Quality pitching performances are something the Tulsa Drillers have gotten used to, holding their opponents to three or fewer runs in 18 of their 28 wins in the second half of the season.
On Saturday night, Tulsa was on the receiving end of a solid pitching line, as the Drillers fell to the Springfield Cardinals 4-1 in front of a sellout crowd of 8,062 fans at ONEOK Field.
Tulsa (62-67, 28-33 second half) mustered just three hits off Springfield starter Jonathan Cornelius and was limited to just one run for the second time this month.
"We made him look good tonight," Drillers manager Kevin Riggs said.
Cornelius (6-6) went seven innings, holding the Drillers hitless in six of those, and finished with nine strikeouts and two walks.
Springfield (64-65, 31-30) got all the run support it needed in the first inning with Stephen Piscotty's two-out, two-run double that appeared to graze off the glove of leaping right fielder Tyler Kuhn. Cody Stanley brought Piscotty home with a base hit to give the Cards an early edge.
Tulsa's only offensive production came in the fourth inning when Dustin Garneau singled to score Joey Wong. Kuhn followed Garneau with a single on which Kyle Parker was thrown out at home to end the inning.
In his fourth Double-A start, Tulsa's Daniel Winkler (1-1) gave up three runs on six hits with five strikeouts and two walks. The right-hander bounced back from a three-run first inning to pitch four scoreless innings before exiting.
"We had a dropped third strike on the leadoff hitter and then he ends up getting on with a single and then it snowballed," Riggs said.
Drillers reliever Mike Marbry made his first appearance since July 7, pitching one scoreless inning and issuing one walk.
"It was good to see him back on the hill and he pitched with confidence," Riggs said.
Jose Almarante pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning and Lee Stoppelman pitched around a walk and a hit batter for a scoreless ninth to record his team-leading sixth save.
The Drillers and Cardinals will play the third game of their four-game set at 7:05 p.m. Sunday.
Pro - Drillers
The Tulsa Drillers didn't give up any home runs Friday night, but they were still battered by the Arkansas Travelers.
Arkansas Travelers outfielder Cyle Hankerd's baseball career has taken a dramatic turn during the past two months.
