Drillers Fall Victim to Another Late Rally
July 30, 2021 - Texas League (TL)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
Romer Cuardrado of the Tulsa Drillers stands at second base after one of his two doubles in Friday's game
(Tulsa Drillers, Credit: Tim Campbell)
Tulsa, OK- For the second straight game, the Tulsa Drillers fell victim to a late-inning rally from the Midland RockHounds Friday night. The Drillers took a 3-1, first-inning lead on Friday, and still held a one-run lead all the way into the eighth inning. But the resilient RockHounds scored one run in the eighth to tie the game and another in the tenth to rally for a 4-3 extra-innings victory.
After a three-game winning streak, the Drillers have now suffered two straight losses and are 6-4 on their current 12-game homestand.
The RockHounds momentarily held an early lead in the game. After scoring five unearned runs in Thursday's victory, they took advantage of another defensive miscue from the Drillers to score the first run of the night. The game's leadoff batter, Devin Foyle, reached safely when Tulsa right fielder Romer Cuadrado failed to catch his sinking liner. Foyle raced to second on the error, then to third on a base hit by Jhonny Santos. He came home on a double-play grounder from Logan Davidson.
The Drillers took advantage of a Midland error to provide an immediate response in the bottom of the first. Jacob Amaya led off with a base hit and advanced to third when Michael Busch followed with a double. Miguel Vargas hit a ground ball to the left side of the infield, but RockHounds' third baseman Jhoan Paulino's throw to first sailed into right field, plating both base runners.
Vargas also scored in the inning on a sacrifice fly from Ryan Noda, putting Tulsa in front 3-1.
Tulsa starting pitcher Edward Cuello, making just his second start of the year, preserved the lead through three innings.
Reliever Austin Drury worked a scoreless fourth before surrendering a solo homer to Chase Calabuig in the fifth that trimmed the Drillers lead to 3-2.
The RockHounds threatened in the seventh inning when a walk and a base hit put runners at first and second with one out. Justin Hagenman came on for Drury and got a sinking liner off the bat of Calabuig that left fielder Devin Mann grabbed with a sliding catch. After a passed ball moved the runners to second third, Hagenman struck out Foyle on a full-count, 94 m.p.h. fastball to end the threat.
Midland did get the score tied in the eighth on one swing from Santos. The centerfielder hit Hagenman's third pitch of the inning into the Budweiser Terrace in left field for his seventh home run of the year, tying the game at 3-3.
The Drillers missed a good chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases with one out. Midland reliever Michael Weisenburger sent the game into extra innings when he struck out Stevie Berman and Amaya.
Midland pushed across the go-ahead run in the top of the tenth. With the placed runner at second base, a lined base hit to right from Calabuig put runners at the corners. Zach Willeman retired Foyle on an infield popup before Santos hit a ground ball over the third base bag. Vargas made a backhanded stop on the grounder and nearly started a spectacular inning-ending double play, but Santos beat the relay throw to first, allowing the go-ahead run to score.
Needing a run to keep the game going, the bottom of the tenth for the Drillers started with a wild pitch from Weisenburger that allowed placed runner Amaya to advance to third. But like in the ninth, Weisenburger proved difficult to score against. He retired Busch on a ground ball to second, with Amaya holding at third, and Vargas on a strikeout.
But the right-hander could not get the third out as he issued successive walks to James Outman and Noda to load the bases.
Lefthander Zack Erwin, who saved Thursday's win for the RockHounds, came on and needed just two pitches to retir pinch-hitter Clayton Daniel on a soft grounder to first to end the game.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
*The Drillers played the game shorthanded as outfielder Donovan Casey and pitcher Gerardo Carrillo departed Friday afternoon after the Los Angeles Dodgers trade with the Washington Nationals was finalized. Casey, Carrillo, Keibert Ruiz and JoJo Gray were sent to the Nationals for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner.
*Cuello was solid in just his tenth start in professional baseball. He allowed only two hits and the one unearned in his three-inning stint. Cuello had two walks and two strikeouts.
*Hunter Feduccia extended his hitting streak with an infield single in the seventh. He has also hit safely in 18 of his last 19 games.
*Amaya finished with two hits and has at least two hits in three of his past four games.
*Cuadrado went 2-3 with a pair of doubles.
*The Drillers are now 4-6 in extra-innings games.
BOX SCORE
UP NEXT
Midland at Tulsa on Saturday, July 31 at 7:05 PM at ONEOK Field.
The pitching matchup will feature Midland RHP Brady Feigl (6-6, 4.36 ERA) against Tulsa RHP Michael Grove (0-4, 10.07 ERA).
Images from this story
 Romer Cuardrado of the Tulsa Drillers stands at second base after one of his two doubles in Friday's game (Tim Campbell) |
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