Danny Winkler Promoted to AA in Texas League

Effingham St. Anthony High School graduate Danny Winkler is moving up. The Effingham native went from Modesto, California to the AA Tulsa Drillers of the Texas Baseball League and pitched his first game Tuesday evening as a member of the squad.

Winkler, who leads the Rockies organization in wins with 12 and strikeouts with 157, had a 12-5 record with Modesto. Winkler struck out the first batter he faced Tuesday evening but the next batter nailed one into the Drillers bullpen and Midland took a 1-0 lead.

But Tulsa came roaring back, sending 11 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first inning for a 6-1 lead. Midland came back but Tulsa ended up claiming a 9-6 victory.

Winkler didn't work the required five innings to claim the victory, but he pitched four innings, allowing four hits, three walks and striking out five.

The Drillers finished with 12 total hits in the game. It was the first game of a six-game homestand at ONEOK Field. The victory was the Drillers eighth in their last 10 games. They moved into a three-way second place tie in the North Division, three games behind first-place Arkansas.