Drillers Avoid Sweep with 7-5 Win on Wednesday
July 27, 2016 - Texas League (TL1)
Springfield Cardinals News Release
Tulsa, OK - The Tulsa Drillers avoided being swept by the 1st-Half North Division Champion Springfield Cardinals with a 7-5 win before 3,411 fans at ONEOK Field on Wednesday night.
Facing RHP Chase De Jong (W, 11-4), the Cardinals (13-20, 54-49) opened the early lead right away in the top of the first inning. With one down, 2B Casey Turgeon, making his Double-A debut, worked a walk to reach base. One out later, 1B Luke Voit laced a base hit to right-center, sending Turgeon around from first to third base. With runners at the corners and LF Jonathan Rodriguez at-bat, a passed ball got away from C Kyle Farmer, enabling Turgeon to dart home from third for the 1-0 lead.
Tulsa (17-16, 54-48), however, powered in front in the bottom of the first against RHP Pedro Echemendia (L, 2-1), making the spot start for Springfield. With one down, Farmer tied it with a solo shot to left field. 2B Willie Calhoun then doubled himself on, followed by walks from CF Alex Verdugo and RF Kyle Garlick, loading the bases with one away. 1B Cody Bellinger unloaded the bases with a grand slam to right field, propelling the Drillers into the 5-1 lead.
The Cardinals started chipping down the deficit right away in the top of the second. With one down, C Jesse Jenner and RF Blake Drake worked consecutive walks to put two men on. RHP Ronnie Shaban then entered as a pinch-hitter for Echemendia and promptly bounced an infield single to short, loading the bases with one down. CF Nick Martini came through with an RBI sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Jenner to slice the deficit to 5-2.
The Drillers got the runs right back in the bottom of the third against RHP Chris Perry. With one down, Garlick drove a double to right-center field, followed by a free pass from Bellinger. After Perry dealt a strikeout, 3B Noah Perio pulled a two-out, two-run double into the right field corner, bringing in both runners to stretch the Tulsa lead to 7-2.
Springfield cut into the lead with their third run in the top of the fifth against De Jong. Turgeon started the inning with a base hit, his first-career hit in Double-A. After a wild pitch moved Turgeon to second, he stayed put on a fly out to center field. With one on and one down, Voit rifled an RBI single to left-center field, scoring Turgeon from second base to shave the Tulsa lead to 7-3.
The Cardinals continued the comeback in the top of the sixth against former Major Leaguer, RHP Alfredo Figaro. Jenner led off with a single, before Figaro retired the next two batters. Martini, though, belted a two-run home run into the right field bullpen, bringing the Cardinals within two runs, 7-5.
Tulsa, however, received scoreless relief from RHP Chris Anderson, who stranded the bases loaded in the seventh, and LHP Jeff Malm, who retired the first two around a single a walk in the eighth. RHP Gus Schlosser (S, 4) got the final out of the eighth with the tying runs left on base, before dealing a scoreless top of the ninth to close the 7-5 win for the Drillers.
The Cardinals received scoreless work from LHP Chandler Hawkins (2.2 innings) and LHP Justin Wright (1.1 innings) to stay within striking distance down the stretch.
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