Four-Run Ninth Ends Drillers Win Streak
July 29, 2021 - Texas League (TL)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
Tulsa Drillers starting pitcher Bryan Brickhouse allowed just two runs in 6.1 innings on Thursday night
(Tulsa Drillers, Credit: Rich Crimi)
Tulsa - Thursday night at ONEOK Field, the Tulsa Drillers and Midland took turns staging rallies. In the end, it was the RockHounds who struck last. Trailing by a run entering the ninth inning, the Hounds took advantage of an error to score runs and post an 8-5 victory.
For a large part of the night, it seemed if as if the Drillers would extend their winning streak to four straight.
They took a quick lead in the first inning when Michael Busch doubled with one out, and Miguel Vargas followed with a run-scoring base hit.
They increased the margin to three runs in the fourth. Devin Mann reached on an error and moved to third on a double by Ryan Noda. Romer Cuadrado and Hunter Feduccia plated two runs with back-to-back sacrifice flies to up the lead to 3-0.
Tulsa starting pitcher Bryan Brickhouse breezed through the first five innings before Midland designated hitter Edwin Diaz led off the top of the sixth with a home run.
The Hounds tied the game in the seventh. With one out, Logan Davidson singled, ending Brickhouse's excellent night. Reliever Nick Robertson came on and threw a wild pitch before allowing a base hit to Jonah Bride that scored Davidson to trim the lead to one run.
After a strikeout and a stolen base, Kyle McCann drew a walk. Diaz then hit a sharp grounder that deflected off third baseman Vargas' glove and into foul territory. The error allowed Bride to race home and tie the game at 3-3.
Midland took its first lead in the eighth. Devin Foyle singled, stole second and scored on a single from Jhonny Santos to give the RockHounds a 4-3 lead.
The Drillers responded in the bottom half of the eighth. James Outman drew a leadoff walk, and one out later, Noda belted an opposite-field homer over the left-center field fence to put Tulsa back in front 5-4. For Noda, it was his team-leading 17th home run of the year.
Things unraveled for Tulsa in the top of the ninth inning, and a fielding miscue again played a role.
Kyle McCann greeted reliever Aaron Ochsenbein with a leadoff single. After a fly out, Jake Suddleson rolled a grounder up the third base line that Vargas misplayed. The error put runners at first and second.
Ochsenbein recovered to get a strikeout, but the extra out proved costly when Foyle tripled on a 1-2 pitch to plate both runners and put the RockHounds back on top. Santos followed with a two-run homer to increase the Hounds lead to 8-5.
Clayton Daniel opened the bottom of the ninth with a leadoff double, but Midland reliever Zack Erwin got three straight fly outs to end the game and end Tulsa's winning streak.
It was a rare late-game loss for the Drillers. It was the first time this year they failed to win when carrying a lead into the last inning, as they were previously 33-0 in that scenario.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
*Brickhouse received a no decision but turned in a solid outing, working a season high 6.1 innings. He was charged with two runs on just three hits. Brickhouse did not walk a batter and struck out four.
*Noda has now hit homers in four straight games and in seven of his past nine. He also has 11 runs batted in during his last four games.
*All four runs from Midland in the ninth inning were unearned. The Hounds scored a total of five unearned runs in the game.
*Tulsa centerfielder Donovan Casey was a last-minute scratch from the Tulsa starting lineup.
UP NEXT
Midland at Tulsa on Friday, July 30 at 7:05 PM at ONEOK Field.
Images from this story
 Tulsa Drillers starting pitcher Bryan Brickhouse allowed just two runs in 6.1 innings on Thursday night (Rich Crimi) |
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