Corpus Christi, TX – Jake Gelof has hit some big home runs for the Tulsa Drillers this season, and he added another one on Thursday night in Corpus Christi. Gelof overturned a one-run deficit with a grand slam homer with two outs in the seventh inning that propelled the Drillers to a 9-4 win over the Hooks at Whataburger Field.
The slam helped Tulsa snap its four-game losing streak. It also helped keep the Drillers four games behind first-place Springfield in the second-half standings of the Texas League’s North Division.
For Gelof, it was his 22nd homer of the year and his second grand slam. It was one of four home runs for the Drillers in the much-needed victory.
Tulsa’s first seven runs in the game scored on home runs, and the theme started early.
For the second time in the series, the Drillers took a quick lead with a homer in the top of the first inning. As Josue De Paula did in game one on Tuesday, Mike Sirota belted a solo shot that gave Tulsa an early 1-0 lead. For Sirota, it was his tenth home run this season at the Double-A level.
In just his second Double-A appearance, Tulsa starting pitcher Zach Root blanked the Hooks through the first two innings before a solo home run from Max Holy leading off the bottom of the third tied the score.
The third homer of the game put Tulsa back in front in the fifth. Sam Mongelli’s one-out, solo shot was his third in just eight games with the Drillers.
Corpus Christi responded with two runs in the bottom half of the fifth. Consecutive doubles from Cameron Sisneros and Chase Call to open the inning produced the first run. A two-out single from Alberto Hernandez plated Call to give the Hooks a 3-2 lead.
Tulsa went in front to stay in the seventh, courtesy of Gelof. The game-turning slam was set up by three straight walks that loaded the bases with one out. Logan Wagner popped out for the second out of the inning, bringing Gelof to the plate. He worked a 2-2 count before fouling off a pitch to extend the at-bat. On the next offering from reliever Railin Perez, Gelof hit a towering fly ball that easily cleared the left field fence. The slam overturned the one-run deficit and put the Drillers in front 6-3.
They padded the lead with three more runs in the top of the eighth. Frank Rodriguez accounted for the first one when he led off with his eighth home run. Later in the inning, bases-loaded walks to De Paula and Sirota forced home two more runs and gave Tulsa a 9-3 lead.
The late offensive outburst helped Root collect his first Double-A win in just his second start with the Drillers. The former Arkansas Razorback worked six full innings and allowed three runs on five hits. Most impressively, he did not walk a batter while striking out ten. The strikeout total matches Adam Serwinowski for the most strikeouts in a game this season for a Tulsa pitcher.
Evan Shaw, Cam Day and Lucas Wepf worked one relief inning each to finish the victory for the Drillers.
GAME NOTES
*Each of Gelof’s two slams this year have given the Drillers the lead. On July 2 in Wichita, his ninth-inning slam broke a 7-7 tie and led to a victory. Gelof had a walk-off, two-run homer with two strikes in the bottom of the ninth to beat Arkansas on April 17. He has also had a three-homer game this season. He has a career high of 22 home runs on the year.
*Rodriguez finished with a career high four hits in the game to extend his hitting streak to seven straight games. It is his second seven-game streak this season, matching the longest of his pro career.
*The victory kept the Drillers from matching their longest losing streak of the season. They lost five straight games May 10-15.
*De Paula finished 0-3 with two walks to snap his nine-game hitting streak.
*The ten strikeouts from Root were one short of matching his professional high of 11 that he set on July 7 of this season while pitching for Great Lakes.
*Tulsa has now hit seven grand slams this season. Gelof is the only batter to hit two.
UP NEXT
The Drillers will try to make it two straight wins on Friday night at Whataburger Field with game four of the six-game series with the Hooks. First pitch will be at 7:05 p.m. and the pitching matchup is expected to be:
Tulsa – RHP Christian Zazueta (0-1, 4.13 ERA)
Corpus Christi– RHP Nolan DeVos (3-0, 2.51 ERA)