Tulsa Drillers Jump Out to Early Lead Before Hanging on For 6-5 Win Over Arkansas Travelers

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MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com -Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock, Arkansas - The Arkansas Travelers (5-14, 41-48) rally fell one run short on Thursday night as the Travs lost 6-5 to the Tulsa Drillers (11-6, 41-47).  The Drillers opened up a 4-0 lead on Anthony Ortega (8-6) before the Travs started their comeback in the seventh. Ortega was not sharp in his five innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on eight hits while striking out five against four walks.  He got himself into immediate trouble in the first by walking the first batter on four pitches.  Two singles later, the Drillers had a 2-0 lead after one inning. Your Ad Here The Drillers scored another run in the third on a triple and three infield hits.  They padded their lead when Tony Blanco, who was hit by a pitch, came around to score on a single by Jeff Kindel.  Both Ortega and Drillers' starter Ching-Lung Lo (6-7) exited the game after five innings.  Ortega left after throwing 112 pitches but Lo threw just 57.  The Travs' offense went to work against the Drillers' bullpen in the seventh inning after Wil Ortiz reached on a fielding error by SS Corey Wimberly.  Brian Walker followed Ortiz with a two-run home run, his fourth of the year.  Cody Fuller made it back-to-back home runs, hitting the first pitch he saw over the wall in left field to cut the score to 4-3. The Drillers touched reliever Barret Browning for two runs in the next half inning to extend their lead to three runs at 6-3.  Matt Miller's two-out double scored Brian Esposito and Dexter Fowler. Arkansas got those two runs back when Adam Morrissey hit his fifth homer of the year to score Corey Smith.  Both teams went down 1-2-3 in the ninth inning but Adam Greenberg made it interesting with a fly ball that RF Justin Nelson caught standing on the warning track for the game's final out. Travelers' manager Bobby Magallanes was ejected from the game by 3B umpire Kellen Levy in the seventh inning after arguing about Nate Sutton striking out.  On a 3-2 pitch out of the strike zone, Levy said that Sutton carried his bat through the strike zone, which caused Magallanes to argue with Levy. Aaron Cook worked two scoreless innings in relief of Ortega and held the Drillers to just one hit and striking out two. Casey Weathers pitched the ninth inning for his second save of the year. Time of game was 3:03 and paid attendance was 5,243. Boxscore The Travs will take on the Drillers in game two of the series Friday night at 7:10 with the gates opening at 6:10.  Arkansas will send RHP Fernando Rodriguez (5-6, 5.61 ERA) up against Midland's RHP Chaz Roe (2-0, 3.63 ERA).

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