TL1 Springfield Cardinals

Wisdom and Cardinals Slam Drillers, 8-4, in 10 Innings

Published on June 15, 2015 under Texas League (TL1)
Springfield Cardinals News Release


Tulsa, OK - 3B Patrick Wisdom crushed the go-ahead grand slam, his second homer of the day, in the top of the 10th, propelling the Cardinals to the 8-4 win in 10 innings against the Tulsa Drillers before 5,088 fans at ONEOK Field on Monday afternoon. The Cardinals scored all eight of their runs on four long-balls - two by Wisdom, one by 1B Jonathan Rodriguez and one from C Jose Gonzalez. With the win, Springfield improves to 5-2 on the current road trip. The start of the game was delayed by 42 minutes due to wet grounds.

After Springfield RHP Corey Baker and Tulsa RHP Mickey Storey alternated three straight scoreless innings to start it, the Cardinals (27-36) powered in front in the top of the fourth. RF Nick Martini led off with a single, before trotting home on Rodriguez's two-run blast to straight-away center field. Two outs later, Wisdom belted his first bomb of the day with a solo shot to right field, making it 3-0.

Baker kept the Drillers (26-36) at bay through his scoreless five-inning start, but Tulsa bounced back against the bullpen in the bottom of the sixth inning. With RHP Jordan Swagerty on the mound, the Drillers loaded the bases with no outs on a pair of walks around a single. 1B Lars Anderson then pulled a two-run double inside the first base line, bringing the Drillers within one run of tying it. Swagerty rebounded with a groundout for the inning's first out, but C Shawn Zarraga worked a walk to reload the bases, leading to RHP Kevin Herget taking over. In his Double-A debut, Herget issued an RBI walk to SS Nate Samson, forcing in the tying run, but then induced an inning-ending double play to get the Cards out of the sixth with the score at 3-3.

Springfield swung out of the tie right away, moving back in front in the top of the seventh. With one away, Gonzalez pulled a solo home run, his first as a Cardinal, over the left field fence, lifting Springfield back in front, 4-3.

Herget kept the one-run lead intact through a scoreless seventh and eighth, before giving way to RHP Kyle Barraclough (W, 1-0) for the bottom of the ninth. The Drillers, though, refused to go down quietly. After a strikeout to start the ninth, C Kyle Farmer lined a single to right field. Farmer was replaced by pinch-runner INF Faustino Oguisten, who promptly advanced to second base on a single by LF Adam Law. CF Peter Lavin followed with a free pass, loading the bases with only one down. Barraclough dug in with a strikeout of 3B Jarek Cunningham for the second out, but then Anderson struck again. With three on and two down, Anderson placed a broken-bat single to left field, scoring Oguisten for the tying run. Law tried to race home as well from second base and score the winning run, but LF Anthony Garcia saved the game for Springfield by throwing out Law at the plate, ending the bottom of the ninth and forcing extra innings with the game tied at 4-4.

The Cardinals once again had an immediate response to a Tulsa rally, opening up a four-run lead in the top of the 10th against RHP Ralston Cash (L, 0-3). With one away, Rodriguez worked a walk and quickly raced to third on a Garcia double. The Drillers decided to intentionally walk 2B Bruce Caldwell to load the bases and instead go after Wisdom. Wisdom, however, made them pay with a go-ahead grand slam to left field, blasting Springfield into the 8-4 lead with his second home run of the day.

Barraclough went back to work in the bottom of the 10th and struck out the side around a walk and a single, closing the 8-4 win for Springfield in 10 innings.

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Texas League Stories from June 15, 2015


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