TL1 Tulsa Drillers

Drillers Complete Sweep of Midland with 6-5 Victory

Published on June 5, 2016 under Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release


The good times keep rolling for the Tulsa Drillers, as they completed a perfect road trip by picking up their 7th consecutive victory, this one against the Midland Rockhounds, to complete their 2nd consecutive series sweep, and third in their last four. After getting a solid start from Chase De Jong (5-4, 2.85 ERA), the Drillers had to come back from blowing a lead to get the victory in this one, holding off the Rockhounds for a 6-5 victory.

After stretching out a 5-0 lead through the first three and a half innings, the Drillers had to fight off the Rockhounds late in the game. The final two runs of the game both scored on wild pitches, first for the Rockhounds in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game at 5, then for the Drillers in the top of the ninth to complete the victory.

Tulsa's offense was rocking early in this one. In the top of the second inning, Jacob Scavuzzo and Lars Anderson got the ball rolling with back-to-back singles. Following a sacrifice bunt to get them into scoring position from Alex Verdugo, Paul Hoenecke laced a two-out double down the left field line to plate two runs, giving the Drillers an early 2-0 lead. The inning had the potential to give the Drillers an even larger lead, but Hoenecke was cut down at the plate for the third out of the inning on a throw from Midland left-fielder J.P. Sportman.

The game came to a halt in the bottom of the third inning when home plate umpire Derek Eaton was struck in the head on the follow-through of a swing by Rockhounds catcher Andy Paz. After a nearly thirty-minute delay, Eaton was taken from the field via ambulance. First base umpire Sean Allen replaced Eaton behind the plate for the remainder of the game.

After the delay, De Jong walked Paz, giving the Rockhounds runners on the corners with one out in the bottom of the third. Rockhounds center-fielder Brett Vertigan was called out after the ball bounced back into him after he had laid a bunt down. De Jong forced J.P. Sportman into an inning-ending ground out to preserve the 2-0 lead.

The fourth inning saw the Drillers send all nine batters to the dish, despite only three hits in the inning. Cody Bellinger started things off with a hustle double to right field, sliding into second base just before the throw from Danny Oh. Scavuzzo followed by reaching on an error by Rockhounds second-baseman Wade Kirkland. Bellinger took advantage and scooted to third base on the error.

Lars Anderson fought off a two-strike pitch and looped a single into center field to plate Bellinger and move Scavuzzo to second base, stretching the Drillers lead to 3-0. Following a pair of fly-outs and a walk to Drew Maggi, Andrew Toles came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. He proceeded to line a single into center field that plated a pair of runs, growing the lead to 5-0.

Brandon Trinkwon walked to load the bases once again. Willie Calhoun took three straight balls to get a 3-0 count. After fouling off the 3-0 pitch, Calhoun lined a ball to Oh in right field which ended the inning, leaving three men on base.

Rockhounds pitcher Chris Jensen (3-4, 5.66) had to fire 45 pitches in the third inning alone.

Midland continued to chip away at the Drillers lead, scratching off runs in four consecutive innings. Tyler Marincov took advantage of the short porch in right field of Security Bank Ballpark with a home run in the bottom of the fourth to give Midland their first run of the ballgame. In the fifth inning, De Jong got into a jam, loading the bases with only one out. Sportman hit a sacrifice fly to score Midland second baseman Wade Kirkland. De Jong limited the damage in the inning to just one run, making the score 5-2 at the end of five innings.

Kyle Hooper made his season debut for the Drillers in the bottom of the sixth inning. Tyler Marincov reached on a single, and was brought home on a home run by Midland third baseman Matt Chapman's Texas League leading 14th home run of the season, shrinking the Drillers lead to 5-4.

Rob Rogers took over in the seventh inning for the Drillers. With runners on the corners and two outs, the ball got away from catcher Paul Hoenecke allowing the tying run to score.

Luck came back the Drillers way in the top of the ninth inning. Alex Verdugo led off the inning with a walk and was taken out of the game for pinch-runner Adam Law. Following a pop-out by Hoenecke, Drew Maggi was hit by the pitch, giving the Drillers two runners with one out. Andrew Toles was robbed of an RBI single on a diving play by Rockhounds first baseman Viosergy Rosa, but it moved the runners to second and third with two outs. With Brandon Trinkwon at the dish, a pitch got away from Rockhounds catcher Andy Paz that allowed Law to score and give the Drillers their lead back at 6-5.

Reliever Scott Griggs (0-0. 0.00 ERA) came on in the bottom of the ninth inning for Tulsa and continued his dominant season by retiring the Rockhounds in order, including a pair of strikeouts to earn his fourth save with the Drillers this season.

With the victory, Tulsa continues their dominant streak of the past few weeks, having won 11 of their past 12 games, and 22 of their past 29. This streak has pushed the Drillers past the Springfield Cardinals into sole possession of first place in the North Division of the Texas League with three weeks remaining in the first half of the season.

After an off day on Monday, the Drillers will return home for a 5-game home-stand against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals beginning on Tuesday with a doubleheader. The first game of the doubleheader will begin at 4:30PM with the gates at OneOK Field opening at 4:00PM. Starting pitchers for the doubleheader are yet to be announced.

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