Tulsa Beaten by Travelers
TULSA, OK – A solo home run in the seventh inning from Robert Perez Jr. proved to be the difference on Saturday night at ONEOK Field as the Tulsa Drillers fell 4-3 to the Arkansas Travelers. An unearned run was also costly as the loss dropped Tulsa’s record against the
TULSA, OK – A solo home run in the seventh inning from Robert Perez Jr. proved to be the difference on Saturday night at ONEOK Field as the Tulsa Drillers fell 4-3 to the Arkansas Travelers. An unearned run was also costly as the loss dropped Tulsa’s record against the Travelers fell to 5-12 for the season and 1-4 this week.
The Drillers never led in the game as Arkansas opened by scoring its fifth first-inning run of the series. The Travelers did not earn a hit in the inning but did load the bases on two walks and an error. A wild pitch followed to score the runner from third base and give Arkansas the lead.
With two outs in the second, a single walk and a second single allowed the Travs to take a 2-0 lead.
Jose Ramos worked a leadoff walk in the fourth, leading to Tulsa scoring its first run. Following the walk, Ramos advanced to third base on a wild pitch and a groundout. Kody Hoese scored Ramos with a sacrifice fly to make the score 2-1.
Drillers starting pitcher Robbie Peto completed four innings, a season-high with the Drillers, but gave up a leadoff home run to Spencer Packard in the fifth inning, ending Peto's night and giving Arkansas a 3-1 lead.
Tulsa scored a second run in the fifth inning when Ismael Alcantara scored Josh Stowers with a sacrifice fly.
Wladimir Chalo delivered for the Drillers in the sixth inning when he singled with the bases loaded to tie the game at 3-3.
Robert Perez Jr. broke the tie with his solo home run in the seventh inning to give Arkansas a 4-3 lead. The home run ended a 17.2 inning streak without allowing an earned run for Ricky Vanasco. across his last 15 appearances.
In the ninth, the Drillers had the tying run at second base with one out, but Chalo and Alcantara each struck out to end the threat and the game.
HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS
*The loss brought Tulsa’s record to 18-22 in one-run games.
*Vanasco received the loss, making his record 1-4 this season.
*The game featured four errors with two from each team. The errors led to only one unearned run.
*Aldry Acosta, Kevin Gowdy and Ryan Sublette each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.
*Two of the three Drillers runs scored reach base on a walk.
*Drillers first baseman Carson Taylor exited the game following his at-bat in the first inning.
UP NEXT:
Tulsa and Arkansas will play the final game of their six-game series on Sunday night at ONEOK Field with the third of three straight Fireworks Shows scheduled for after the game. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m. and the starting pitchers are slated to be:
Arkansas – RHP Blas Castano (0-1, 4.26 ERA)
Tulsa – RHP Ben Casparius (2-5, 6.75 ERA)