Tulsa Drillers Homer Way Past Corpus Christi Hooks 4-3 - AA, Texas League

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - April 10, 2008 - All of last season, Dexter Fowler hit two home runs for Class A Modesto. It did not take the outfielder long to match that total this season for the Tulsa Drillers. At the Drillers home opener Thursday night, Fowler homered twice to help lead Tulsa to a 4-3 win over the Corpus Christi Hooks in front of 7,766 fans at Drillers Stadium.

Starting pitcher Brandon Hynick took advantage of Fowler's power surge to record his first win of the season. In his second start of the year, the right-hander allowed six hits and three runs in six innings of work. The strong outing came despite a wind reaching over 30 m.p.h. blowing out to center field.

The Drillers struck early as Eric Young Jr. led off the bottom of the first inning with a base hit. Fowler followed with his first homer, a drive high into the net in left field, to put Tulsa in front 2-0. One out later, Matt Miller made it 3-0 with his first home run of the season.

The Hooks got help from Kaz Matsui to cut into the lead in the top of the third inning. With two outs, Matsui recorded his second double of the game and then scored ahead of Drew Sutton's two-run homer to cut the Drillers lead to 3-2.

Fowler responded with his second homer in the bottom of the third to increase the Tulsa lead to 4-2.

Eli Iorg joined the home run parade in the top of the sixth with a solo shot that cut the lead to 4-3.

Hynick survived the inning, then the Tulsa bullpen took over.

Reliever Luis Gonzalez walked the first two hitters of the seventh inning, but Ryan Mattheus retired the next three batters to preserve the lead.

Mattheus worked a scoreless eighth inning, and Pedro Strop pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to close out the win. It was Strop's first save of the season.

Matsui, the starting second baseman for the Colorado Rockies last season, finished the game 2-4 for the Hooks. Matsui is on an injury-rehabilitation assignment from the Houston Astros.

Tulsa won despite being out-hit 7-5 by the Hooks. The victory improved the Drillers record to 3-4 and moved them into sole possession of first place in the North Division standings of the Texas League.

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