Drillers Fall To Naturals In First Nationally Televised Game

For the first time in ONEOK Field history, a Tulsa Drillers game was featured on national television.

Friday, June 12th 2015, 4:37 pm

By: News On 6

Drillers Fall To Naturals In First Nationally Televised Game

For the first time in ONEOK Field history, a Tulsa Drillers game was featured on national television Thursday night. The Drillers meeting with Northwest Arkansas was the Minor League Game of the Week on the CBS Sports Network. A near sellout crowd of 7,565 turned out for the occasion, but it was the first-place Naturals who provided most of the action. They scored five runs in the third inning and never trailed in a 7-3 victory in downtown Tulsa.

The big third inning began when Kenny Diekroeger led off against Eric Stults with his first home run of the season. After the homer, three straight singles from Terrance Gore, Lane Adams and Raul Mondesi made it 2-0. With two outs and the bases full, Hunter Dozier capped the rally with a three-run double that gave the Naturals a 5-0 lead.

In the fourth, Gore reached safely on a throwing error by Stults and eventually scored the sixth run on a two-out base hit by Mondesi.

Tulsa got on the scoreboard against Naturals' starter Luke Farrell in the bottom of the fourth. Yadir Drake drew a leadoff walk and scored on a base hit by Hector Olivera. Shawn Zarraga lined a single off the glove of first baseman Balbino Fuenmayor to put runners at first and third. Daniel Mayora plated Drake with a sacrifice fly to pull the Drillers to within 6-2.

The Naturals scored again in the sixth off reliever Chris Reed, before the Drillers closed the scoring with a final run in the eighth. With two outs, Drake singled and came home on a double by Lars Anderson.

Farrell, the son of John Farrell, manager of the Boston Red Sox and former Oklahoma State pitching coach, was outstanding. He worked seven innings, allowing the two runs on five hits. Farrell walked one and struck out six while evening his record at 1-1.

Stults, in his second outing with the Drillers after making nine appearances with the Atlanta Braves earlier this season, suffered the loss. The lefthander was charged with six runs, five earned, in his four innings of work.

Olivera led the Drillers offensively with two hits, his second multi-hit outing in his past three games.

Tulsa and Northwest Arkansas will play their second doubleheader of the week Friday night at ONEOK Field. Chris Anderson (5-4, 3.50 ERA) will start one of the games for the Drillers, while the other starter has not been announced. The Naturals will send Jonathan Dziedzic (2-3, 3.75 ERA) to the mound in game one. They are also undecided on a second starter.

First pitch for game one is scheduled for 5:05PM.