Drillers Head into Break Following 3-1 Loss
Published on July 12, 2026 under Texas League (TL)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
Tulsa Drillers pitcher Christian Zazueta
(Tulsa Drillers, Credit: Rich Crimi)
Tulsa, OK - The Tulsa Drillers will enter the break for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on a two-game losing streak. The Drillers closed out a six-game series with Springfield on Sunday afternoon at ONEOK Field with a 3-1 loss to the Cardinals.
It was a day of missed opportunities for the Drillers. They stranded ten runners on base and lost two others on the base paths, including one at the plate.
The result meant a split of the six-game series between the two teams, but the Cardinals will enter the break in first place in the Texas League's North Division, just one game in front of the Drillers.
It was the final regular season meeting between the two teams with the Drillers winning the season series with a 10-8 record.
For the first time in the six-game series, the Drillers scored first in Sunday's finale. The initial run came in the bottom of the first inning, and it came without the benefit of a hit. Taylor Young drew a leadoff walk, and Zyhir Hope was hit by a pitch. The runners were at first and third with two outs when the Drillers generated the run. Hope was picked off first, but he was able to stay in a rundown long enough for Young to race across the plate before the tag was made to record the third out of the inning.
It would be Tulsa's only run of the day.
The Cardinals tied the score at 1-1 in the third. Dakota Harris opened the inning with a double and moved to third when Graysen Tarlow followed with a single. Harris eventually scored on Won-Bin Cho's ground out.
The Drillers made bid to retake the lead in the bottom of the third. With the bases loaded and one out, Frank Rodriguez lined out to Cho in left field. Hope tagged from third base and attempted to score on the fly out. Cho made a strong and accurate throw to the plate as Hope slid head first. Catcher Tarlow's tag to Hope's hip was ruled to have taken place before his hand touched the plate, ending the inning with the score still tied at 1-1.
Springfield went in front in the top of the seventh. Reliever Wyatt Crowell walked two batters in the inning, setting up a two-out, two-run double from Jesus Baez that gave the Cards a 3-1 lead.
GAME NOTES
*It marked just the second series split at ONEOK Field this year for the Drillers. They are now 5-1-2 (W-L-S) in eight home series.
*Tulsa starting pitcher Christian Zazueta turned in his second-shortest outing of the season. Zazueta worked three innings and was charged with one run on three hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out three.
*Crowell suffered the loss, snapping his five-game winning streak. The lefthander surrendered two runs in 3.2 innings and was hampered by five walks.
*Kyle Nevin and Kole Myers accounted for four of Tulsa's five hits, finishing with two each.
*The Drillers played the game without outfielders Josue De Paula and Mike Sirota. The two were in Philadelphia on Sunday participating in the All-Star Futures Game. Kendall George also sat out the game.
*De Paula started in left field for the National League in the Futures Game and singled in two official at-bats. Sirota replaced him in the lineup in the fifth inning and finished 0-1.
UP NEXT
The Drillers will now enjoy a four-day break for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. They will return to play on Friday in Frisco, Texas, opening a three-game series with the RoughRiders in what will be nine-game road trip. Friday's opener will begin at 7:05 p.m. at Frisco's Riders Field.
Images from this story
 Tulsa Drillers pitcher Christian Zazueta (Rich Crimi) |
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