Drillers Drop Fifth Straight in Loss to Cards
SPRINGFIELD, MO – The Tulsa Drillers dropped their second straight game to the Springfield Cardinals on Wednesday night, and their fifth straight overall. The Drillers were limited to just two runs in the game despite out-hitting the Cardinals 10-7 in the 5-2 loss at Hammons Field. The five-game losing streak
SPRINGFIELD, MO – The Tulsa Drillers dropped their second straight game to the Springfield Cardinals on Wednesday night, and their fifth straight overall. The Drillers were limited to just two runs in the game despite out-hitting the Cardinals 10-7 in the 5-2 loss at Hammons Field.
The five-game losing streak matches the longest skid of the season for the Drillers. They also lost five games in a row from June 23-29.
The Drillers scored first in the game with a run in the top of the second inning that gave them a short-lived lead. Kody Hoese led off with a double and scored one out later on another double from Brandon Lewis.
A three-run homer from Thomas Saggese erased the lead in the bottom of the third and gave the Cardinals the only runs they would need.
Tulsa starting pitcher Orlando Ortiz-Mayr was effective, giving up just the three runs on three hits through five innings.
Springfield doubled its hit total against Ortiz-Mayr with three more in the sixth inning that produced two more runs and upped the lead to 5-1.
The Drillers got a second run in the eighth inning when Austin Gauthier singled and scored on a double from Imanol Vargas. It was the 86th RBI of the season for Vargas.
The Drillers put two runners on base in the ninth inning to bring the potential tying run to the plate with one out, but a strikeout and a ground out ended the contest.
Ortiz-Mayr was charged with the loss, dropping his Double-A record to 3-6. He worked six innings, allowing the five runs on six hits and two walks while striking out four.
HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS
*Yusniel Diaz singled in the sixth inning to extend his hitting streak to nine straight games. Earlier this season, Diaz had a 12-game hitting streak and an 8-game streak. Since July 30, he has hit safely in 28 of his last 30 games.
*Saggese stole his eleventh base of the season in the first inning. It was the 241st stolen base allowed by the Drillers this season, breaking the franchise record of 240 set last year.
*Gauthier and Jose Ramos led the Tulsa offensive attack with two hits each.
*Braydon Fisher and Antonio Knowles each worked a scoreless inning out of the Drillers bullpen.
*Tulsa has scored a total of just ten runs in its five-game losing streak.
*The loss dropped the Drillers season record to 63-65. Since going a season high 19 games over .500 with a 35-16 record on June 4, the Drillers have gone 28-49.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers and Cardinals will continue their six-game series with game three on Thursday night at Hammons Field. First pitch slated for 6:35 p.m. and the starting pitchers a scheduled to be:
Tulsa – RHP River Ryan (1-6, 3.51 ERA)
Springfield – RHP Tekoah Roby (2-3, 4.82 ERA)