OKC Dodgers Game Notes - May 27, 2015
May 27, 2015 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Baseball Club News Release
Oklahoma City Dodgers (31-13) vs. Salt Lake Bees (21-24)
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Los Angeles Angels
Game #45 of 144/Road #27 of 72 (18-8)
Pitching Probables: OKC-LHP Eric Surkamp (NR, -.--) vs. SLC-RHP Drew Rucinski (0-4, 7.99)
Wednesday, May 27, 2015 | Smith's Ballpark | Salt Lake City, Utah | 7:35 p.m. CT
Radio: KGHM AM-1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, iHeartRadio - Alex Freedman
Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers try for their longest winning streak of the season when they play the Salt Lake Bees at 7:35 p.m. Central time at Smith's Ballpark. The Dodgers have won five consecutive games, and a win tonight would give Oklahoma City its longest winning streak since recording seven wins in a row Aug. 15-21, 2013.
Last Game: The Dodgers set season highs with 11 runs and 18 hits as the offense erupted in an 11-5 win over Salt Lake Tuesday night at Smith's Ballpark. OKC trailed, 2-1, before the Dodgers rallied for six runs with two outs in the top of the fourth. With a runner at first, six straight Dodgers reached base, with each of the last five collecting hits. Corey Seager tied the game with a RBI double, and O'Koyea Dickson put OKC in front with a two-run single. After a single by Buck Britton, Kyle Jensen recorded a RBI single. Andy Wilkins capped the rally with a two-run double. The Bees responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. In the fifth, the Dodgers pulled off another considerable two-out rally. This time five straight reached base, with each of the last four collecting hits. Dickson, Britton, and Jensen provided consecutive RBI singles to make it 10-4. The Dodgers plated their last run in the eighth, again with two outs. Darnell Sweeney notched a RBI single, and ensured all nine Dodgers in the lineup finished with at least one hit. Scott Baker tossed six innings and earned the win for OKC. He allowed five runs on seven hits. Baker (3-3) struck out four and did not allow a walk. Former OKC RedHawk Nick Tropeano (2-2) had a rough night and took the loss. He allowed season highs with seven runs, nine hits, and four walks over a season-low 3.2 innings.
Today's Probable Pitcher: Erik Surkamp will make his OKC Dodgers debut tonight after being acquired by the Dodgers in a May 22 trade with the Chicago White Sox...Prior to the trade, he appeared in 11 games, including one start, with Triple-A Charlotte, going 3-0 with one save and a 2.81 ERA. He recorded 30 strikeouts over 25.2 innings...Surkamp held International League opponents to a .204 average, and left-handed hitters batted just .189...He split last season between Charlotte and the White Sox. In Major League action, he went 2-0 with a 4.81 ERA over 35 appearances...He was originally selected by the Giants in the sixth round of the June 2008 draft and was claimed by the White Sox off waivers in December 2013...Tonight marks his first career appearance against Salt Lake...Surkamp is the 14th different starting pitcher used by OKC this season, and the second to make his team debut over the past three days, along with Deck McGuire.
Against the Bees: 2015: 2-0 2014: 2-2 All-time: 41-45 In SLC: 17-25
The last Oklahoma City squad to win three games in Salt Lake in a single season was in 1999 when they finished 3-1 -- the only time the team has won a series the Beehive State. However, OKC has never won three consecutive games in the same season in Salt Lake...The teams split their lone series last season, June 9-12 in Bricktown. Only one meeting was decided by fewer than three runs...Due to divisional realignment in the PCL last season, this is OKC's first trip to Salt Lake since 2012. The RedHawks were swept in that series, and the Bees collected two walk-off wins...Oklahoma City has not won any series against Salt Lake since 2009, when they swept the Bees over a four-game set in Bricktown (0-3-2 since).
Simply the Best: At 31-13, the Dodgers stand a season-best 18 games above .500 and own the team's best record through 44 games since joining the PCL in 1998...The Dodgers also have their largest first-place lead of the season and currently pace the division by 8.5 games, marking their largest lead since they entered Sept. 1, 2008 leading by 8.5 games as well...OKC is one of five teams in the Minors with at least 31 victories. The Low-A Quad Cities River Bandits lead the Minors with 33 wins.
Road Warriors: With yesterday's victory, the Dodgers have won five straight road games for the first time this season and improved to a league-best 18-8 in road games. The Dodgers are 11-6 in road games this month, matching their highest road win total in one month since August 2007. The only time OKC has collected more than 11 road wins in one month was May 2003, when they had 14.
Offensive Outburst: The Dodgers collected a season-high 11 runs and 18 hits Tuesday, shattering their previous highs of eight runs and 14 hits. They scored nine of their 10 runs and recorded 13 of their 18 hits with two outs...During the fourth inning, OKC tied its season high for most runs in an inning (previously May 9 at Omaha, 1st inning), and set a new season high with six hits in one inning...All nine players collected at least one hit. Six players finished with a multi-hit game and three finished with at least two RBI.
Seager's Surge: Corey Seager went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles Tuesday, becoming the first OKC Dodger to record a four-hit game this season. It was also his second four-hit game of the season, having collected one previously with Double-A Tulsa on April 13 at Corpus Christi. Seager is 6-for-9 with four extra-base hits and four RBI over the last two games. Entering Monday, Seager had just three extra-base hits over his first 21 games since getting promoted to Triple-A.
Grand Addition: L.A. Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal reached base four times during the first game of his rehab assignment. In the process he became just the second OKC Dodger this season to score three times in a game (Darnell Sweeney, May 14) and walk three times in one game (Austin Barnes, May 7). Grandal was placed on the 7-Day Concussion DL on May 23, after being hit in the head twice while catching on May 22. Grandal is expected to play with OKC in each of the next two games and serve as the team's designated hitter.
Ward-en of the Plate: With a recent increase in playing time after Austin Barnes was recalled to Los Angeles on Saturday, catcher Brian Ward has started to heat up. Ward has collected back-to-back multi-hit games, going 4-for-8 the past two nights. He's now reached base safely in nine of his last 15 plate appearances...Last night Ward also notched his fourth pickoff of the season.
O'Koyea's OK: O'Koyea Dickson tied his season high with three hits Tuesday and set a new season high with three RBI. He has hit safely in 11 of his last 13 games, batting .367 (18x49) with five multi-hit games and 11 runs scored.
Bullish 'Pen: During the team's current five-game winning streak, the Dodgers bullpen has thrown 16.1 scoreless innings and allowed eight hits (only one XBH) with four walks and 13 strikeouts, while having just three runners reach scoring position. OKC relievers have combined to retire 41 of the last 51 batters they've faced.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE AND PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)
DATE TIME OPPONENT OKC PITCHERS OPP. PITCHER
Thursday, May 28 1:05 p.m. @ Salt Lake RHP Joe Wieland (4-1, 4.76) LHP Andrew Heaney (5-0, 3.02)
Friday, May 29 7:05 p.m. Fresno RHP Zach Lee (5-3, 2.52) LHP Tommy Shirley (3-1, 3.60)
Saturday, May 30 7:05 p.m. Fresno RHP Deck McGuire (1-0, 1.35) RHP Dan Straily (3-3, 4.25)
Sunday, May 31 2:05 p.m. Fresno RHP Scott Baker (3-3, 5.30) RHP Alex White (1-3, 5.73)
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