Tulsa Drillers Defeat Frisco RoughRiders 6-3 - AA, Texas League

MLN - THE RAW FEED - www.mlntherawfeed.com - Frisco - Brandon Hynick did something Thursday night, the Tulsa Drillers have been unable to do this season - defeat the Frisco RoughRiders.  Hynick pitched seven strong innings, surrendering only four hits, as the Drillers snapped a four-game losing streak with a 6-3 victory in Frisco.  It was their first win over the Riders this season in five attempts.
 
Hynick turned in his best performance of the year while improving his record to 3-3.  Through the first seven innings, he allowed only two hits, but two straight extra base hits to begin the eighth inning ended his night.  
 
Both runners in the eighth eventually scored, making Hynick's final line look worse than it was.  The right-hander was charged for three runs and four hits in his seven-plus innings.  He walked one hitter and struck out seven.
 
A big three-run third inning for the Drillers gave Hynick a lead he never relinquished.  The first three Tulsa batters in the third reached as Brian Esposito walked, Corey Wimberly singled and Dexter Fowler was hit by a pitch.  Consecutive sacrifice flies by Matt Miller and Tony Blanco made it 2-0.  A two-out single by Jeff Kindel scored Fowler to increase the margin to 3-0.
 
Tulsa made it 5-0 in the top of the fifth.  Fowler doubled and scored on a base hit by Miller.  With two outs, a bloop single by Daniel Carte scored Miller.
 
Frisco ended the shutout in the bottom of the inning when Adam Fox tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Steven Murphy.
 
The Drillers used the same method to add another run in the sixth as Jeff Dragicevich tripled and scored on a fly ball from Wimberly.
 
Hynick surrendered a leadoff triple to Murphy in the bottom of the eighth, and Corey Ragsdale followed with a run-scoring double.  Manager Stu Cole summoned Darren Clarke from the bullpen, and the reliever  retired the first two hitters before surrendering a two-out single to Max Ramirez that scored Ragsdale to make the score 6-3.
 
Wimberly, Fowler, Miller and Dragicevich collected two hits each for the Drillers. 
 
Closer Ryan Mattheus worked a scoreless bottom of the ninth to gain his fifth save of the season.  Cole was ejected with one out in the inning by first base umpire Clint Fagan for protesting a check swing ruling.  It was his second ejection of the season for the Tulsa manager.
 
Despite the victory, the news was not all good for the Drillers Thursday as they learned that they will be without shortstop Chris Nelson for several weeks because of a fractured wrist.  A roster replacement has not been announced.
 

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