Cards Again Strike Late to Beat Drillers
August 21, 2024 - Texas League (TL)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
Springfield, MO - Last week, the Tulsa Drillers rallied for four walk-off wins against Midland, but this week, the Drillers have been on the other side of two walk-off endings from the Springfield Cardinals. On Wednesday night at Hammons Field, the Cardinals scored two runs in the bottom of the tenth inning to hand the Drillers a tough 3-2 loss.
The defeat came just one night after the Redbirds scored six runs in the bottom of the ninth inning on Tuesday to overturn a three-run Drillers lead in a 9-6 series-opening victory.
Wednesday's game was initially dominated by starting pitchers Carlos Duran and Tink Hence, as the duo kept the game scoreless through the first four innings. Each team's bullpen continued the scoreless stretch through the fifth.
Tulsa finally opened the scoring, courtesy of Damon Keith, in the top of the sixth inning. With one out and the bases empty, Keith drilled his 12th home run of the season to give the Drillers a 1-0 lead.
The Cardinals answered in the bottom of the seventh with some help from the Drillers. Reliever Ryan Sublette entered the game and his very first pitch hit Jeremy Rivas to promptly put the potential tying run on base.
A one-out single by Nathan Church gave the Redbirds runners at first and third. Keith again made a big play, but this time with his glove. Jimmy Crooks hit a deep fly ball down the left field line, and Keith leaped above the left-field fence to make the catch and save a potential three-run homer. Church tagged and scored on what turned into a game-tying sacrifice fly.
The score remained 1-1 into extra innings. In the top of the tenth, with placed runner Cristian Santana at second base, Jose Ramos lined a double down the right field line that plated Santana to put the Drillers back on top.
After Taylor Young grounded out, Bubba Alleyne reached on an infield single that put runners at first and third, but the Drillers were unable to add to their lead when Brendon Davis bounced into an inning-ending double play.
The one-run lead again proved not to be enough, and again the Drillers helped the Cardinals cause. With the placed runner at second, Tulsa's Christian Suarez walked the leadoff batter without throwing a strike.
Crooks followed and bounced a grounder to Santana at first. Santana elected to try to force the runner at second, but his throw was late and allowed the Cardinals to load the bases without a hit.
The inning got even worse when Suarez had R.J. Yeager in a two-strike hole before hitting him with his 1-2 pitch to allow Springfield to tie the game at 2-2.
The Drillers got the first out of the inning when third baseman Davis fielded Jacob Buchberger's grounder and threw home for a force out.
With the bases still loaded and Tulsa's infield drawn in, Noah Mendlinger chopped a grounder that bounced over the head of second baseman Young for the first hit of the inning. The soft bouncer plated the winning run and set off another celebration from the Springfield dugout.
INSIDE THE GAME
*Duran worked 4.1 innings and surrendered three hits and zero runs while striking out five. The outing lowered his Double-A ERA to 1.67. In eight starts with Tulsa, Duran has allowed just 5 earned runs in 27.0 innings pitched.
*Ben Harris survived four walks to work 1.2 scoreless innings in relief of Duran. Harris has now walked 35 batters in 39.0 innings pitched this season.
*Tulsa pitchers allowed just five hits in the game, but were undone by seven walks and two hit batters. The two HBP helped the Cardinals in both of their scoring innings.
*Ramos finished 2-4 and is now hitting .291 in the month of August to lead all active Tulsa players.
*The home run from Keith was his third of the month.
*Alleyne also had two hits in the game and now has 4 hits in his last 13 at-bats.
*Tulsa now trails Arkansas by 4.5 games for the second playoff berth from the Texas League's North Division.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers will look to snap their three-game losing streak on Thursday night with the third game of their six-game series in Springfield. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. and the starting pitchers are expected to be:
Tulsa - RHP Jerming Rosario (2-3, 4.76 ERA)
Springfield - LHP Alex Cornwell (5-2, 5.81 ERA)
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