TL1 Tulsa Drillers

Drillers Fail to Hold Lead, Lose in 12 Innings

Published on August 15, 2011 under Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release


The Tulsa Drillers losing streak reached six games Monday night with another heartbreaking loss. The Drillers were again unable to protect a ninth-inning lead and eventually dropped a 3-2 decision in 12 innings to the Frisco RoughRiders.

The defeat left Tulsa with a 0-6 record on its road trip to Midland and Frisco.

Monday's loss was particularly tough. Holding a 2-1 lead entering the bottom of the ninth, reliever Adam Jorgenson hit leadoff hitter Jonathan Greene with a pitch. Joe Torres came on for Jorgenson and retired Elio Sarmiento for the first out of the inning. That brought Ben Snyder to the plate. Snyder, a pitcher, was forced into the game for shorthanded Frisco when right-fielder Engel Beltre was ejected in the seventh inning. In his first at-bat in two years, Snyder grounded a single into right field, sending Greene to third.

Torres then enticed a groundball off the bat of Jose Felix. Shortstop Hector Gomez fielded and flipped to second for the second out, but second baseman Tommy Field's throw to first was not in time to complete the game-ending double play, allowing Greene to score the game-tying run and send the game into extra innings.

It remained tied at 2-2 until the RoughRiders pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the 12th. With one out, Felix doubled off Stephen Dodson. After a wild pitch, Jared Bolden grounded a single into center field to score Felix and end the game.

With the two runs, the Drillers have scored a total of only eight runs in their past five games.

With the offensive struggles, they figured to need a good pitching performance to end their losing streak, and they got it from starting pitcher Christian Friedrich. Friedrich held the RoughRiders without a hit through the first five innings.

Friedrich threw six no-hit innings against the Colorado Rockies in March, and he almost matched the feat against the Riders. The lefthander allowed only a pair of walks through the first five innings before Renny Osuna ended his no-hit bid with a one-out single in the bottom of the sixth.

Wilin Rosario had opened the game's scoring on a solo home run with two outs in the top of the fourth to put Tulsa in front 1-0. The homer was the 17th of the year for the catcher and one of three hits he had in the game.

A Frisco error helped Tulsa add an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning. Tommy Field and Bronson Sardinha opened the inning with consecutive singles before a one-out walk to Jeffrey Squier loaded the bases. Tim Wheeler followed with a groundball to second baseman Davis Stoneburner. Stoneburner threw home to force Field, and catcher Elio Sarmiento tried to turn it into a double play, but his throw to first struck Wheeler, allowing Sardinha to race home and give the Drillers a 2-0 cushion.

The RoughRiders cut the lead in half with an unearned run of their own in the bottom of the seventh off Jorgenson. With one out, Felix doubled and moved to third when left fielder Mike Mitchell's throw back to the infield was wild. Bolden brought Felix home with a sacrifice fly.

The Drillers will have their final off day of the regular season on Tuesday before beginning a six-game homestand Wednesday evening at ONEOK Field. The stand will include a three-game series with Midland, followed by a three-game set with the RoughRiders. Game time for the opener on Wednesday is scheduled for 7:05PM.

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Texas League Stories from August 15, 2011


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