Adames' Homer Lifts Drillers To Game-2 Win

Cristhian Adames helped the Tulsa Drillers stamp their playoff ticket by playing a key role in the team's first-half title before his All-Star season earned him a mid-season promotion to Triple A. The infielder returned to Tulsa late in the season in the hopes of helping the Drillers to post-season success. Adames did just that Thursday night at ONEOK Field.

His solo home run in the seventh inning broke up a no-hitter from Arkansas' Orangel Arenas and tied the game at 1-1. In the bottom of the tenth, after the Drillers were stunned by a ninth-inning rally from the Travelers, Adames delivered a game winning, walk-off hit that propelled Tulsa to a 4-3 win.

The dramatic ending evened the best-of-five series at one game apiece. The series will now move to North Little Rock for the remaining games with game three slated for Friday night.

For much of Thursday's meeting, it appeared that neither team would score, as starting pitchers Tyler Anderson and Orangel Arenas were magnificent.

Through the first six innings, the only hit by either side came from the game's very first batter when the Travs' Maikol Gonzalez opened the contest with an infield single. From there, the two starting pitchers dominated.

Arkansas' Brian Hernandez finally opened the scoring with what was only the game's second hit. With two outs in the top of the seventh, Hernandez hit a solo home run off Anderson to put the Travelers in front.

Tulsa's first hit came in the bottom of the seventh, and it was a big one. Leading off the inning, Adames drove a high fly down the right field line that carried onto the stadium concourse. The solo homer evened the score at 1-1.

After the homer, Arenas retired Taylor Featherston before hitting Ryan Casteel with a pitch. Arkansas then summoned Buddy Boshers from the bullpen. He promptly struck out Tyler Massey, but the third out of the inning would prove difficult for the reliever. Brian Humphries doubled to the fence in right, putting runners at second and third. Trevor Story delivered the third hit of the inning with a line drive single to centerfield that scored both Casteel and Humphries to give Tulsa a 3-1 lead.

Kraig Sitton worked a 1-2-3 eighth for the Drillers. In the bottom of the eighth, one of the night's key plays occurred. Chris O'Dowd led off with a bunt single and moved into scoring position on a ground out from Delta Cleary Jr. With one out and Adames at the plate, O'Dowd was thrown out attempting to steal third. The play proved critical when Adames lined a double down the left field line that would have given the Drillers a three-run lead.

Sitton opened the top of the ninth by enticing a ground out from Kaleb Cowart. Tulsa then called on Cole White from the bullpen. The closer walked Gonzalez to put the potential game-tying run at the plate. White struck out Drew Heid, bringing Texas League Player of the Year Alex Yarbrough to the plate. White was out of the strike zone with his first pitch. On the next offering, Yarbrough lifted a high fly to deep right field. Right fielder Massey seemed to have the ball measured before running out of room at the bullpen fence, as the ball landed just out of his reach for a game tying two-run homer.

The score remained tied at 3-3 as the game moved to the bottom of the tenth inning. Arkansas reliever Kevin Johnson retired the first two hitters before O'Dowd extended the inning with a base hit. Cleary Jr. then hit a ball into the gap in right-center field that dropped in safely as the Arkansas outfielders seemed to miscommunicate on the play.

With runners at second and third, Adames lined a 1-1 pitch from Johnson just over the head of a leaping Cowart at third. The base hit brought O'Dowd home with the game-winning run and the remainder of the Drillers out of the third base dugout and into an on-field celebration.

It was the third hit of the night for Adames.

Anderson did not get the victory, but he turned in one of his best outings of a stellar season. He worked seven innings, giving up only two hits and one run. The Texas League Pitcher of the Year walked one batter and struck out seven.

The Travelers were limited to only three hits in the game.

Arenas held Tulsa without a hit through the first six innings. He left after 6.1 innings, charged with only one run and one hit, while walking one batter and striking out four.

Paid attendance for the game was 3,038. The two playoff games at ONEOK Field drew a total of 6,407, bringing the season attendance at ONEOK Field to 410, 319, making 2014 the highest attended season in the history of Tulsa professional baseball, which dates back to 1905.

It was not all good news for the Drillers. Designated hitter Will Swanner left the game after fouling a pitch off his foot. Swanner's status is unknown, but he was seen on crutches while departing the ballpark.