PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

Dodgers Survive Extras in Music City

Published on July 21, 2018 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Nashville, Tenn. - After being unable to hang on to a three-run lead with two outs in the ninth inning, the Oklahoma City Dodgers found a way to escape First Tennessee Park with a 5-4 win in 10 innings over the Nashville Sounds Friday.

The Dodgers (53-42) broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning with three runs, and they still led, 4-1, heading to the bottom of the ninth inning.

Brian Schlitter retired the first two batters in short order before the trouble began. The next three batters reached base, including a RBI single by Steve Lombardozzi to pull the Sounds within 4-2.

A key wild pitch moved both runners on base into scoring position. Beau Taylor then evened the score with a two-run single to center field.

An error on the following play allowed the winning run to advance to third base, but Schlitter got Bruce Maxwell to ground out to end the inning.

Playing their third extra-inning game in their last five games overall, the Dodgers went back in font in the 10th inning on a sacrifice fly by Donovan Solano - his third go-ahead RBI of the night.

In the bottom of the 10th, Dodgers reliever Joe Broussard was able to navigate through a considerable jam and close out the game. The inning began with Maxwell at second base, and Sheldon Neuse led off with a bloop single to right field. Alex Verdugo committed a fielding error on the play, and although Maxwell held at third base, Neuse advanced to second, putting the tying and winning runs in scoring position with none out.

B.J. Boyd came up next and lined out to shallow center field, not deep enough for Maxwell to attempt to tag and score. Broussard then struck out both Jorge Mateo and Melvin Mercedes to polish off the win and earn his seventh save.

The final few innings were much different from the majority of the game, as the team's combined for just two runs through seven innings.

Nashville starting pitcher Eric Jokisch cruised through his first trip through the Dodgers lineup. He faced the minimum over the first three innings on just 24 pitches.

The Dodgers were able to find some success in the fourth inning. Tim Locastro led off with a walk and Verdugo followed with a double, putting runners at second and third base. Solano then sent a sacrifice fly to right field to open the scoring.

OKC maintained a 1-0 lead due to a strong outing from Drew Hutchison, who turned in a second consecutive scoreless start, lasting five innings. He worked around six singles and one walk to keep the Sounds off the board while racking up a season-high eight strikeouts.

Over his last two starts, Hutchison has turned in 11 scoreless frames. Friday's outing was also the third time in his last four starts he did not yield a run over at least five innings.

Nashville (47-50) leveled the game in the seventh. Mateo led off with a line drive to center field over Verdugo's head for a triple. Two batters later, Ramón Laureano hit a pop up in foul territory on the first base side. Dodgers first baseman Connor Joe extended his upper body into the stands to make the catch, but the speedy Mateo was able to tag up and race home to turn the play into a game-tying sacrifice fly.

The Dodgers responded in their next at-bat, scoring three runs, all with two outs. Solano broke the tie with a RBI single up the middle. A wild pitch allowed another run to score, and Andrew Toles finished the rally with a RBI single.

Solano led the way with a game-high three RBI. Locastro, Verdugo and Joe each tallied two hits. Taylor led all batters with three hits, as the Sounds outhit the Dodgers, 12-11.

Despite a rare rough outing and allowing a season-high three runs, Schlitter (5-1) ended up with the winning decision. Carlos Ramirez (1-2) took the loss, surrendering the deciding run in the 10th inning.

The Dodgers' win broke a five-game losing streak against Nashville. It was also the eighth consecutive game between the Dodgers and Sounds to be decided by one run.

The Dodgers and Sounds continue their series Saturday with a doubleheader to make up a game postponed on May 29. First pitch is set for 5:05 p.m., and live radio coverage begins 15 minutes before first pitch on AM 1340 "The Game," 1340thegame.com, or through the free iHeartRadio mobile app.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 21, 2018


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