The Tulsa Drillers just choked away their Division Series opener, losing 9-7 to the Cardinals in a walk-off. That stinging defeat came despite a stellar night from designated hitter Mike Sirota, who was practically the only one bringing any offense to a lineup that fell apart when it mattered most.
Sirota Shines While the Drillers’ Lineup Absolutely Crumbles
You gotta feel for Mike Sirota. While eight out of nine guys in the Drillers’ starting lineup were striking out multiple times, Sirota was out there hitting dingers and singles, doing everything he could to keep his team in it. He ripped a single in the first inning, then later absolutely crushed a two-run shot. That’s his 10th homer in just 71 games with the Drillers this season, and a whopping 17th overall for him in 2026. This dude is batting .306 across multiple levels, showing he’s a legit threat at the plate.
But even with Sirota’s fire, the Drillers’ lineup was a mess. They hit four home runs in the game, with Taylor Young and Griffin Lockwood-Powell getting things started with solo shots early on, and Charles Davalan joining Sirota later. Sounds great, right? Nope. The big problem was a complete lack of runners in scoring position. You can’t just hit solo homers and expect to win, especially when you strike out a mind-boggling 17 times and only get a single at-bat with a runner in scoring position the entire damn game. To lose the lead not once, not twice, but three times on your way to a 9-7 walk-off defeat? That’s a special kind of disappointment, especially to kick off a Division Series.
Comets Get Thrashed and Barely Avoid Total Humiliation
Over in Triple-A, things weren’t much better for the Oklahoma City Comets, who got absolutely humbled by the Chihuahuas, taking an 11-5 road loss. And honestly, that 11-5 score doesn’t even tell the whole ugly story. Four of the Comets’ five runs came in the top of the ninth inning, and that was just to avoid what would have been an embarrassing double-digit beatdown against a team that rolled into the game with a measly 58-86 record. Yikes!
Pitching was a huge problem. Starter Gavin Stone had a night to forget, giving up four runs in just three innings. That’s his worst outing since he got activated a month and a half ago, which is not what you want to see. Then veteran Jake Cousins came in from the bullpen and struggled even more, coughing up four runs after he’d been solid, allowing just one in his previous four innings. On offense, third baseman Ryan Fitzgerald couldn’t get anything going when the Comets actually had a shot, though he did smash a two-run shot in the ninth. That brings him one RBI shy of 100 for the season, a silver lining in a dumpster fire. Chris Newell also launched his 24th homer of 2026.
This is a tough start for both squads. The Drillers have to regroup fast after that walk-off punch to the gut in their Division Series opener. For the Comets, they just need to forget that debacle and come out swinging harder.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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