TL1 Tulsa Drillers

Drillers Fail to Hold Lead in Second Straight Loss to Cards

Published on May 6, 2018 under Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release


The Tulsa Drillers could not protect a four-run lead Sunday afternoon and dropped a second straight game to Springfield in an 8-6 loss. The Drillers took a 6-2 lead in the sixth inning, but the Cardinals scored the final six runs of the game to take the victory.

With the loss, Tulsa falls 1.5 games behind the first-place Redbirds in the North Division standings of the Texas League.

The Drillers opened the game's scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, but watched the Cardinals respond with two runs of their own in the fifth.

Tulsa went back in front with four runs in the top of the sixth. The big inning began when Luke Raley was hit by a pitch. D.J. Peters doubled him home before scoring himself on a triple by Yusniel Diaz. After a pitching change, Connor Joe capped the uprising with his sixth home run of the year to give the Drillers a 6-2 lead.

Springfield quickly responded against reliever Frank Duncan in the bottom half of the sixth when the first three batters singled to load the bases. Duncan battled back to get a sacrifice fly and a ground out to come within one out of escaping the jam. But, Ramon Urias followed with the biggest hit of the game, a three-run homer that again tied the game at 6-6.

The Cards used another long ball to take the lead for good in the seventh. John Nogowski singled with one out off Duncan, and Victor Roache delivered his Texas League-leading 10th homer of the season to give Springfield its first lead of the day at 8-6.

The Drillers would get only one more base runner over the final two innings, a two-out double from Joe in the eighth, as the Cards maintained the two-run lead to make it two straight wins.

WHAT YOU MISSED

*Mitchell White made his first start of the season on the mound for the Drillers, and pitched effectively. White threw 66 pitches in three shutout innings, surrendering two hits and three walks while striking out four.

*Joe finished a perfect 3-3 in the game with 3 runs batted in and fell just a triple short of hitting for the cycle.

*Errol Robinson was the only other Tulsa hitter with more than one hit, finishing 2-5.

*Duncan worked 3.2 innings and was charged with all eight runs. The loss was his first since joining the Drillers.

*Tulsa announced a couple of roster moves just prior to game time. Pitcher Yadier Alvarez was placed on the disabled list with a groin strain. Reliever Karch Kowalczyk was also placed on the DL. White was activated to fill one of the spots and pitcher Andrew Istler was added from Extended Spring Training. On Saturday, Wes Darvill rejoined the Drillers to replace Conor Heady who was assigned to Extended Spring.

WHAT'S UP NEXT

The Drillers will play the third game of their four-game set in Springfield Monday morning. First pitch at Hammons Field is scheduled for 11:10 a.m. The pitching matchup will feature:

LHP Devin Smeltzer (0-1, 4.74 ERA)

TBA

Check out the Tulsa Drillers Statistics

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Texas League Stories from May 6, 2018


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