Drillers Bounce Back Friday Night with 3-1 Victory
June 10, 2016 - Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
If the Tulsa Drillers felt any letdown from seeing their 10-game winning streak come to an end Thursday, they sure didn't show it Friday night. Tulsa starter Chase De Jong delivered another strong performance on the mound, and his teammates provided the right amount of run support as the Drillers defeated the Northwest Arkansas Naturals 3-1 before a sellout crowd of 8,239 at ONEOK Field.
The victory gave the Drillers a two game lead over the Springfield Cardinals in the Texas League North Division pending the results of the Cardinals game. There are just 10 games remaining in the first half.
Starter Chase De Jong delivered exactly what the Drillers needed Friday with 6.2 innings of shutout ball. (Rich Crimi)
De Jong was strong from the start for Tulsa as he ended up throwing 6.2 innings of shutout ball. It was the third time in his last five starts that De Jong has not allowed a run during his time on the mound as he lowered his season ERA to 2.57.
The Drillers showed no ill effects from losing Thursday night as they got a run on the board in the first inning.
After Andrew Toles led off the home half of the first by flying out to the warning track, Jacob Scavuzzo followed two batters later by blasting a full-count pitch from Naturals starter Ashton Goudeau over the left-center field fence to put Tulsa in front 1-0. The homer was Scavuzzo's fifth of the season.
Toles doubled the advantage in the third as he finished what he started in the first by cracking a solo shot over the right field fence, extending the Drillers advantage to 2-0. Like his teammate Scavuzzo, the blast was also Toles' fifth of the year.
That would be more than enough run support for De Jong as the Tulsa starting pitcher did not give up a hit until a one-out double by Ryan O'Hearn in the fourth ended any thoughts of a no-hitter. But when Mauricio Ramos followed with an infield single to put runners on the corners with just one out, De Jong had to bear down.
And bear down he did as De Jong got Bubba Starling to pop out to first and Frank Schwindel to ground into a force out to keep the visitors off the scoreboard.
The Drillers added an insurance run in the fifth inning after putting runners at first and third with one out following a Paul Hoenecke double and a single from Drew Maggi. Goudeau looked as if he might escape the jam with a double play as he got Toles to hit a grounder to second. But Toles beat the relay throw to first, allowing Hoenecke to score from third and put the Drillers firmly on top 3-0.
The two hits in the fourth would be the last hits De Jong would give up as the right-hander pitched into the seventh before handing the ball off to Joe Broussard with two outs in the inning after throwing his 99th pitch of the night.
Broussard came on for De Jong and promptly got the last out of the frame before delivering a scoreless eighth inning of work to send the game into the ninth.
The Naturals did not go down quietly though as they scored a run in the top of the ninth against Caleb Dirks with a single and an RBI double to bring the tying run to the plate. But like De Jong did in the fourth, Dirks escaped the jam by retiring Starling and Schwindel to end the game and secure the win.
De Jong picked up his sixth victory of the year while Goudeau suffered his third loss. Dirks earned his fourth save of the year after preserving the Tulsa lead.
The Drillers will now travel to Springfield for an important four-game series against the Cardinals. Tulsa RHP Jeremy Kehrt (0-1, 4.09 ERA) will start the first game Saturday night while RHP Luke Weaver (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will oppose him for Springfield. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 PM.
Texas League Stories from June 10, 2016
- DeJong Powers Cardinals to 6-4 Win and Series Victory - Springfield Cardinals
- Midland Takes Series Finale - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Yohander Mendez Leads Riders Back to Winning Ways - Frisco RoughRiders
- Missions Settle for Split, Lamet Debuts Before Sellout - San Antonio Missions
- Drillers Bounce Back Friday Night with 3-1 Victory - Tulsa Drillers
- Naturals Dropped by Drillers in Finale, 3-1 - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Naturals and Drillers in Town for 8 Game Series June 11 - 18 - Arkansas Travelers
- Riders Game Notes - 7:05 p.m. at San Antonio Missions - June 10, 2016 - Frisco RoughRiders
- Riders Homestand Preview: Saturday, June 11 - Saturday, June 18 - Frisco RoughRiders
- Hooks Hat Trick Too Much for 'Hounds - Midland RockHounds
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.
