TL Tulsa Drillers

Kendall's Slam Gives Drillers Walk-Off Win

Published on June 27, 2021 under Texas League (TL)
Tulsa Drillers News Release


It was the Drillers first walk-off grand slam since Cody Bellinger did it to San Antonio during the 2016 season.

The dramatic victory gave Tulsa five wins in the six-game set with the Redbirds. The Drillers came from behind in four of the victories.

Trailing 3-2, Sunday's ninth-inning rally began when Carlos Rincon drew a leadoff walk from Edgar Escobar. Escobar retired the next two batters before hitting Michael Busch with a pitch and walking Hunter Feduccia to load the bases, setting the stage for Kendall. The outfielder quickly came through, lining the first pitch from Escobar inside the right field foul pole and onto Elgin Avenue for the game-ending slam.

Kendall was met at home plate by his teammates and was showered with a pair of water cooler showers. It was a familiar scene for him as he also delivered a walk-off homer to defeat Wichita earlier this season.

Pitching dominated the first half of the game with neither team getting on the scoreboard until a pair of miscues from leftfielder Rincon helped the Cardinals score the first run of the game.

Alec Burleson led off the top of the sixth with a deep drive to left-center field. Rincon had room on the warning track to catch the drive, but when he stopped short and attempted a leaping grab, the ball deflected off his glove for a double. After Burleson moved to third on an infield ground out, Brendan Donovan lofted a fly ball into shallow left field that Rincon completely missed. Burleson jogged home with the game's first run on the error.

The Redbirds added a second run in the seventh inning. With two outs and the bases empty, Nolan Gorman doubled to centerfield off Tulsa reliever Zach Welleman. Andrew Schwaab came on for Welleman and his second pitch was dropped into centerfield by Ivan Herrera for a soft single, plating Gorman to make it 2-0.

Springfield suffered its own defensive issues in the bottom of the seventh that helped the Drillers temporarily tie the score. With one out, Rincon reached safely on shortstop Delvin Perez's error. Ryan Noda and Devin Mann followed with singles that loaded the bases. Romer Cuadrado's grounder deflected off the glove of third baseman Donovan for another error and rolled into left field, allowing Rincon and Mann to score.

A two-out rally from the Cards in the eighth inning put them back in front. After Schwaab retired the first two batters, he hit Justin Toerner. Aaron Antonini doubled on the next pitch, scoring Toerner from first to put the Cardinals temporarily back on top 3-2.

THE HIGHLIGHTS

*Tulsa starting pitcher Michael delivered his first scoreless outing of the season. In his tenth start of the year, he allowed 3 hits in 3.1 innings of work while walking 1 batter and striking out 3. Grove has worked 7.0 total innings in his last two starts and has surrendered just one run, lowering his season ERA by over two runs.

*Sunday's game was played and started on time despite over 4 inches of rain falling on ONEOK Field overnight.

*Springfield starting pitcher Kevin McGovern, who spent ten years pitching in independent baseball before signing with the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this year, worked six shutout innings and allowed just two hits and one walk with eight strikeouts.

*Schwaab was credited with his first win of the season.

BOXSCORE

UP NEXT

Arkansas at Tulsa on Tuesday, June 29 at 7:05 PM at ONEOK Field.

Check out the Tulsa Drillers Statistics

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Texas League Stories from June 27, 2021


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