Big Night from Verdugo Not Enough for Drillers
Published on April 16, 2016 under Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
Alex Verdugo of the Tulsa Drillers
(Tulsa Drillers)
Alex Verdugo ended up providing almost all of the offense for Tulsa Saturday night. The Dodgers #6 prospect had his best game as a Driller as the centerfielder went 3-4 with a homer and an RBI single to account for all four Drillers runs on the night. But it was not enough for the Drillers as Corpus Christi came from behind to defeat Tulsa 5-4.
Along with Verdugo, Farmer and Drew Maggi were the other lone offensive bright spots for Tulsa. Farmer finished his night 1-3 with the triple and walk, scoring twice. Maggi went 2-2 batting in the nine hole while also walking twice as he did his best to spark the lineup.
Shortstop Drew Maggi was a perfect 2-2 in Saturday's loss to Corpus Christi. (Photo by Rich Crimi)
Like the game on Friday, the Drillers jumped out to a quick lead only to see it slip away as the game progressed. The fifth and sixth innings were particularly troublesome for the Drillers Saturday night as they had been all series long. Over the three games played at ONEOK Field during the homestand, the Hooks scored 16 total runs over those two frames.
With one out in the bottom of the first inning, second baseman Willie Calhoun got things going with a base hit. Kyle Farmer followed with a four pitch walk to bring up Verdugo. Verdugo then began his big night at the plate as he launched a three-run blast over the right field fence to give Tulsa the 3-0 advantage.
The score held at 3-0 for the next three innings as both Scott Barlow for Tulsa and Francis Martes for Corpus Christi kept their opponent off the board. Both pitchers had to work around base runners in each inning of work, but it was Barlow who would eventually give up a run as he tried to pitch through the fifth.
Doubles from Trent Woodward and Alex Bregman in the top of the fifth finally broke up the shutout bid and put the Hooks on the board. Following a two-out walk, manager Ryan Garko brought in Ralston Cash who recorded the final out of the inning to preserve the Drillers lead at 3-1. But things would go downhill for Cash from there.
The Drillers responded to the Corpus Christi run in the bottom of the fifth as Farmer led off the frame with a triple before coming home on an RBI single off the bat of Verdugo. The run put Tulsa up 4-1, but would prove to be insignificant by the end of the game.
Coming back out to pitch the sixth, Cash was unable to reverse the mid-inning woes for the Drillers as the Hooks once again began their comeback.
A walk and a single got things started for Corpus Christi before Matt Hoyde lined out to third for the first out of the inning. But Woodward got things going yet again with an RBI single to left, plating Jack Mayfield and moving Ronnie Mitchell to third. Teoscar Hernandez then brought Mitchell home with an RBI groundout while moving Woodward to second. Bregman continued his hot hitting as he grounded a pitch into left to score Woodward and tie the game up at 4-4.
Bregman was a thorn in the Drillers side the entire series as the LSU product went 5-12 with 6 RBI and three runs scored over the three game set.
Cash came back out for the seventh inning looking to keep the game tied, but Hooks first baseman Chase McDonald had other ideas. McDonald recorded his third and most decisive hit of the night as he smacked an opposite field home run to right, putting Corpus Christi in front 5-4.
That would be the final score as the Drillers got a man on second in the bottom of the ninth, but were unable to finish the comeback.
David Schmidt got his first Double-A win for Corpus Christi with two innings of relief work while Cash took the loss for Tulsa. OSU alum Brendan McCurry earned his first save of the season for the Hooks with a scoreless ninth.
The Drillers will continue their six-game opening homestand Sunday afternoon as they take on the San Antonio Missions. RHP Chase De Jong (0-2, 4.00 ERA) will head to the mound for Tulsa as the Drillers look to snap their 4-game skid while RHP Johnny Hellweg (0-1, 5.79 ERA) will oppose him for San Antonio. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05PM.
Images from this story
 Alex Verdugo of the Tulsa Drillers |
Texas League Stories from April 16, 2016
- Big Night from Verdugo Not Enough for Drillers - Tulsa Drillers
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