Tulsa Excels In 9-1 Win
May 13, 2011 - Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
The Tulsa Drillers have had some outstanding performances during their strong start to the 2011 season, but they might have produced their best overall performance of the year Friday night. Offensively, the Drillers totaled 14 hits, including four from Tim Wheeler and two home runs from Scott Beerer. On the mound, starter Christian Friedrich worked seven strong innings, and reliever Casey Weathers finished with two perfect innings. The result was an impressive 9-1 victory over the Arkansas Travelers.
The win improved the Drillers' record to 20-13 and kept them three games in front of second-place Northwest Arkansas in the North Division standings.
Tulsa was in control of Friday's game from the start, scoring in each of the first five innings. Wheeler opened the game with a leadoff double and eventually scored the game's first run on a two-out single by Darin Holcomb.
Hector Gomez doubled the lead in the second with a run-scoring single, while Beerer's first homer made it 3-0 in the third.
In the fourth inning, Thomas Field and Wheeler produced back-to-back singles before executing a double steal, with Field swiping home. An RBI double from Ben Paulsen upped the lead to 5-0.
A two-run double by Field and a run-scoring hit from Wheeler increased the margin to eight runs in the fifth inning.
The Travelers ended Friedrich's shutout bid with their only run of the game in the bottom of the sixth as Angel Castillo hit his first homer of the year.
Beerer answered in the top of the seventh with his second home run of the night and his seventh of the season to put the Drillers on top 9-1. The two homers extended the outfielder's hitting streak to 14 straight games, the second longest streak in the Texas League this season.
Every Tulsa starter but catcher Wilin Rosario had at least one hit in the game.
It was the first four-hit game of the season for Wheeler, while Field recorded his first three-hit game.
Friedrich improved his record to 3-2 with the victory. The lefthander allowed only the one run while surrendering five hits in his seven innings of work.
For Weathers, it was his fourth straight scoreless appearance.
The loss was charged to Orangel Arenas (4-1), his first of the season.
Tulsa will look for its third straight win Saturday night against the Travelers. Colorado Rockies hurler Aaron Cook will make an injury rehabilitation start for the Drillers, while former University of Oklahoma pitcher Garrett Richards (2-1, 5.00 ERA) will take the mound for Arkansas. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10PM at Dickey Stephens Park.
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Texas League Stories from May 13, 2011
- Opportunistic RoughRiders defeat Hooks - Frisco RoughRiders
- Travs Hit Hard By Drillers In Loss - Arkansas Travelers
- Tulsa Excels In 9-1 Win - Tulsa Drillers
- Naturals homer happy in win over Cards - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Cardinals Fall 7-5 to Naturals - Springfield Cardinals
- Game Notes, May 13 - Corpus Christi at Frisco - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Feldman, Martin Headline Roughriders Saturday - Frisco RoughRiders
- Drillers Home for 8 Games May 16-23 - Tulsa Drillers
- Matt Buschmann Gets Promoted To Triple-A - San Antonio Missions
- Long Night of Baseball Ends in a Split for Drillers - Tulsa Drillers
- Travs Drop Second Game of Dh to Drillers - Arkansas Travelers
- Mount on DL - Arkansas Travelers
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