Watch Now: Drillers pitcher Gavin Stone brings heat in win over Travelers

Tulsa Drillers right-hander Gavin Stone’s toughest opponent this season has been the Texas League’s warm weather.

Stone, however, is handling the heat better as he showed on a 92-degree Thursday night. He pitched his pro career-high seven innings and combined with two relievers on a six-hitter to lead the Drillers past the Arkansas Travelers 5-3 before 5,565 fans at ONEOK Field.

“The humidity kind of stinks obviously,” Stone said. “Playing in California last year and being in Michigan where it was always kind of cooler, being back in the humidity in the South is kind of tough but you get used to it.”

Stone (4-2) walked one and struck out 11 as he threw 71 of 96 pitches for strikes to help the Drillers (41-29) end a three-game losing streak and pick up their first second-half victory in three attempts against the Travelers (38-34).

“He was definitely efficient,” Drillers manager Scott Hennessey said.

Stone’s four-pitch first inning gave him what Hennessey referred to as “a bonus inning.” Stone, a 2020 fifth-round draft choice by the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitched seven innings for the first time since he was at Central Arkansas and became the first Drillers pitcher to go that distance this season.

“It felt good to get out there late in the game,” Stone said. “I felt stronger later in the game than I did earlier. All the stuff felt good out of my hand late. I felt like I could’ve kept going.”

Stone retired the first seven batters and 11 of the last 12. Both of Arkansas’ runs came in the third as Stone’s lone walk of the game, to Jake Anchia, turned into a run when he scored on Edmond native Kaden Polcovich’s double. Joe Rizzo followed with a single that drove in Polcovich for a 2-0 lead.

“He ran into some problems but made some quick adjustments and it was another lights-out performance,” Hennessey said.

His mound opponent, Connor Jones, breezed through three innings, but has battled control problems at times this year and they struck again in the fourth as he plunked consecutive hitters and then issued two consecutive walks that forced in a run.

Leonel Valera then hit a liner off shortstop Riley Unroe’s glove for a tying single. Jeren Kendall, who was batting .171, then lined a two-run double into the right-center gap for a 4-2 lead. Kendall had several game-winning hits late June, but has struggled this year and had limited playing time. That is changing after James Outman’s promotion Wednesday to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

“He’s going to get a good runway here and more consistent at-bats,” Hennessey said. “Let’s see what he can do. He’s working really hard, he’s trying and he’s grinding. Let’s hope he figures it out at the plate because if he does he’s going to be a really good big leaguer.”

Nick Robertson, with the tying run at the plate, needed only six pitches to pick up two outs and save the win for Stone, who has a 1.50 ERA in eight starts for Tulsa after moving up from High-A Great Lakes.

“We got that four-run inning and it was good to see Stoney once he got the lead, he smelled it (victory) and got us through seven,” Hennessey said. “Another great performance from Stone and we got some timely hitting and won the ballgame. We needed it.”

DRILLERS 5, TRAVELERS 3

Arkansas;002;000;001;—;3;6;0

Tulsa;000;400;10x;—;5;4;1

Jones, Onyshko (4), Haberer (6). Arias (7) Shipley (8) and Anchia; Stone, Martinez (8), Robertson (9) and Taylor. W: Stone (4-2). L: Jones (4-6). RBI: Arkansas, Marlowe (45), Rizzo (36), Polcovich (26). Tulsa, Kendall 2 (14), Lewis (18), Valera (6). E: Tulsa, Valera (7). LOB: Arkansas 5, Tulsa 9. T: 2:24. A: 5,565.