Drillers Rally to Keep Season Alive
September 2, 2010 - Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
Just as the Tulsa Drillers hopes of claiming a spot in the Texas League playoffs appeared to have blown away with the cold front that struck downtown Tulsa Thursday night, the Drillers staged a dramatic eighth inning rally to keep their post-season hopes alive. Trailing 7-5, the Drillers scored four times in the eighth and defeated Springfield 9-7 at ONEOK Field.
With Northwest Arkansas completing a doubleheader sweep of Arkansas earlier in the evening, the Drillers were facing an almost must-win situation. The rally left Tulsa three games behind the first-place Naturals, and the Cardinals four out with only four games remaining in the regular season.
The Drillers comeback began when Scott Beerer led off the eighth with a base hit off Cards' side-arming reliever Jason Buursma. Bronson Sardinha followed with a single, and Jeff Kindel walked to load the bases with no outs. Matt Repec then drilled a double into the left-centerfield gap that plated both Beerer and Sardinha to tie the game.
Springfield then called upon Tulsa native Blake King to squash the Drillers rally. King intentionally walked the first batter he faced, Anthony Jackson, to load the bases. After Radames Nazario flied out and Mike Mitchell struck out, Jason Van Kooten drew a walk to force home the go-ahead run. King then walked Jordan Pacheco to force in another run.
With a 9-7 lead, Tulsa turned to Stu Pomeranz. Pomeranz allowed a leadoff walk to start the ninth, but he retired the next three batters, the last two on strikeouts, to close out the win and pick up his 17th save of the year.
The game began just as a strong north wind began blowing out to straightaway centerfield. The wind helped to produce a first inning filled with offensive fireworks.
Springfield centerfielder Daryl Jones hit the first pitch of the game from Jonnathan Aristil onto the berm to give the Cards a quick lead. Aristil retired the next two batters, but the third out proved elusive. The right-hander walked Andrew Brown and Aaron Luna, and Xavier Scruggs brought them home with a doubled into the game in right-center field. Jose Garcia followed with his fifth home run of the season that put the Redbirds in front 5-0.
The Drillers got some of those runs back in the bottom of the first against lefty Nick Additon. Mitchell drew a leadoff walk, and Van Kooten drove a homer over the fence in left-center field to give the Drillers two quick runs. Pacheco doubled and scored on a two-out double from Kindel that pulled Tulsa to within 5-3.
Despite a painful heel injury, Jeff Kindel started and produced two hits in Tulsa's dramatic 9-7 comeback win over Springfield Thursday night at ONEOK Field. (Rich Crimi)
The pitchers held the offenses in check in the second inning, but the bats came back to life in the third. The Cardinals loaded the bases, and Additon helped himself with a two-out, two run single.
Tulsa scored a run when Beerer doubled and came home on a base hit by Sardinha that trimmed the Springfield lead to 7-4.
The Drillers pulled another run back in the fifth as Mitchell doubled and scored on an infield ground out by Pacheco.
It remained 7-5 until the eighth-inning comeback.
Tulsa out-hit Springfield 11-7 in the game, with Beerer, Sardinha and Kindel leading the way with two hits apiece. Kindel's performance came despite a painful heel injury that produced a notable limp. The first baseman is forced to play because Tulsa has no other available infielders.
The Drillers will play their final home game of the regular season Friday night at ONEOK Field. Brandon Durden (5-11, 4.69 ERA) will start the finale against David Kopp (12-4, 3.13 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:05PM with a large Fireworks display taking place after the game to celebrate the Drillers first season in downtown Tulsa.
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Texas League Stories from September 2, 2010
- Drillers Rally to Keep Season Alive - Tulsa Drillers
- Travs Swept in Thursday DH - Arkansas Travelers
- Springfield Falls to Tulsa 9-7 - Springfield Cardinals
- Naturals Double Their Pleasure Thursday - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Blue Demon Jr. Joins Lucha Libre USA at Whataburger Field - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Robinson Is Topps' Texas League Player of the Month - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
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