Three Homers Help Tulsa Edge Wichita
August 26, 2021 - Texas League (TL)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
WICHITA, KS - Tulsa and Wichita have now met 26 times this season in the Propeller Series, and we are no closer to finding a series winner than when the 2021 season began. The closely contested series continued Wednesday night as the Drillers got three solo home runs to edge the Wind Surge 3-2 at Wichita's Riverfront Stadium. The result evened the season series at 13 wins each with just four meetings remaining between the two teams.
The winner of the season-long Propeller Series will receive the Propeller Trophy from Coors Light.
In addition, the two teams are both still battling for the playoff spots that go to the two teams with the two best records in Double-A Central, regardless of division. Wichita currently has the best record in the league while the Drillers trail Frisco, the team with the second-best record, by just 3.5 games.
Tulsa starting pitcher Gus Varland and Wichita starter Tyler Beck were both unhittable through Wednesday's early frames. The first hit of the game did not come until there were two outs in the bottom of the fourth, and it was a big one. With the bases empty, Wichita designated hitter Trey Cabbage deposited a pitch from Varland over the right-center field fence for his 15th home run of the year to give the Wind Surge a 1-0 lead.
Jacob Amaya matched Cabbage when he got Tulsa's first hit leading off the fifth. Amaya's 12th home run tied the game.
The Drillers again flexed their muscle in the sixth as Miguel Vargas drilled his 13th Double-A home run on the first pitch of the inning to put Tulsa in front. Two pitches later Ryan Noda made it back-to-back homers when he belted his team-leading 25th to give the Drillers a 3-1 lead.
From there, the game was turned over to the Tulsa bullpen, and it again came through.
Zack Plunkett followed Varland to the mound and pitched around a walk and an error to work a scoreless fifth inning. A single and a walk put Wichita runners at first and second with one out in the sixth, forcing Plunkett to turn things over to Nick Robertson. Robertson got a strikeout before Ernie De La Trinidad lined a base hit into right field, but Tulsa right fielder Romer Cuadrado preserved Tulsa's 3-1 lead with a strong throw home as Drillers catcher Juan Zabala kept Roy Morales from scoring with a swiping tag.
Wichita did pull closer in the seventh as Robertson issued a pair of walks, setting up a run-scoring single by Morales. Robertson recovered to strike out Jermaine Palacios to end the threat and the inning.
Aaron Ochsenbein was summoned from the Tulsa bullpen to begin the eighth, and he turned in one of his most impressive outings of the season to close out the victory. Ochsenbein retired all six batters he faced, collecting two strikeouts in each inning.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
*The game featured a total of only eight hits, four from each team.
*Plunkett was credited with the victory, his first at the Double-A level.
*Varland turned in his longest outing of the season, working four innings on just 49 pitches. The homer by Cabbage was the only hit he allowed. He walked one batter and struck out three.
*The throw to the plate to retire Morales was the fifth outfield assist of the season for Cuadrado.
*The home run from Vargas in the sixth inning traveled 443 feet. Counting his seven home runs for Great Lakes, Vargas has now hit 20 total home runs this season.
UP NEXT
The Coors Light Propeller Series continues Tulsa meets Wichita in game three of their six-game series on Thursday, August 26 at 7:05 PM at Riverfront Stadium.
The pitching matchup is scheduled to be RHP Jose Martinez (0-1, 9.69 ERA) for the Drillers against RHP Jordan Balazovic (4-2, 3.42 ERA) for the Wind Surge.
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