The Springfield Cardinals closed the road portion of the 2018 season with a 5-3 win against the Tulsa Drillers before 4,409 fans at ONEOK Field on Monday night.
The Drillers (34-27, 68-63) once again came out swinging in the bottom of the first, plating a pair against RHP Casey Meisner (W, 2-1). With one on and two away, LF Jacob Scavuzzo sent a two-run shot to left field to provide an early 2-0 advantage for the Drillers.
The Cardinals (26-36, 59-73) got their bats going the second time through their lineup against RHP Dustin May (L, 1-2), striking in the top of the third. SS Tommy Edman opened the frame with a free pass, before stealing his 26th bag of the year to get to second base. Two outs later, RF Johan Mieses drilled an RBI double to deep center field, bringing home Edman to shave the Cardinals deficit to 2-1.
Springfield then swung in front in the top of the fifth. With one away, 1B Ramon Urias and 2B Andy Young connected on consecutive singles to put runners at first and second. They both then came flying home on another booming double to straightaway center field by Mieses, lifting Springfield ahead by one run. After Mieses moved to third on a groundout, 3B Evan Mendoza brought him home with a two-out RBI single to left-center, padding the brand-new lead to 4-2.
The Cardinals added to the advantage in the sixth, starting the stanza with a walk from C Jeremy Martinez. A wild pitch moved Martinez to second, followed by a single from Edman that put runners at the corners. Edman swiped second, his 27th steal of the year, before another wild pitch from May bounced away, bringing home Martinez to make it 5-2.
Meisner exited after his fifth frame still with only the two runs allowed and was followed by scoreless relief from RHP Roel Ramirez in the sixth and seventh. RHP Hector Mendoza then came in for a perfect eighth inning, keeping Springfield ahead by three runs.
RHP Seth Elledge took over for the ninth and retired the first batter of the frame, before 3B Errol Robinson connected on a solo home run. Elledge, though, bounced back with two quick outs to avoid any further trouble and close the 5-3 win for the Cardinals.
