Drillers Top Cards to Move Back into First Place
June 13, 2016 - Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
Tulsa Drillers Pitcher Trevor Oaks Prepares to Throw
(Tulsa Drillers, Credit: Rich Crimi)
After dropping the first two games in a four-game showdown series with the Springfield Cardinals, the Tulsa Drillers bounced back in a big way Monday afternoon at Hammons Field. The Drillers pounded out 14 hits in support of another strong outing from starting pitcher Trevor Oaks and defeated the Redbirds 9-4. The victory moved Tulsa back into first place in the North Division standings of the Texas League, ½ game in front of Springfield, with only 7 games remaining in the first-half of the season.
Andrew Toles started Tulsa's big offensive showing by lining the game's first pitch for a base hit. Following a sacrifice bunt from Adam Law, Toles scored the game's first run on a two-out single from Alex Verdugo.
The Cards answered in the bottom half of the first with their only damage against Oaks. Harrison Bader led off with a single and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Bruce Caldwell.
The Drillers went in front to stay with two runs in the third, and the rally began with a leadoff single by Oaks, his first-ever hit in professional baseball. After Toles doubled for his second hit of the day, Law brought both runners home with another two-base hit to give Tulsa a 3-1 lead.
Toles upped the margin to three runs in the sixth when he tripled home Jordan Tarsovich who had doubled.
Paul Hoenecke made it a 7-1 lead when he broke a 4-33 slump with a blast in the seventh. Willie Calhoun, who won his second Texas League Hitter of the Week award on Monday, and Lars Anderson both singled before Hoenecke deposited a pitch from reliever Heath Wyatt deep over the right-center field fence for his sixth home run of the season.
The three-run shot made the final three innings a little more comfortable for the Drillers and manager Ryan Garko as the Cardinals refused to go away.
Springfield cut into the lead in the bottom of the seventh as reliever Joe Broussard forced home a run when he hit Harrison Bader with a pitch with the base loaded.
Tulsa got that run back in the eighth when Law singled and scored on another sacrifice fly by Verdugo, but the Cards responded with two runs of their own against reliever Kyle Hooper in the bottom of the inning.
Tarsovich produced the final run of the game in the top of the ninth with his second Double-A homer of the year.
Caleb Dirks finally closed out the Cards and the game with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth.
Toles and Tarsovich both enjoyed big days as the duo accounted for nearly half of Tulsa's 14 hits, picking up 3 each. Law and Calhoun chipped in with two hits each.
Oaks, who was named the Texas League's Pitcher of the Week Monday morning, worked the first six innings and was charged with just the one run on six hits. The victory improved the right-hander's Double-A record to 8-1. The eight wins lead all Texas League pitchers, despite Oaks beginning the season with Rancho Cucamonga in the California League.
The Drillers and Cardinals will play the final game of their four-game series Tuesday night in Springfield with the winner occupying first place entering the final six games of the half. The two teams will close the half with a pair of games at ONEOK Field on Sunday, June 19 and Monday, June 20.
The pitching matchup for Tuesday's series finale in Missouri will feature Tim Shibuya (0-2, 2.36 ERA) for the Drillers and Andrew Morales (4-4, 3.45 ERA) for the Redbirds. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30pm.
Images from this story
 Tulsa Drillers Pitcher Trevor Oaks Prepares to Throw (Rich Crimi) |
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