Travelers lose 5-run lead to lose series in Tulsa
TULSA, Okla. — The Arkansas Travelers had a five-run lead and a chance to level the series with Tulsa on Sunday, but the Drillers recovered for a 10-6 victory and a 3-1 series win.
Arkansas (56-57) hit into a season-high five double plays before the Drillers posted six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take control of the game. The Travelers had a five-run lead in the fifth inning after second baseman Chris Mariscal hit a three-run home run.
D.J. Peters answered for Tulsa (60-53) in the bottom half of the inning to cut the deficit back to two runs. The Drillers scored six runs in the seventh inning on five singles, an intentional walk, two hit batsmen and a wild pitch. Errol Robinson’s hit drove home the go-ahead run.
Mariscal was 3-for-4 with a home run, a run and three RBIs. Center fielder Beau Amaral was 2-for-4 with two runs.
The Travelers are 5-12 in their last 17 games. Tulsa now has a five-game lead in the second-half standings in the Texas League North division at 26-17. Arkansas is 21-22 in the second half of the season.
Ben Holmes did not give up a hit for Tulsa until the seventh inning on Saturday as he led a trio of Drillers pitchers in a 2-0 shutout win over Arkansas Travelers on Saturday night. It was Holmes debut for the Drillers and just his fourth start of the season overall. He retired 14 consecutive batters at one point in the game.
D.J. Peters hit his 21st home run of the season to put Tulsa up 1-0. He is now tied with Arkansas first baseman Joey Curletta for the league lead.
Drew Jackson walked with two out in the seventh inning and Jacob Scavuzzo followed with an RBI double to put Tulsa up, 2-0.
Arkansas put the tying runs aboard with two outs in the eighth inning on consecutive walks, but Marshall Kasowski struck out Chuck Taylor to end the inning.
Tulsa’s defense contributed three hit-stealing catches in the outfield and also turned three double plays, including one to end the game. It was the eighth time this season the Travelers were shut out and the two hits matched their season low.
Arkansas starter Anthony Misiewicz (2-10, 5.96 ERA) allowed just one run on six hits in five innings with six strikeouts and three walks. David McKay struck out two batters and allowed a hit in one inning of relief.
The Travelers picked up their only win of the series on Friday as Williams Perez gave the visitors seven innings toward a 9-1 victory.
It was the longest outing of the season for Perez. (3-1, 2.68). He scattered seven hits and one run with six strikeouts on 89 pitches in seven innings. Perez faced more than four hitters in an inning only once in the game.
All nine hitters in the Arkansas lineup connected for at least one of the team’s 17 hits, which included five doubles and one home run. Arkansas took control scoring five times in the fourth inning off 20-year old prospect Dustin May, who made his Double-A debut.
The first five hitters of the fourth inning connected for hits as the Travelers built their rally. Infielder Donnie Walton’s one-out double scored a pair and pushed the lead out to five.
Arkansas pulled away with run scoring doubles on consecutive pitches from center fielder Kyle Lewis and catcher Joseph Odom in the fifth inning. Lewis was 2-for-5 with two doubles, two runs and two RBIs. Odom finished 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, a run and an RBI.
Left fielder Dario Pizzano hit 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, two runs and an RBI.
Perez worked around a leadoff hit in the seventh inning to finish his longest start of the season. Matt Walker struck out two batters and allowed one hit in two innings to close out the game.
Just DeFratus, a member of the Travelers in 2017, went 7 2/3 innings on Thursday and allowed just one unearned run, which was charged to him after he left the game in the eighth inning. He retired 13 consecutive Travelers at one point en route to a 5-1 victory.
Gavin Lux, 20, provided offense for the Drillers in his Double-A debut, going 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs.
Two singles and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for Arkansas with two outs in the second inning, but DeFratus struck out Ryan Scott to end the threat.
Arkansas’ only tally of the night came when designated hitter Eric Filia greeted reliever Michael Johnson with a two-out double to left field in the eighth.
The Travelers were off on Monday before beginning a sixgame home stand. They will be at home at 7:10 p.m. tonight, Wednesday and Thursday against the Frisco RoughRiders (51-63). Arkansas will be at home again on Friday, Saturday and Sunday against the Midland RockHounds (50-63).