Tulsa, OK – A record-breaking season for the Tulsa Drillers came to a disappointing end on Thursday night at ONEOK Field. For the second straight game, the Drillers held a late lead in their Texas League North Division Playoff Series versus Springfield, and for the second time, they fell victim to a Cardinals rally.
Springfield scored two eighth-inning runs to overturn a one-run Tulsa lead and hand the Drillers a 6-4 loss. The victory gave the Cards a series sweep in the best-of-three series. They will advance to the Texas League Championship Series to face the South Division series winner, while the Drillers season comes to a close.
It marks the second straight year that the Drillers season has ended with a division series sweep by the Cardinals.
Jesus Baez, the hero of Springfield’s win on Tuesday night, opened Thursday’s scoring in the top of the fourth. Leading off the inning, Baez deposited a 1-1 pitch from Christian Zazueta into the Country Financial Terrace in left field for his second home run of the series.
The Drillers tied the score with a run in the bottom half of the fourth, but it could have been a bigger inning. Chuck Davalan led off and hit a sharp grounder to the right side that Springfield second baseman Tre Richardson III grabbed with a sliding stop. Richardson III hurriedly threw to first as Davalan slid headfirst into the bag. Davalan appeared to comfortably beat the throw, but he was ruled out.
The call took on more importance when a pair of walks later in the fourth gave Tulsa two runners with two outs. Sean McLain delivered the Drillers first hit of the game when he dropped a single into right-center field. Instead of a two-run single, only one run scored on McLain’s hit, tying the game at 1-1.
The Cardinals quickly went back in front in the top of the fifth. With one out, Cade McGee lofted an opposite-field fly ball that dropped on top of the right field fence and caromed into the bullpen for a homer that gave the Redbirds a 2-1 lead. Like Baez, it was the second home run of the series for McGee.
Just like in the fourth, the Drillers responded in the bottom half of the inning to again tie the score. Mike Sirota drew a leadoff walk and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. He was still at second with two outs, when Davalan came through with a lined hit into right field, and Sirota slid home safely just ahead of Won-Bin Cho’s throw to the plate.
Tulsa eventually took the lead in the bottom of the seventh, and the run came without a hit. Taylor Young drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on two wild pitches from reliever Daniel Eagen. Sirota went down on strikes before Elijah Hainline delivered a sacrifice fly that plated Young to put the Drillers in front 3-2.
Just as they did in their opening game win, the resilient Cardinals provided an immediate response in the top of the eighth, and Tulsa’s defense helped their cause.
Baez started the inning with a leadoff walk before reliever Christian Suarez struck out cleanup hitter Josiah Ragsdale.
With Baez still at first base, Cho singled sharply into right field. When right fielder Sirota’s throw back into the infield skipped by second baseman Young, Baez kept running and scored to tie the game.
After Richardson III struck out, Cho remained at first, and Jack Gurevitch lined a hit into the left field corner. Davalan raced quickly to retrieve the hit and threw to the cutoff man. Shortstop McLain’s throw reached home well before the runner, but the one-hopper skipped by catcher Frank Rodriguez as Cho slid in with the go-ahead run.
Tai Peete provided a pair of insurance runs with a two-run homer in the ninth inning to up the lead to 6-3.
The Drillers had 48 comeback victories in the regular season, and they did not go down quietly in the ninth. Logan Wagner opened with a walk, and pinch-hitter Kole Myers singled.
Young grounded out but advanced both runners. Sirota also grounded out with Wagner scoring on the play. A final ground ball off the bat of Hainline to Baez at short ended the game, the series and Tulsa’s season.
GAME NOTES
*Five Springfield pitchers limited the Drillers to just 3 hits in the game.
*After striking out 17 times in the Game 1 loss, Tulsa batters struck out 14 times on Thursday.
*Zazueta pitched the first five innings and gave up two runs on four hits. The right-hander walked just one batter and struck out seven.
*Springfield took advantage of the Tulsa bullpen in the series. Drillers’ relievers allowed 9 runs over a combined 8 1/3 innings over the two games.
UP NEXT
The next time the Drillers take the field it will also be against the Cardinals when they open the 2027 season at Springfield’s Route 66 Park. The 50th Anniversary season for the Drillers franchise will begin on April 1, 2027 in what will be the first game of a three-game, season opening series against the Redbirds.
Season memberships for 2027season at ONEOK Field are now available. To secure your membership, you can call the Drillers Ticket Office at 918-744-5901.