Tulsa outfielder Scott Beerer is a converted pitcher who is in only his third season as a position player. During that time, it is doubtful he has ever enjoyed a hotter streak than he is currently on. Beerer used both his bat and his arm to help lead the Drillers to an 8-4 victory over Arkansas Wednesday afternoon at ONEOK Field.
The win was the fourth straight for Tulsa, a season high.
Beerer entered the game on a four-game hitting streak in which he was hitting .600. He extended the streak with a pair of hits, including a two-run homer, and picked up an outfield assist when he threw the potential go-ahead run out at the plate in the seventh inning.
Despite the early 11:00AM start time of the game, both team's offenses began quickly. Arkansas plated a run in the top of the first inning against Tulsa starter Cory Riordan, but it could have been more. Mike Trout opened the game with a lead off single, but Riordan picked him off first. On the next pitch, Darwin Perez hit his first home run of the season to put the Travs up 1-0.
The Drillers responded in the bottom of the first against Travs' starter Garrett Richards, a former University of Oklahoma hurler. Tim Wheeler led off with a double and Thomas Field drew a walk. Ben Paulsen followed with a double into the right field corner that scored Wheeler. With runners at second and third, cleanup hitter Darin Holcomb lined a single past Richards and into center field. Both Field and Paulsen scored on the play to give Tulsa a 3-1 lead.
After the early production, both starting pitchers settled down. Riordan held the Travs without a hit over the next four innings and it took a misplay to end his scoreless run. Angel Castillo led off with a fly ball into shallow left field that produced Beerer's only miscue of the day as the outfielder dropped the fly for a two-base error. Trout made the Drillers pay for the mistake as he lined a single into left that scored Castillo to cut the lead to a single run.
Arkansas tied the game in the seventh when Dillon Baird led off with a single and later scored on a one-out hit from Matt Cusick. It took Beerer's strong defensive play to keep the Travs from taking the lead. After a fielder's choice grounder from Clay Fuller, the designated hitter moved into scoring position by swiping second base. Castillo followed with a base hit to left that Beerer fielded and threw home to catcher Lars Davis who tagged out Fuller attempting to score the go-ahead run.
With its lead gone, Tulsa quickly responded with three big runs in the bottom of the seventh. Beerer started the rally started with a leadoff single, and he moved to third on a double from Mike Daniel. Davis put the Drillers back in front with a base hit that scored Beerer, while Daniel scored the second run of the inning on a ground out by Warren Schaeffer. The lead increased to 6-3 as Wheeler plated Davis with a single to center.
Beerer capped his big day with a two-run homer in the eighth that jumped Tulsa's lead to 8-3. It was his fourth home run of the year and his second in as many games.
Holcomb, Paulsen and Wheeler joined Beerer with two-hits each as the Drillers out-hit the Travelers 10-9.
Trout, who is considered one of the top prospects in Minor League Baseball, led Arkansas with his second straight three hit game.
Stephen Dodson relieved Riordan on the mound and picked up his Texas League leading fifth win of the year. Dodson is now a perfect 5-0 in 10 appearances this year.
Riordan pitched well but had to settle for a no decision.
Richards suffered his first loss of the season for Arkansas.
The Drillers and Travs will play the third game of their four-game series at 7:05PM Thursday night at ONEOK Field. The pitching match-up will feature Rob Scahill (1-2, 6.14 ERA) for Tulsa against Trevor Reckling (0-3, 3.32 ERA) of Arkansas.
