TEXAS LEAGUE

Naturals offense not enough versus Drillers

The offense broke through against right-hander Jose DeLeon in the fifth inning Thursday using back-to-back home runs to highlight the four-run inning, but the Drillers stormed back with a five-run home half en route to a 5-4 loss at ONEOK Field.

Northwest Arkansas (67-68/27-38) put six base runners on against DeLeon in the first four innings before finally breaking through when Ramon Torres reached on a two-base error. Kenny Diekroeger followed with a single to set the table. Jorge Bonifacio plated the first run of the four-run inning with an RBI ground out. Then the action started.

Lane Adams smacked a DeLeon pitch into the left-field seats to bring home Diekroeger for a two-run homer, giving the Naturals a 3-0 lead. Five pitches later, Bubba Starling hit a high fly ball way out to left field for backto-back homers in the four-run frame.

The back-to-back homers were the eighth time this season the Naturals accomplished the feat and the first time since Aug. 14 at home against Corpus Christi when Ramon Torres and Raul Mondesi hit back-to-back homers in the bottom of the first.

But Tulsa stormed back. Naturals’ starter Paul Clemens had not allowed a hit in his first four innings but gave up a single to begin the fifth before walking his final batter. Clemens left the game with a 2-2 count and two runners on with an apparent injury, giving way to Malcom Culver (2-6, 4.26).

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