Another Solid Pitching Performance Leads To Drillers Win

The Tulsa Drillers' pitching staff has been impressive in June and on Sunday night, in the final game of the month, it put up another great performance. Tyler Matzek and company allowed just three hits in game two of their three-game series in Corpus Christi as the Drillers shut out the Hooks 1-0 at Whataburger Field.

The Drillers have now held their opponents scoreless in five games this season. All five shutouts have come in the month of June.

Tulsa finished with at a league-best 17-9 record in June thanks in large part to a team ERA that was just north of 2.00.

In his first outing since starting for the North Division in last Tuesday's Texas League All-Star Game, Matzek was virtually unhittable through five innings to notch his fourth win of the season. The left-hander held Corpus Christi to just two hits, but was forced to make an early exit due giving up six walks.

Tulsa's bullpen, which has been the club's unsung hero of late, continued its dominance on Sunday. Leuris Gomez came on for Matzek in the sixth, and continued to do what he has done since joining the team on June 1. The reliever allowed just one hit over 2.1 innings before giving way to Isaiah Froneberger, who kept the shutout intact through the eighth inning.

Cole White entered in the ninth, and worked around a hit batsman to pick up his ninth save of the year and third on the road trip.

Corpus Christi's starter David Martinez was impressive in his own right, but suffered his second loss of the season despite turning in a solid performance. He held the Drillers to one run on four hits through seven innings.

Delta Cleary Jr. drove in the only run his team needed with a sacrifice fly in the third. Jayson Langfels lined a base hit into left field to lead off the inning and Dallas Tarleton followed with a single to right, putting runners on the corners with no outs. Cleary Jr. made the most of the opportunity, driving the first pitch he saw deep enough into center field to score Langfels, who tagged up at third.

With the win, Tulsa improves to 6-5 in the second half and 40-39 overall. In addition, the team has ensured itself a winning record on this South Texas road trip.

The Drillers return to Whataburger Field for the final time this season on Monday as they look for the series sweep of the Hooks. Sean Gallagher (3-2, 2.01 ERA), who has been one of the Texas League's top pitchers over the last six weeks, will take the mound for Tulsa. He will take on right-hander Bobby Doran (6-1, 3.42 ERA) of Corpus Christi. First pitch is set for 7:05PM.