Bullpen, Longballs Lift OKC
July 3, 2024 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release
Home runs by Ryan Ward and James Outman fueled the Oklahoma City Baseball Club's offense while five pitchers combined to hold the Las Vegas Aviators to one run in OKC's 3-1 win Wednesday night at Las Vegas Ballpark. Oklahoma City (3-6/43-41) took the game's first lead in the second inning when Ward scored from third base on a wild pitch. Ward then boosted OKC to a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning when he hit his league-leading 22nd home run of the season out to right-center field. James Outman pushed OKC's lead to 3-0 with a solo home run out to center field in the eighth inning. OKC pitchers held the Aviators (4-5/41-43) scoreless through seven innings before Las Vegas got on the scoreboard with a solo home run from Jacob Wilson in the eighth inning.
Of Note:
- Oklahoma City has won back-to-back games for the first time since June 23 against Albuquerque and June 25 in Reno and following a season-high six-game losing streak. This is just the third time since June 1 OKC has won consecutive games...OKC won two of the three games against the Aviators in Las Vegas.
-Ryan Ward hit his PCL-leading 22nd home run of the season and finished with the lone multi-hit outing of the night for either team, going 2-for-3 with a walk. He scored two of OKC's three runs and recorded a stolen base. He has now homered in back-to-back games for the sixth time this season and first time since June 22-23 against Albuquerque...Now 22 of Ward's 66 total hits this season have been home runs and 39 of his hits have gone for extra bases. He is also up to 61 RBI in 59 games - tied for most on the team.
-The one run allowed by OKC's pitching staff marked the team's lowest run total for an opponent since a 6-1 win in the first game of a doubleheader against Round Rock (seven innings) and the first time OKC held an opponent to one run in a nine-inning game since May 30 in Albuquerque (an 11-1 OKC win)...The six hits allowed by OKC Wednesday were the fewest for an OKC opponent since Round Rock was held to six hits June 9 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark (a 3-1 RR win)...The Aviators had just one at-bat with a runner in scoring position Wednesday and that occurred in the second inning.
-Starting pitcher River Ryan tossed 4.0 scoreless innings for OKC before Tanner Dodson (3-2) followed with 2.0 scoreless innings to earn the win. Matt Gage retired all three batters he faced in the ninth inning, earning his first save of the season.
-James Outman homered for the second time in three games and is 4-for-10 with a double and two home runs to start the month of July. Outman has nine homers in his 38 games with OKC this season.
-The three runs scored by OKC marked the team's lowest run total in a win since April 5 against Albuquerque at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, which was also a 3-1 win for OKC.
-Hunter Feduccia hit a double to extend his hitting streak to 18 games - tied for the third-longest on-base streak of the season by an OKC player. During the streak that started June 6, he has 15 hits, 14 RBI and 15 walks.
-Drew Avans' 25-game on-base streak came to an end, which was the second-longest on-base streak of the season for an OKC player and tied for the fifth-longest on-base streak in the league in 2024. During the stretch that started May 31, Avans went 31-for-105 with 11 extra-base hits, 14 RBI, 15 walks and 23 runs scored.
-OKC's offense struck out 15 times, marking the third time this season OKC had 15 or more strikeouts in a game, but first time the team did so in a win this season.
Next Up : Oklahoma City and Las Vegas shift their home-and-home series to Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark for a Fourth of July celebration starting at 7:05 p.m. Thursday. Gates open at 6 p.m. for the Independence Day game, featuring special patriotic festivities and postgame fireworks presented by Newcastle Casino. OKC players and coaches will wear special "Stars and Stripes" hats that will be available for purchase in the OKC Baseball Club Team Store.
Live radio coverage of each OKC Baseball Club game begins 15 minutes before first pitch on AM 1340 "The Game," 1340thegame.com and through the free iHeartRadio or MiLB First Pitch apps.
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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 3, 2024
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