LITTLE ROCK — Tulsa Drillers starter Joe Gardner pitched seven innings and received help from the offense early in a 6-3 victory Sunday over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at ONEOK Field in Tulsa.
Gardner, who pitched three hitless innings to open his outing, allowed 3 hits, 1 earned run and struck out 7 in his 7 innings of work to improve his record to 7-8.
Tulsa outfielder Tim Torres hit his third home run of the season - a two-run home run - to take an early 2-0 lead in the second inning, and the pitching staff held the lead from there.
The Drillers took advantage of two throwing miscues in the third inning to extend their lead to 4-0 against Naturals starter Noel Arguelles, who allowed four earned runs in six innings.
Tulsa outfielder Chris Pettit singled to start the third inning and leadoff man Michael Mitchell followed with a single of his own and advanced to second base on a throw, putting runners on second and third. Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki - who is in Tulsa for a rehabilitation assignment after injuring his groin in May - and Kiel Roling each picked up an RBI in the next two at-bats by reaching base on throwing errors to score two more runs.
Pettit picked up an RBI with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning when he drove home Tim Torres to make the lead 5-0 for Tulsa.
The Naturals finally got to Gardner in the seventh inning when outfielder Carlo Testa hit a home run, his 15th of the season, to score the team’s first run.
Naturals reliever Patrick Keating took over in the seventh inning and pitched a scoreless inning, but he worked himself into trouble in the eighth inning.
Torres walked to start the inning and a Pettit picked up his second RBI of the night to score Torres, putting the Drillers lead at 6-1.
Tulsa’s Brett Jacobson took over and pitched a scoreless eighth inning, but Josh Sullivan was tagged with two earned runs in the ninth before Joe Torres got the last out of the game for his first save of the season.
SATURDAY’S GAMES
Springfield 2, Arkansas 1 Tulsa 2, NW Arkansas 1 Corpus Christi 5, San Antonio 2 Frisco at Midland, ppd., rain
SUNDAY’S GAMES
Springfield 9, Arkansas 4 Tulsa 6, NW Arkansas 3 Frisco 4-11, Midland 2-4 Corpus Christi 2, San Antonio 1
TODAY’S GAMES All times
Central Frisco at Midland, 6:30 p.m.
San Antonio at Corpus Christi, 7:05 p.m.
NW Arkansas at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m.
Arkansas at Springfield, 7:08 p.m.
Today’s game NW ARKANSAS NATURALS AT TULSA DRILLERS WHEN 7:05 p.m.
WHERE ONEOK Field, Tulsa
RADIO KQSM-FM, 92.1
INTERNET nwanaturals.com
PITCHERS NW Arkansas: Mike Montgomery (LHP, 2-4, 5.87 ERA); Tulsa: Brandon Hynick (RHP, 5-3, 2.25)
THE WEEK AHEAD
TODAY at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m.
TUESDAY at Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.
WEDNESDAY at Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.
THURSDAY at Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.
FRIDAY at Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.
SATURDAY vs. Tulsa, 1 p.m.
SUNDAY vs. Tulsa, 6 p.m.
Sports, Pages 19 on 08/27/2012