Trio of Homers Lead Drillers over Cards
August 5, 2019 - Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
Ryan Moseley worked 1.2 scoreless innings serving as the opener for the Tulsa Drillers in their victory over Springfield Monday night
(Tulsa Drillers, Credit: Tim Campbell)
TULSA - The Tulsa Drillers reverted to their first-half form to defeat Springfield Monday night in the first game of a three-game series at ONEOK Field. In the first-half of the season, the Drillers hit at least three home runs in a game ten different times, but during the second half, they had accomplished the feat only twice. They made it three times on Monday as rehabbing Jedd Gyorko, Angelo Mora and Omar Estevez all belted homers to lead the Drillers to a 6-2 win over the Cardinals.
The power surge started early. In the bottom of the first, Estevez drew a leadoff walk, and Gyorko followed with a blast that cleared the centerfield fence just to the left of the hitter's background to give the Drillers a quick two-run lead.
Mora doubled the margin in the third. After Gyorko worked a walk, Mora deposited an offering from Evan Kruczynski in nearly the exact same spot as Gyorko's drive to increase the Tulsa lead to 4-0.
The Cardinals played small ball to cut into their deficit in the top of the fifth. Following a walk and a base hit, Kruczynski executed a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners into scoring position. Rayder Ascanio followed by placing an opposite-field base hit into right field, scoring both runners to halve the Drillers lead to two runs.
Tulsa got one of the runs back in the bottom half of the fifth. The Drillers put runners at the corners when Estevez reached base safely on an error by shortstop Ascanio, and Gyorko singled. Cristian Santana beat the infield shift by grounding a base hit into right field to plate Estevez, upping the lead to 5-2.
Estevez capped the scoring and Tulsa's three-homer night when he led off the bottom of the seventh with his fourth home run of the season.
The Drillers used a total of five pitchers in the game. After Ryan Moseley filled the opener role, Edwin Uceta picked up the win even though he was charged with the two Cardinals runs. Michael Boyle, Yordy Cabrera and Jordan Sheffield combined to hold the Redbirds to just one hit and zero runs over the final four innings.
After a night off, Gyorko played in his second game with the Drillers as part of his injury rehabilitation assignment from the Los Angeles Dodgers. He continued to look like he is ready for a return to the big leagues, going 2-3 with two runs scored and two runs batted in. Gyorko is now 3-5 during his rehab stint and has reach base safely in four of his six plate appearances.
WHAT YOU MISSED
*Normally a reliever, Moseley made his first start of the season and did not allow a hit or a run in his 1.2 innings while serving as the opener. He issued one walk while striking out two.
*The Cardinals were held to just three hits in the game.
*Estevez scored three of Tulsa's six runs.
*The Drillers have now hit 120 home runs this season. They hit 87 in 69 first-half games, while Monday's 3 homers upped their second-half total to just 33 in 43 games. After averaging 1.26 homers per game in the first half, their pace has slipped to just .76 per game in the second.
*JoJo Gray was named the Texas League Pitcher of the Week Monday afternoon. Gray received the honor after allowing just one run over two starts last week.
UP NEXT: Springfield at Tulsa, Tuesday, August 6, 7:05 PM at ONEOK Field. RHP Angel Rondon (4-3, 2.87 ERA) versus RHP Parker Curry (4-5, 3.04 ERA).
Images from this story
 Ryan Moseley worked 1.2 scoreless innings serving as the opener for the Tulsa Drillers in their victory over Springfield Monday night (Tim Campbell) |
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