Asahina makes quick work of Cards
Published on July 29, 2005 under Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
A paid crowd of nearly 7,000 fans were at Drillers Stadium Thursday night looking to enjoy an unusually mild July night and to watch the Tulsa Drillers play their first home game in two weeks. The large crowd watched an entertaining game, but starting pitchers Jon Asahina and Jordan Pals barely gave them time to settle into their seats.
The two hooked up in a pitcher's dual that took only 1 hour and 51 minutes to complete as the Drillers used back-to-back solo home runs from Tony Miller and Jayson Nix in the sixth inning to claim a 2-0 win. The victory was the fourth in a row for Tulsa.
The game time was the quickest for the Drillers in over ten years. Tulsa also played a 1 hour and 51 minute game on April 6, 1996 in Jackson, Mississppi.
Asahina matched teammate Sandy Nin with his fourth complete game of the season on Thursday. The right-hander was brilliant, surrendering only five singles and two walks while striking out eight hitters.
The Cardinals best chance to score came in the eighth inning when they put runners at second and third with two outs, but Asahina retired centerfielder Shaun Boyd on strikes to end the threat.
Pals matched Asahina pitch for pitch for five innings before Miller and Nix struck. After Pals retired Asahina to begin the sixth, Miller and Nix hit consecutive homers to left field for the game's only scoring. For Miller, it was his 12th home run of the season, and for Nix, it was his 8th.
The win makes Asahina the Texas League's first 11-game winner. The victory improves his record to 11-6, while Pals falls to 5-8 with the loss.
The Drillers and Cardinals will play game two of their 5-game series Friday night. Ubaldo Jimenez (1-3, 6.11 ERA) will pitch for Tulsa against Randy Leek (10-6, 3.81 ERA) who will be trying to match Asahina with his 11th win. Game time will be 7:05PM.
NOTE: Late on Thursday, the Colorado Rockies announced they had traded pitcher to Shawn Chacon to the New York Yankees for two minor league pitchers. The two pitchers, Eduardo Sierra and Ramon Ramirez, are slated to join the Drillers roster. The right-handed Sierra is rated the 16th best prospect in the Yankees' farm system by Baseball America. He has compiled a 3-1 record with a 3.28 ERA while pitching out of Double A Trenton's bullpen. Ramirez is rated New York's 23rd best prospect by BA. The right-hander began the year with Triple A Columbus, going 1-3 with a 5.33 ERA in six starts. Recently, he has been starting for Trenton, posting a 6-5 record with a 3.84 ERA.
In another move, Drillers' closer P.J. Bevis was promoted to Triple A Colorado Springs following Thursday's victory. Bevis has registered a Texas League leading 21 saves for Tulsa this season.
Asahina and Pals were not the only pitching stars in the Texas League Thursday. A.J. Murray, Steve Karsay and Scott Feldman combined for Frisco to work a nine-inning perfect game against Corpus Christi. The Riders beat the Hooks 3-0. It was the first nine-inning perfect game in the TL since 1983.
Texas League Stories from July 29, 2005
- Cards rally past Drillers - Tulsa Drillers
- Hooks Fall to RoughRiders 4-2 - Corpus Christi Hooks
- 6-Run 9th wins it for Cards! - Springfield Cardinals
- Travs and Wranglers Split A Pair - Arkansas Travelers
- Murray, Karsay and Feldman Combine for Perfect Game - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Wranglers Bash Travs 13-2 - Arkansas Travelers
- Asahina Bests Pals on Thursday - Springfield Cardinals
- Frisco in town, full weekend on top - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Asahina makes quick work of Cards - Tulsa Drillers
- Cards Hit the Road 3.5 Games Back - Springfield Cardinals
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
