Hooks Drop Drillers in Second-Half Opener
Tulsa, OK – Tuesday night marked the opening of the second-half season in the Texas League, and it got off to a rocky start for the first-half, division-winning Tulsa Drillers. In a matchup with Corpus Christi, the Hooks hit four homers and scored ten runs over the first four innings
Tulsa, OK – Tuesday night marked the opening of the second-half season in the Texas League, and it got off to a rocky start for the first-half, division-winning Tulsa Drillers. In a matchup with Corpus Christi, the Hooks hit four homers and scored ten runs over the first four innings and handed the Drillers a 10-1 loss at ONEOK Field.
The margin marked the third largest loss of the season for the Drillers.
The game started quietly with both teams going down in order in the first inning.
The Hooks’ bats came to life in the top of the second, hitting the first of their four home runs. With two outs, Tyler Whitaker doubled home Joseph Sullivan who had walked. Max Holy followed with a fly ball that landed at the base of the fence in deep right-center field. Centerfielder Mike Sirota had trouble locating the ball as Holy circled the bases with an inside-the-park homer that gave the Hooks a 3-0 lead.
Three more home runs in the top of the third quickly increased the margin to nine runs. Joseph Schiavone led off with a solo homer to account for the fourth run.
Following a walk and a base hit, Sullivan doubled home two more runs in front of another homer from Bush. This drive cleared the left field fence and increased the Corpus Christi lead to 8-0.
Two pitches later, Tyler Whitaker capped the six-run inning with a solo home run.
Sirota produced Tulsa’s lone run, and it came in the bottom of the third via his fourth homer at the Double-A level. The hit extended his on-base streak to 59 straight games.
The Hooks plated their tenth run, and the final run of the game, in the top of the fourth when the Drillers turned a bases-loaded double play.
It was a tough night for Tulsa starting pitcher Patrick Copen. He was charged with nine runs, all earned, in two official innings. The defeat dropped his season record to 3-5.
The Tulsa bullpen allowed just three hits and one run over the final seven innings.
GAME NOTES
*Sirota has now reached base in all 29 games he has played in with the Drillers. Prior to his promotion to Double A, he had reached base in his final 30 games with Great Lakes, giving him a total on-base streak of 59 consecutive games. It is the longest on-base streak in professional baseball this season. The all-time record in Minor League Baseball is 74 straight games.
*Jake Gelof drew a walk to extend his own on-base streak to 33 straight games. It is the longest on-base streak this season counting games just in the Texas League.
*Evan Shaw replaced Copen and allowed only one run in three innings of relief work.
*Christian Ruebeck and Myles Caba worked two shutout innings each to finish the game.
*Offensively, Tulsa was limited to just four hits.
*Chris Newell singled to extend his hitting streak to four straight games.
UP NEXT
The Drillers will look to bounce back on Wednesday night with the second game of a six-game set with the Hooks. First pitch will take place at 7:00 p.m. at ONEOK Field and the starting pitchers are expected to be:
Corpus Christi – RHP Bryce Mayer (0-2, 4.46 ERA)
Tulsa – RHP Peter Heubeck (0-1, 5.40 ERA)