Letterman Has Retired ... 'Hounds Take over Late Night
May 29, 2015 - Texas League (TL1)
Midland RockHounds News Release
Nate Long threw seven shutout innings, while scattering just four hits and striking out eight, as the RockHounds completed a three-game sweep of the Tulsa Drillers with a 9-0 win on Thursday night at Security Bank Ballpark. (Saydee Bailey)
A 90-minute rain delay pushed the RockHounds and Tulsa into "prime time" Thursday night, and the RockHounds shut out the Drillers, 9-0, in Thursday's "late show," completing a three-game sweep at Security Bank Ballpark.
Nate Long and Jonathan Joseph combined on a five-hit shutout and Carson Blair continued his monster series, driving in his seventh, eighth and ninth runs of the three-game set.
The 'Hounds built a 3-0 lead with single runs in the first, fourth and sixth, with Chad Oberacker scoring the first and driving in the next two.
Trailing, 3-0, in the seventh, Tulsa put two men on base with no outs. Long then came back with a pair of strikeouts and Oberacker made a nice play on a wind-blown fly ball in right-center to end the threat. Moments later the 'Hounds put the game away.
Two walks and a Renato Nuñez single loaded the bases with no outs in the home half of the seventh, and Ryon Healy's sacrifice fly made the score 4-0. Another walk loaded the bases and Blair delivered ... again. The RockHounds' catcher sent a double in the gap to left-center, clearing the bases and pushing the score to 7-0. It was Carson's second bases-loaded, three-run double of the three-game series.
Colin Walsh and Matt Olson capped the scoring, hitting back-to-back home runs in the eighth. Walsh ripped a line drive to the left field corner and Olson (see below) followed with a drive out to deep right.
The RockHounds
... are now 25-22 for the season ... have won 4-of-their-last-5 ... have matched their high-water mark for the season at three games over .500, the most recent occurrence at 20-17 ... are 17-15 in South Division play and 8-7 versus the North Division ... are 17-8 at Security Bank Ballpark, the second best home record in the Texas League (NW Arkansas is 20-6) ... trail division-leading Corpus Christi (31-15) by six-and-a-half games.
Kibbles & Bits
STAT of the DAY: The RockHounds scored 25 runs in three games against a Tulsa pitching staff that entered the series with the league's best earned run average (3.03, with the next best being 3.30). The Drillers, who walked a season-high 10 batters Thursday, depart with a 3.37 ERA.
- The sweep was the RockHounds' second of the season (the 'Hounds took all four from Frisco at Security Bank Ballpark, May 9-12)
- PITCHING: The shutout was the club's fifth, and Nate Long has been the winning pitcher in the last two (3-0, May 18 at Frisco). Thursday, the right-hander went 7.0 innings, allowing four runs and three walks while striking out eight. It marked the second consecutive game in which a RockHounds starter has gone at least seven innings (Chris Jensen went eight in Wednesday's win). The performances couldn't come at a better time as far as the bullpen is concerned - - - Thursday's game was the club's 35th in 36 days. Jonathan Joseph, who pitched the eighth and ninth innings, has allowed one run in his last seven-and-a-third innings, striking out 11 batters and walking two in that stretch.
Carson Blair finished the Tulsa series 5-for-10, with three runs, three doubles, two triples, nine runs batted in, two walks and two strikeouts.
- His hit streak is at eight games, going 13-30 (.433), with four doubles, two triples and 10 RBI
- He has reached base in 18-of-19 games, hitting .397 (25-63) with a .486 on-base percentage
- He now ranks seventh in the league batting race (.321) ... third in OBP (.443) ... fifth in slugging (.538) and shares the lead in triples (4)
- Matt Olson went 2-for-2 with a home run and three walks. The homer was Matt's first in a month and a day (April 27).
- Jaycob Brugman (1-for-2, double, two runs, two walks) has reached base in 10 straight games (.361) and in 22-of-his-last-23 (.318),
- Chad Oberacker went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, scoring one run and driving in two more. "Obie" has been slowed by an injury to his right ring finger, but has now hit in three straight games (4-for-11) and is eighth in the league with a .314 average.
- Renato Nuñez (2-for-5, run RBI) extended his on-base streak to 13 games (12-50, .240).
Texas League Stories from May 29, 2015
- 9th Inning Rally Leads Drillers Past Roughriders - Tulsa Drillers
- Tulsa's Late Inning Heroics Down Riders - Frisco RoughRiders
- Hooks No-Hit Travelers - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Travs No-Hit on Rain-Shortened Friday - Arkansas Travelers
- Tonight's Game Postponed - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Drillers Returning Home for 6-Game Homestand - Tulsa Drillers
- Cardinals and Ashley Furniture HomeStore Salute Military at Hammons Field - Springfield Cardinals
- Riders Military Appreciation Night Set for Saturday - Frisco RoughRiders
- Former Rider Hanser Alberto Promoted to Rangers - Frisco RoughRiders
- McGowin & Spomer 3-Hit Missions - Arkansas Travelers
- Weekend Highlights: May 29 - May 31 - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Letterman Has Retired ... 'Hounds Take over Late Night - Midland RockHounds
- Drillers Swept by RockHounds in Midland - Tulsa Drillers
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