Drillers Win Behind Pitching and Late Rally
TL Tulsa Drillers

Drillers Win Behind Pitching and Late Rally

July 25, 2025 - Texas League (TL)
Tulsa Drillers News Release


Tulsa Drillers' Ezequiel Pagan on game night
Tulsa Drillers' Ezequiel Pagan on game night
(Tulsa Drillers, Credit: Tim Campbell)

Tulsa, OK - The Tulsa Drillers pitching staff turned in another strong effort Friday night, but for nearly eight innings, it wasn't clear that it would be enough for a victory over Springfield. Offensively, the Drillers were limited to just one hit through seven innings, with neither team plating a run. The shutout ended in the bottom of the eighth when the Tulsa offense came to life with five hits and three runs to produce a 3-0 victory over the Cardinals at ONEOK Field.

It was the second straight victory for the Drillers, and they have now won three of the first four games in their series against the first-place Cardinals.

The game-deciding rally in the eighth began with one out when Ezequiel Pagán doubled down the first base line. After a strikeout, Sean McLain came through with a groundball single through the hole on the left side of the infield, scoring Pagán with the first run of the game.

Tulsa was not finished as a double by Taylor Young put runners at second and third. Kole Myers brought Young home with an infield single, and Yeiner Fernandez capped the rally with the fifth hit of the inning, a double that scored Young to make it 3-0.

The Drillers did not turn to normal closer Antonio Knowles for the ninth, instead leaving the final three outs to Robinson Ortiz. The inning got off to a shaky start when Ortiz hit the leadoff batter and fell behind the second 3-0. After a visit from pitching coach Durin O'Linger, the lefthander recovered to get a double-play grounder and a strikeout to end the game.

Ortiz had come into the game in the eighth and had gotten the final two outs, so he qualified for the win that improved his Double-A record to 3-0.

The Cardinals missed chances to score early in the game, losing three runners on the base paths in the first five innings. One was thrown out attempting to steal second base and another was picked off first. The third was thrown out attempting to stretch a single into a double.

The Drillers did not have a base runner until the fifth inning as Springfield starter Hancel Rincon retired the first 12 batters he faced before walking Chris Newell to open the fifth. The free pass set up a scoring opportunity for the Drillers as Damon Keith picked up their first hit with a one-out single to left field that put runners at the corners. The threat ended when Newell got trapped in a rundown trying to score on Pagán's grounder to first. He was tagged for the second out, and a strikeout ended the inning.

The Drillers entered this series with just a 1-11 record against the Cardinals this season, and they can credit their three victories this week to the pitching staff. In the four games against the Redbirds this week, Tulsa hurlers have given up just six runs in 37 innings pitched for a 1.46 team ERA.

INSIDE THE GAME

*Friday's strong outing began with starting pitcher Luke Fox who was making his Double-A debut. The lefthander allowed just one hit and two walks while striking out three in three scoreless innings. Fox was promoted from High-A Great Lakes earlier this week. He was 3-3 with a 2.96 ERA in 13 games with the Loons.

*Kelvin Bautisa worked a scoreless fourth inning in relief of Fox.

*Christian Suarez followed Bautista and allowed just one hit with three strikeouts in 2.2 innings.

*Ortiz did not allow a hit in his 1.2 innings and logged two strikeouts.

*It was the seventh shutout of the season for the Tulsa pitching staff. Five of them have come at ONEOK Field.

*Springfield starter Rincon departed after six shutout innings, allowing just the single to Keith and the walk to Newell in the fifth inning. He struck out eight Tulsa batters.

*Pagán's eighth-inning double extended his hitting streak to eight straight games.

*McLain has hit safely in eight of his last ten games.

*It was not the first late rally for the Drillers. The victory was the sixth time this season they have won a game at ONEOK Field when trailing or tied after seven innings.

UP NEXT

The series between the two teams will continue on Saturday night with the fifth game of their six-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at ONEOK Field, and the starting pitchers are slated to be:

Springfield - LHP Ixan Henderson (6-4, 2.43 ERA)

Tulsa - RHP Chris Campos (5-4, 4.80 ERA)

Check out the Tulsa Drillers Statistics




Images from this story

Tulsa Drillers' Ezequiel Pagan on game night
Tulsa Drillers' Ezequiel Pagan on game night
(Tim Campbell)		   



Texas League Stories from July 25, 2025


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