Springfield swept the Tulsa Drillers out of the Texas League playoffs for the second straight year, rallying for a 6-4 win Thursday, Sept. 17, at ONEOK Field.
The loss ended a record-breaking season for the Drillers, the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Tulsa finished 88-50 in the regular season, a franchise record for wins and the most by a Tulsa professional team since 1968.
The regular-season dominance did not carry into the postseason. Springfield erased a one-run Drillers lead in the eighth inning of Game 2, just as it had overcome a late deficit in Game 1's 9-7 walk-off win Tuesday, Sept. 15, at Route 66 Stadium.
The best-of-three North Division series lasted only two games.
Drillers starter Christian Zazueta, ranked No. 35 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects list, gave Tulsa five strong innings. The 21-year-old right-hander allowed two runs on four hits, walked one and struck out seven, all on his 60-grade fastball, according to MLB Pipeline.
Springfield's Jesús Báez and Cade McGee each hit solo home runs off Zazueta. Both were their second homers of the series.
Tulsa answered each time. Sean McLain singled home a run in the fourth to tie the score at 1-1. Mike Sirota scored on a Chuck Davalan single in the fifth to knot it at 2-2. In the seventh, Taylor Young walked, advanced to third on two wild pitches and scored on an Elijah Hainline sacrifice fly to put the Drillers ahead 3-2.
The lead did not hold. In the eighth, Báez walked and scored the tying run when Sirota's throw from right field skipped past Young at second base. Won-Bin Cho then scored the go-ahead run when shortstop McLain's relay throw home bounced past catcher Frank Rodriguez.
Tai Peete added a two-run homer in the ninth to push the lead to 6-3. The Drillers managed one run in the bottom of the ninth before Hainline grounded out to Báez at shortstop to end the season.
Tulsa World sports editor Barry Lewis captured the series mood after Game 1:
@barrylewistw: "Jesus Baez's 40th HR is a mammoth shot in b9 — a 2-run walkoff blast that gives @Sgf_Cardinals a 9-7 win over @TulsaDrillers in Game 1 — series moves to Tulsa at 6:30 pm Thursday at ONEOK Field"
Five Springfield pitchers held Tulsa to three hits in Game 2. Drillers batters struck out 14 times after fanning 17 times in the opener. The bullpen allowed nine runs over 8 1/3 combined innings across the two games, according to the Drillers' recap.
The 2026 Drillers set franchise records in runs scored (856), home runs (199), walks drawn (713), RBI (802), wins (88), winning percentage (.638) and OPS (.811), according to team records.
Jake Gelof hit 34 home runs, a Tulsa modern-era single-season record. Sirota reached base in 72 consecutive games, the longest such streak in professional baseball in 2026.
Manager Eric Wedge's club won the first-half North Division title for just the second time in 11 seasons. The Drillers posted 48 comeback victories during the regular season.
Springfield advances to the Texas League Championship Series. The Drillers open their 50th Anniversary season April 2, 2027, at Route 66 Stadium in Springfield, with the ONEOK Field home opener set for April 6 against Wichita.
