Two Blasts Provide Drillers Third-Straight Win
May 23, 2024 - Texas League (TL)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
SPRINGFIELD, MO - The Tulsa Drillers offense continued to roll on Thursday night. The Drillers never trailed in the game as they used a six-run second inning, capped by three-run homers from Austin Beck and Dalton Rushing, to lead the team to a 9-3 victory at Hammons Field. It was Tulsa's third consecutive win after sweeping a doubleheader the day before.
The win was Tulsa's sixth in its past seven games.
The Drillers also knocked the Cardinals out of first place in the Texas League North Division for the first time this season, and they are now 4.0 games back of newly first-place Arkansas.
The Drillers big inning began with two singles and Beck followed with his three-run blast into the Drillers bullpen in right field. Two walks set up Rushing for his three-run homer to left field that upped Tulsa's lead to 6-0.
The Cardinals did gain two runs back in the bottom half of the second when Ramon Mendoza drove in two runners with a double to center.
Jose Ramos brought the score to 7-2 with a deep home run to straightaway center field. It was his first home run since April 25.
Starting pitcher Jared Karros bounced back from his first start with the Drillers by keeping the Cardinals at bay in his first Double-A road start. Karros earned his first Double A win by allowing just two runs over six innings with five strikeouts.
Two doubles and a single helped the Drillers score two final runs in the ninth inning to increase their lead.
INSIDE THE GAME
*Hammons Field has been friendly to the Drillers in the series' first four games. Tulsa now has hit seven home runs in the four games and has a team batting average of .280.
*For the second time in the series, the Drillers scored seven runs. Tulsa is 9-2 when scoring seven or more runs this season.
*The Drillers have now won three straight games on four different occasions this season. They have yet to win four games in a row.
*The Drillers used three relievers to help secure the win. Antonio Knowles and Logan Boyer each worked a scoreless inning.
*Ramos' home run gave him seven for the season and tied him with Griffin Lockwood-Powell for the team lead.
*Yeiner Fernandez increased his on-base streak to 30 consecutive games by drawing two walks. The streak is the longest in Double A and the second-longest active streak in all the minors.
*Taylor Young finished with a stolen base to bring his season total to 17. It is the second most in the Texas League and he is 17-19 in stolen base attempts this season.
*Lockwood-Powell earned two hits in the win to increase his hit streak to seven games.
*St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Keynan Middleton made a rehab appearance for Springfield. The major leaguer tossed a scoreless inning but walked three batters.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers will continue their seven-game series in Springfield with game five on Friday night. Starting time is set for 7:05 p.m. and the starting pitchers are scheduled to be:
TUL - LHP Justin Wrobleski (2-1, 4.35 ERA)
SPR - RHP Tink Hence (3-2, 3.18 ERA)
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