Tulsa, OK – The Tulsa Drillers plated three runs in the bottom of the seventh to claim the 5-4 comeback win against the Springfield Cardinals before 5,513 fans at ONEOK Field on Tuesday night.
The Drillers (25-14, 58-51) opened an early advantage in the bottom of the first inning against brand-new Cardinals RHP Ryan Helsley, making his Double-A debut from High-A Palm Beach. With one away, SS Errol Robinson singled himself on. After a double from 1B Matt Beaty, LF Kyle Garlick worked a walk to load the bases. CF Johan Mieses was then hit by a pitch, forcing in the game’s first run. Helsley, though, dug in and induced an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play, getting out of the jam with the Drillers only ahead, 1-0.
The Cardinals (24-15, 59-50) responded right away, swinging in front with two runs in the top of the second against RHP Andrew Sopko. 3B Jacob Wilson got the rally going with a one-out walk, followed by a double from 1B Danny Diekroeger. On the 10th pitch of his at-bat, C Andrew Knizner ripped an RBI single to left field, bringing in Wilson to square the score. With runners at the corners, SS Tommy Edman hit into an RBI fielder’s choice, retiring Knizner but scoring Diekroeger for the 2-1 Cardinals lead.
Springfield kept swinging away in the top of the third. With one down and the bases empty, CF Oscar Mercado launched a solo home run beyond the left field fence, his 10th long-ball of the year, opening the Cardinals lead to 3-1.
Helsley struck out the side around a single and a walk in the bottom of the third, before working out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fourth, keeping the Cardinals two-run lead intact through his four frames. He finished his debut outing with just the one run on five hits, walking four and striking out six.
RHP Tyler Bray took over for the bottom of the fifth, but the Drillers shaved the deficit to just one run. With one down, RF Yusniel Diaz bounced a base hit to right field. He took second on a groundout to the mound, before coming home on a two-out RBI single from C Garrett Kennedy, bringing the Drillers within one run, 3-2.
Bray and LHP Jacob Evans (L, 1-2) combined for a scoreless bottom of the sixth, but the Drillers catapulted in front in the bottom of the seventh. An error opened the inning and allowed LF Kyle Garlick to reach base. Evans responded with consecutive strikeouts, but 3B Erick Mejia struck with a game-tying, two-out RBI double to left-center, scoring Garlick and evening the game, 3-3. With Mejia at second and two away, Kennedy belted a two-run blast to right field, swinging the Drillers into the 5-3 lead.
The Cardinals refused to go down without a fight, striking in the top of the eighth. RF Anthony Garcia extended the inning with a two-out walk, before moving to second when RHP Layne Somsen (W, 4-0) uncorked a wild pitch. Wilson then laced an RBI single to right field, bringing in Garcia to bring the Cards within one run. However, LHP Brian Moran entered out of the bullpen and retired pinch-hitting 1B John Nogowski, closing the eighth inning with Tulsa ahead, 5-4.
Drillers RHP Corey Copping (S, 12) came on for the top of the ninth and closed the 5-4 Tulsa win with a 1-2-3 final frame.
