Early Homers Too Much for Drillers
April 9, 2016 - Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
After earning their first win of the season Friday night, the Drillers came into Saturday's rubber game looking to secure the series win. But the Corpus Christi Hooks put those hopes out quickly, with two home runs in as many innings to start the game as the Drillers fell 6-0 in the finale.
Big-league veteran Evan Gattis was in the middle of the action for Corpus as he was playing with the club on a rehab assignment for a sports hernia injury he suffered during Spring Training. Gattis looked fully recovered as the burly slugger finished the day with three hits and three RBI to lead the Hooks.
Corpus got things going in the bottom half of the first inning as Alex Bregman and Gattis lined back-to-back, one-out singles. Gattis was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a double, but cleanup hitter Derek Fisher made up for it as he launched his first homer of the season over the left field fence, putting the Hooks up 2-0.
The Hooks kept the pressure on in the second inning, this time mounting their rally with two outs. Gattis struck the decisive blow this time, as he blasted a three-run shot to left to bring the Corpus advantage to 5-0.
Tulsa starter Felipe Gonzalez settled down to keep Corpus off the board over the next two innings, but the damage had already been done.
On the other side of the diamond, Corpus starter Francis Martes kept the Tulsa bats at bay as he fired six shutout innings. After giving up a one-out double to Willie Calhoun in the first inning, Martes did not allow another hit during his remaining time on the mound as he earned his first win of the season.
Corpus would add an insurance run in the eighth inning as Chase McDonald hit the third homer of the night for the Hooks, leading to the final tally of 6-0.
The lone bright spot of the night for the Drillers came from their bullpen as big league veterans Dale Thayer and Jordan Schafer delivered three shutout innings before McDonald's homer in the eighth off reliever Michael Johnson ended the scoreless stretch.
Thayer, signed by the Dodgers at the end of Spring Training, made his first appearance for Tulsa with a clean inning of work after spending the past four seasons as a member of the San Diego Padres bullpen.
For Schafer, his two scoreless innings of work marked his first professional pitching appearance in a regular season game. The southpaw spent parts of the past 6 seasons in MLB with the Atlanta Braves, the Houston Astros and the Minnesota Twins as an outfielder before deciding to reinvent himself as a relief pitcher.
The Drillers will have a quick turnaround as they travel to San Antonio where they will begin a three game series against the Missions. Getting the start for Tulsa in the first game on Sunday will be right-hander Scott Barlow. He will be opposed by Luis Diaz for San Antonio. Every pitch can be heard on AM 1430 The Buzz as the game is scheduled to begin at 2:05PM.
Texas League Stories from April 9, 2016
- Cards Rally Late to Take Series - San Antonio Missions
- Healy's Heroics Trump Travs in Finale - Arkansas Travelers
- Early Homers Too Much for Drillers - Tulsa Drillers
- Martes Masterful in Victory - Corpus Christi Hooks
- San Antonio Squanders Lead, Drops Series Finale - San Antonio Missions
- Cardinals Claim Series Win with 6-4 Comeback Victory - Springfield Cardinals
- Jackson Leads Big Offensive Day as Riders Sweep - Frisco RoughRiders
- Roughriders Defeat Naturals in Series Finale - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Riders Game Notes - 6:05 p.m. at Northwest Arkansas Naturals - April 9, 2016 - Frisco RoughRiders
- Oh Well ... There Goes Our Perfect Season - Midland RockHounds
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