Frisco, TX – The Tulsa Drillers entered Sunday night with a 40-2 record when leading after seven innings this season. More recently, Tulsa’s bullpen entered with the lowest bullpen ERA in Double A over the past 26 games. But on Sunday night, both trends did not hold true, as the Frisco RoughRiders rallied to score four runs in the eighth inning and the Drillers were unable to respond in a 6-4 defeat at Riders Field.
The result gave not only gave Frisco the three-game series victory but also the season series victory over the Drillers. The RoughRiders finished with a 5-4 record against Tulsa, with Sunday marking their final matchup in the regular season. Frisco is the only team that has a winning record against Tulsa this season.
It was just the third series loss of the season for the Drillers and their first since the middle of May.
Tulsa was sat down in order to begin the game, and in the bottom of the first, in just his third game with Frisco after beginning the season on the Injured List, Texas Rangers top prospect Sebastian Walcott gave the Riders the lead with a solo home run to left.
The Drillers returned the favor by scoring three runs in the top of the second inning. Zyhir Hope began the inning by drawing a walk, and he quickly reached third base by stealing second and advancing on an error. Kyle Nevin hit a sacrifice fly to score Hope for Tulsa’s first run. Taylor Young followed by drawing a two-out walk, and Hayden Gilliland hit a two-run homer to put the Drillers in front 3-1.
In the fifth, the Riders made it a one-run game when Keith Jones II grounded out, which allowed Malcolm Moore to score from third base.
Hope brought the Drillers lead back to two when he singled home Mike Sirota in the fifth inning.
The score remained 4-2 until Frisco took the lead in the eighth inning. Christian Ruebeck took over on the mound, and the Riders quickly loaded the bases on two hits and a walk. Ruebeck was replaced by Kelvin Ramirez, and after he struck out the first hitter he faced, Arturo Disla singled to drive in two runs that tied the game. Ramirez earned another strikeout for the inning’s second out, but Jones II singled home two more runs to give Frisco a 6-4 lead.
Tulsa was unable to score in the ninth inning as Frisco reliever Eric Loomis recorded the final three outs to close out the game.
GAME NOTES
*The Drillers now have a 1-2 record after three games of their nine-game road trip. They will continue their trip on Tuesday night in Little Rock when they open a six-game series with the Arkansas Travelers.
*Tulsa and Frisco won the first-half championships in their respective divisions and could potentially meet for the Texas League Championship in September.
*Ruebeck was charged with the loss, dropping his record to 0-1.
*Myles Caba made a spot start in the game. It was his fourth start of the season and of his professional career. Caba pitched just one inning and gave up the one run on Walcott’s homer while striking out one.
*Lefthander Wyatt Crowell took the mound following Caba and allowed only one run over the next four innings on one hit and three walks with four strikeouts.
*Hope drove in his 83rd run on Sunday and now leads all of Minor League Baseball in RBI. He is enjoying a big month of July, hitting .426 with 8 home runs and 24 RBI.
*Sirota earned his first hits since his 72-game on-base streak ended on Friday. The streak was just two games short of matching the modern, Minor League Baseball record of reaching base in 74 straight games set by Andrew Velasquez in 2014 while playing for Class-A South Bend. Sirota reached base four times in Sunday’s loss with three hits and a hit by pitch.
*Carson Hobbs was the only Tulsa pitcher to not be charged with a run as the Alabama native pitcher two perfect innings with one strikeout.
UP NEXT
The Drillers will continue their nine-game road trip by traveling to Little Rock, Arkansas to begin a six-game series against the Arkansas Travelers on Tuesday evening.
Starting time for game one is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. and the starting pitchers are expected to be:
Tulsa– RHP Roque Gutierrez (6-0, 3.98 ERA)
Frisco– RHP Michael Morales (2-2, 5.16 ERA)