Tulsa loses late, Ogden drops finale

A day that started with anticipation of raising to championship banners ended with two home losses for Tulsa and Ogden.

The Drillers and especially the Raptors should keep their heads high as a two-game losing streak should not define your season. Nevertheless, they both had to win just one of two home games and they were unable to do that.

This is the final edition of True Blue LA’s daily minor league report, stay tuned for prospect reviews and other minor league news throughout the next months until once again they begin play in April 2020.

Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers had a 3-1 lead and needed just three outs to repeat as Texas League champions. But then the Amarillo Sod Poodles (Padres) would load the bases with no outs and the prospect that was part of the Padres deadline deal, Taylor Trammell, hit a grand slam to snatch that championship away.

The Sod Poodles would eventually score seven runs in the ninth inning and they would go on to win 8-3. In a way, this now evens things between these two teams as last year, the Drillers beat the San Antonio Missions in San Antonio. The Missions were the Padres Texas League affiliate until this season.

Before the ninth inning, the game went as planned. Edwin Uceta started and pitched four scoreless innings. Michael Boyle pitched a scoreless inning in relief. Then Luis Vasquez gave up a run in 2⅔ innings pitched but it was still 3-1 after eight innings.

Jeter Downs was provider of all the runs for the Drillers, he singled home the first run in the fifth inning. Then he hit a two-run home run that made it a three-run game after seven innings.

Everything went as well as they could have planned until the ninth inning. Unfortunately, they were unable to finish it out but it was still a great season for the Drillers.

Advanced Rookie Ogden

The Raptors had done everything they had to do win the Pioneer League through last Friday. They won both halves of the regular season. They won the first two games in their divisional playoff series. They beat the Idaho Falls Chukars (Royals) on the road to take a 1-0 lead with the last two games at home.

The Chukars, who were one a few teams to beat the Raptors two games in a row during the regular season, did just that in the playoffs. The loss on Saturday made today’s game a winner-take-all game and the Chukars would hold on to win 10-8.

The Chukars jumped out to a seven-run lead after the top of the fifth inning. But then the Raptors got off the mat to make it a 7-5 game going the sixth inning. The Chukars would then add two more to make it 9-5.

But then the Raptors scored three more runs and it was a one-run game going to the seventh inning.

But that would end the scoring for the Raptors and they would go 4-for-13 with runners in scoring position to miss their chances to get even closer.

The Raptors had a season to be proud of and what happened in the last two games does not diminish it.

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Sunday scores

Amarillo 8, Tulsa 3

Idaho Falls 10, Ogden 8