hits to load the bases with no outs. Shortstop Warren Schaeffer then made a bid to tie the game with a deep drive to centerfield, but Engel Beltre caught the deep fly on the warning track. Davis tagged and scored on the play to pull the Drillers to within three runs.
After Corey Dickerson made it 6-4 with another sacrifice fly, Jimmy Cesario lined a double into the right-center field gap that plated Pettit to pull the Drillers to within one run.
With the tying run 180 feet away, Tulsa's hopes of a comeback ended when Wolf recovered to retire Nolan Arenado on strikes to end the contest.
Frisco produced most of their offensive damage early in the game against Tulsa starter Josh Outman. In the first inning, Beltre led off the game with a double and scored the first run of the night on a sacrifice fly by Jurickson Profar.
A three-run second by the Riders upped their lead to 4-0. Tommy Mendonca and Jared Prince led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Val Majewski grounded into a force out, but Zach Zaneski singled home Mendonca. A two-out double by Jared Hoying plated both Majewski and Zaneski.
The Drillers got their first run in the bottom of the third when Schaeffer and Dickerson opened the frame with singles. With one out, Arenado brought Schaeffer home with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1.
A two-out rally in the sixth moved Tulsa to within two runs. Three straight singles from Angelys Nina, Davis and Mitchell produced the run.
The RoughRiders got one of the runs back in the seventh. Reliever Brett Jacobson, who was making his Drillers debut, surrendered a run without allowing a hit. Jacobson walked Zaneski on four straight pitches to open the inning before throwing two wild pitches. After also walking Beltre, he retired Hoying and Profar on ground outs, with Zaneski scoring on the second grounder.
A solo home run from Beltre off Tim Sexton in the ninth proved to be the difference in the game. It was the 13th homer of the season for the Frisco centerfielder.
The Drillers lost despite out-hitting Frisco 12-7 with every player in the Tulsa lineup getting at least one hit. Schaeffer, Mitchell and Davis led the attack with two hits each.
Arenado extended his hitting streak to eight straight games with a first-inning single. In the streak, the third baseman is hitting .471.
Outman settled down after the tough opening. The lefthander, who has spent time in the majors this season with the Colorado Rockies, allowed four runs (3 ER) on six hits in six innings, matching his longest outing of the season with Tulsa.
Outman walked three batters and struck out six. He threw a total of 91 pitches, 57 for strikes.
Four Frisco pitchers combined to register 10 strikeouts in the game, including seven Tulsa hitters in a row in innings six through eight.
Tulsa will try to salvage the final game of the three-game series between the two teams on Friday night. Joe Gardner (5-7, 4.64 ERA) will pitch the finale for the Drillers against Barret Loux (13-1, 3.45 ERA) of the RoughRiders. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05PM at ONEOK Field.
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