PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

RedHawks at Cubs Tonight

Published on July 3, 2009 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


TONIGHT: The Oklahoma City RedHawks and Iowa Cubs play the rubber game of the 3-game series at Principal Park, after a 2-1 Cubs win last night. OKC righthander Luis Mendoza returns to the rotation after nearly a month in the bullpen. Mendoza faced the Cubs twice in relief last month, firing 3 scoreless innings. They were his only scoreless appearances among 6 relief outings. Right-handed rehabber Angel Guzman gets the start for the Cubs. Iowa is second in the American North, 3.5 games back of Nashville. The RedHawks are second in the American South, 1.5 games behind Albuquerque.

PITCHING REIGNS AGAIN: One night after a 1-0 OKC win in 14 innings on Wednesday, the teams collected just 3 runs total in last night's 2-1 Iowa win. Elizardo Ramirez (4-7) went the distance for OKC, allowing both runs on 4 hits. John-Ford Griffin's solo homer in the sixth inning broke a 1-1 tie and completed the scoring as OKC fell to 17-11 in one-run games. Kevin Richardson belted a solo homer for the second time in 3 games to produce OKC's run. Richardson has driven in both OKC runs this series. J.R. Mathes (8-4) dealt with baserunners in every inning but earned the win in a 6-inning start. Blake Parker notched his eighth save after 2 perfect innings from Greg Reinhard.

JOSH HAMILTON, PART 3: Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton is with the RedHawks this series on a rehab assignment as he recovers from June 9 surgery to repair an abdominal tear. Hamilton made a 2-game rehab appearance with the RedHawks May 10-11 in Round Rock while recovering from a strained intercostal muscle in his left rib cage. In 35 games for Texas this season, Hamilton is batting .240 with 6 homers and 24 RBIs.

Information on Hamilton is on the back page of the notes.

BULLPEN GETS REST: Elizardo Ramirez's complete game last night was his first of the season and the team's third. Doug Mathis, currently with Texas, had the other two. Ramirez's complete game comes a night after the RedHawks bullpen used 6 relievers, plus spot starter Willie Eyre, in a 14-inning game. In the previous 11 games in which it was needed, the RedHawks' bullpen has combined to pitch 46 innings while allowing 5 runs on 27 hits, a 0.98 ERA.

LONG AND SHORT OF IT: Last night's 2-hour, 9-minute game was OKC's fourth-shortest 9-inning game of the year, slightly longer than ones lasting 2:06 (April 11), 2:07 (June 1) and 2:08 (May 12). Wednesday's 14-inning marathon was the OKC's second-longest game of the season in elapsed time, behind a 4:08 on June 18. It was the longest in innings since a 19-inning affair in Memphis Aug. 26, 2002.

RAMIREZ DAY-TO-DAY: Catcher Max Ramirez has missed 2 straight games with a sore left wrist. Ramirez was on the DL May 31-June 8 with soreness in his right wrist.

BACK UNDER .500: OKC dipped one game below .500 with last night's loss. The RedHawks have not been above .500 this season.

GERMAN AN ALL-STAR: Esteban German has been selected as OKC's representative in the July 15 Triple-A All-Star Game in Portland. German played in the game the last time he was in Triple-A, 2005, when he was also a RedHawk. German has a 19 game on-base streak going, dating to June 12. In that span, he has hits in 15 games, has extended the streak by walk 3 times and by a hit-by-pitch once. He also boasts a 7-game hitting streak. German leads the team with a .312 batting average, 41 RBIs and 24 stolen bases. He's third in the PCL in on-base percentage at .426 and fourth in walks with 50.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 3, 2009


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