Drillers Lose Early Lead, Fall to Amarillo
August 9, 2023 - Texas League (TL)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
Tulsa Drillers' Jorbit Vivas at bat
(Tulsa Drillers, Credit: Rich Crimi)
TULSA, OK - After rallying from an early 3-1 deficit to defeat Amarillo the previous game, the Tulsa Drillers were on the wrong end of a similar rally Wednesday night at ONEOK Field. A three-run homer from Imanol Vargas in the first inning put Tulsa in front, but the Sod Poodles scored the game's next six runs and rallied for a 7-4 win over the Drillers.
The two teams have now split the first two games of their six-game series.
Amarillo took a quick lead when Caleb Roberts doubled and scored on a base hit by A.J. Vukovich in the top of the first inning.
Tulsa offered an immediate response in the bottom of the first, courtesy of Vargas. After a walk and an error put two runners on base, the first baseman deposited a pitch into the bullpens beyond the right field fence. The homer was the 15th of the season for Vargas and gave the Drillers a temporary 3-1 lead.
The runs kept coming in the top of the top of the second. Back-to-back doubles from Kevin Vicuna and Jordan Lawlar made it a one-run game before a two-out single by Vukovich tied the game.
It remained 3-3 until the sixth inning when the Sod Poodles went back in front on Roberts' RBI single off reliever Tanner Dodson.
They increased the margin to 7-3 in the seventh on Vicuna's three-run homer off Trevor Bettencourt.
Josh Stowers accounted for the final run of the night when he hit his third homer of the year in the bottom of the seventh.
The loss leaves the Drillers with a 2-6 record versus Amarillo this season.
HIGHLIGHTS AND HAPPENINGS:
*It was another tough outing against the Sod Poodles for Tulsa starting pitcher Nick Frasso. The right-hander was charged with three runs. In three starts against Amarillo this season, Frasso has surrendered 13 runs in 6.2 innings. He has a 16.20 ERA this season against the Sod Poodles and a 2.79 ERA against the rest of the Texas League.
*Austin Gauthier was held hitless in four at-bats, putting an end to his 12-game hitting streak. It was the second longest streak of the season for a Tulsa batter.
*Diego Cartaya also had a streak end. The Tulsa catcher had homered in three straight games and made a strong bid in the eighth inning to make it four in a row, but his drive was caught just in front of the fence by Amarillo left fielder Tim Tawa.
*Dodson suffered the loss, dropping his record to 5-6. The 11 decisions are the most on the Tulsa staff this year.
*Amarillo out-hit Tulsa 12-4 in the game.
*Each of the first two games of the series have been decided by 7-4 scores, and both games have taken exactly 2 hours and 40 minutes to play.
UP NEXT:
Tulsa and Amarillo will continue their series Thursday night at ONEOK Field. First pitch for the third game of the series is set for 7:05 p.m. and the starting pitchers are scheduled to be:
Amarillo - LHP Yu-Min Lin (2-1, 4.70 ERA)
Tulsa - RHP Kendall Williams (0-0, 2.25 ERA)
Images from this story
 Tulsa Drillers' Jorbit Vivas at bat (Rich Crimi) |
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