Drillers Lose Lead, Rally To Win
Published on July 4, 2008 under Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
July 4, 2008 - The Tulsa Drillers had not won a game all season long when they were trailing going into the ninth inning. That all changed Friday night when the Drillers showed off some Fourth of July fireworks of their own with two runs in the bottom of the ninth for a 9-8 victory over the Corpus Christi Hooks.
The Drillers once led the game 6-1 after five innings, but watched the Hooks rally to take a 8-7 lead in the eighth.
Tulsa's last inning rally began with consecutive singles by Jeff Kindel and Daniel Carte. After Jeff Dragicevich popped out on a failed sacrifice bunt attempt, Brian Esposito tied the game with a base hit that plated Kindel. With the scored tied and runners at first and second, Eddie Cornejo flared a base hit into left field. Corpus Christi leftfielder Val Majewski charged the hit and fired to home. His throw was on the first base side of the plate, allowing Carte to slide head first into home with the game-winning run.
Corpus Christi actually took a 1-0 lead in the game, but the Drillers responded with six straight runs.
The Drillers used back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the second inning to take the lead. Tony Blanco belted his 16th homer of the season over the left field wall. Kindel followed with his sixth blast of the year that gave the home team a 2-1 lead. The inning continued when Carte doubled and scored on a double by Esposito.
Tulsa's third inning was a productive one as well. Dexter Fowler walked to start the inning, and Matt Miller followed up with a single. Blanco then walked to load the bases. Kindel got his second RBI of the game as he plated Fowler on a fielder's choice ground out. Two batters later, Corey Wimberly singled on a sharp grounder to the Hooks third baseman Chris Johnson, allowing Miller to come home to increase the lead to 5-1.
It became 6-1 in the fourth as Eric Young Jr. singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Miller.
Tulsa starter Tomas Santiago worked five strong innings before the bullpen faltered in the later innings.
The Hooks' comeback began in the sixth. Val Majewski doubled with one out and then scored on a base hit by Eli Iorg. After Wladimir Sutil walked, Jose Lopez singled in Iorg to cut the lead to 6-3. Pinch-hitter Robert Cosby drove in Sutil with a single into right to trim the Tulsa lead to 6-4.
The Drillers got one of the runs back in the bottom of the sixth. Cornejo doubled down the left field line and was later plated later by a Miller infield grounder that put the Drillers up 7-4.
Corpus Christi cut the margin to a single run with a two-run seventh. Chris Johnson singled, and two batters later, he came come home on an Ole Sheldon two-run homer to left that made it 7-6.
The Hooks took the lead with two more runs in the eighth inning. Jimmy Goethals drew a one-out walk off reliever Darren Clarke and then scored on disputed triple by Jarred Ball. Ball's drive was down the right field line, and Tulsa manager Stu Cole came out to argue ball landed in foul territory. But, after a meeting between the umpires, the fair call was upheld.
Richard Paz added to Tulsa's frustration with a base hit that plated Ball to give the Hooks an 8-7 lead.
The frustration ended with the walk-off rally in the bottom of the ninth.
Fowler extended his hitting streak to nine straight games with a 2-3 night.
Every Tulsa starter but Santiago had at least one hit, as the Drillers totaled 16 in the game.
The Drillers will conclude their three-game series with the Hooks Saturday evening at Drillers Stadium. First pitch will be at 7:05 pm with the Tulsa sending Xavier Cedeno (7-6, 4.38 ERA) to the mound and Corpus Christi countering with Tip Fairchild (1-5, 9.24 ERA).
Texas League Stories from July 4, 2008
- Drillers Lose Lead, Rally To Win - Tulsa Drillers
- Naturals Can't Protect Lead Friday - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Riders' Pitching Dominates in 8-1 Win - Springfield Cardinals
- Missions Outlast Naturals in Completion of Thursday's Suspended Game - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Ballard leads Riders past Cardinals - Frisco RoughRiders
- Naturals Fourth of July Game Sold Out - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Come See July 4 Fireworks At Dickey-Stephens Park - Arkansas Travelers
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