PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

Barnes and Jensen Steer Dodgers to Victory

Published on June 8, 2015 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Round Rock, Texas - Austin Barnes collected four hits and Kyle Jensen drove in four runs, leading the Oklahoma City Dodgers to a 7-5 victory over the Round Rock Express Monday night at Dell Diamond.

Barnes finished 4-for-4 with a home run, double, and a pair of singles. With a chance to hit for the cycle and collect his fifth hit of the night in the eighth inning, he drew a walk. His four hits and three runs scored both set season highs.

Jensen continued to torment Round Rock's pitching staff, going 2-for-5 with a triple in four RBI. Jensen has collected seven RBI over the first three games of the series, and over the past two seasons, Jensen is batting .375 with 22 RBI over 11 games at Dell Diamond. .

One night after getting shutout and held to three hits, the Dodgers (36-21) scored two runs and notched three hits in the first inning alone. With runners at second and third, Jensen lined a two-run single to center field to give Oklahoma City an early 2-0 lead.

The Dodgers added another run in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Corey Seager to make it 3-0.

Round Rock (35-22) answered with a run in the bottom of the inning. Ryan Strausborger connected on his fifth home run of the season, cutting OKC's lead to 3-1.

In the top of the fifth, the Dodgers rallied for three runs after having the bases empty with two outs. Barnes started the rally with a double, and Seager followed with a walk. Jensen then lined a triple just past the outstretched glove of right fielder Jared Hoying. Not only did Barnes and Seager score, but so did Jensen when Rougned Odor's relay throw to third base went out of play.

The Express got one run back in the bottom of the inning on a solo homer by Hoying - his third homer in as many games - pulling Round Rock within 6-2.

Barnes led off the seventh inning with a home run into the Round Rock bullpen in left-center field to collect his fourth hit of the night

The Dodgers still led by five runs in the bottom of the eighth, but the Express scored three times on five hits trim the lead to two. Odor and Chris Gimenez had back-to-back RBI singles with one out, and Brett Nicholas added a RBI single with two outs to make it 7-5. With the tying runs on and two outs, Danny Coulombe struck out Michael Choice to end the inning.

Chin-Hui Tsao came on to close out the game in the ninth inning. Tsao struck out two of the first three batters he faced before Tyler Pastornicky came up representing the tying run. Pastornicky sent a drive to deep left-center field, but Darnell Sweeney made a running catch just shy of the warning track to end the game.

Dodgers starting pitcher Eric Surkamp turned in his best outing since joining the team. Surkamp (1-2) allowed two runs and five hits over five innings to claim his first win with OKC. The lefty struck out three Express batters and did not allow a walk.

Rehabbing Texas Rangers pitcher Matt Harrison picked up the loss for Round Rock. Harrison (1-1) gave up six runs and eight hits over five innings. He had two walks and two strikeouts.

Tsao earned his first save of the season.

The Dodgers will have a chance to win the series in Round Rock when they finish their four-game set with the Express at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday night. Live coverage begins at 6:35 p.m. on AM 1340 "The Game", 1340thegame.com, or through the iHeartRadio mobile app.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from June 8, 2015


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