SPRINGFIELD, MO - The Springfield Cardinals advanced to the Texas League Championship on Thursday for a second-straight year thanks to a 6-4 victory over the Tulsa Drillers at ONEOK Field, sweeping the best-of-three series.
W: Daniel Eagen (1-0)
L: Christian Suarez (0-1)
SV: Randel Clemente (1)
NOTES:
- Springfield starter Liam Doyle struck out eight batters across 3.2 innings of work, but walked five. He was charged with one earned run but never surrendered a hit in first postseason start.
- Jesús Báez homered for his second straight playoff a game with a solo home run in the top of the fourth. Including the regular season, he's now hit 41 home runs in 2026. Cade McGee also homered for the second straight night.
- Eagen fired three innings, surrendering a pair of runs but striking out five.
- Jack Gurevitch brought home the go-ahead run with a double in the eighth, driving in Won-Bin Cho.
- Tai Peete hit his first postseason home run, a two-run blast in the ninth. It was his 15th playoff game.
- Clemente, who won game one, recorded the final two outs for the first postseason save of his career.
- Springfield has now swept Tulsa in back-to-back seasons in the Texas League North Division Championship. They will face either the Frisco RoughRiders or Amarillo Sod Poodles starting in Texas on Sunday before returning to Route 66 Stadium for game two on Tuesday.
UP NEXT:
- Sunday, September 20 at TBD, Time TBD, Game 1 of Texas League Championship
- TBD vs TBD
- Classic Rock 106.7, Bally Sports Live, SpringfieldCardinals.com