Express Out-Slug Dodgers 18-8
July 8, 2018 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma - The Round Rock Express (43-46) tied their season-high for scoring in a game with 18 runs on 21 hits to crush the Oklahoma City Dodgers (46-39) 18-8 on Sunday afternoon at Chickasaw Bricktown Park to finish the first half of the season on a high note.
Although the Dodgers jumped out to a 4-0 lead off him, Round Rock starter LHP David Hurlbut (4-5, 5.11) earned the win after tossing 5.1 innings while his offense carried the load. Oklahoma City reliever RHP Logan Ondrusek (0-1, 5.71) suffered the loss although he was only responsible for four of the 18 Express runs.
Down by a run in the fourth, the Express bats would blow the game wide open to run away with the win as they combined for four home runs over the next two innings.
Round Rock RF Scott Heineman knotted the score at 5-5 in the fourth when he smacked a solo shot to left field for his ninth round-tripper of the year. In the fifth, the E-Train continued to pepper the left field concourse as they put together a three-homer inning to take a 9-5 lead.
DH Carlos Perez blasted the most majestic of the three dingers off Ondrusek to lead off the inning, planting a solo shot over well over the left field wall to give Round Rock their first lead of the afternoon at 6-5. After C Juan Centeno extended the inning with a two-out single, 1B Hanser Alberto crushed his second longball of the season to push the gap to 8-5. The next batter, CF Drew Robinson, crushed another flyball to deep left that bounced off the top of the fence and ricocheted into center field. With Dodgers LF Andrew Toles giving chase, Robinson raced around the bases and eventually slid across the plate for an inside-the-park home run to make it 9-5.
In the sixth, Round Rock's bats kicked the door off its hinges when they plated seven runs to blow the score out to 16-5. In total, the Express put eight men on base in the frame on three singles, a double, three walks and a hit by pitch. 2B Christian Lopes would pop Round Rock's fifth homer of the day in the ninth when he touched on a solo homer to finalize the score at 18-8.
During Round Rock's offensive outburst, LF Willie Calhoun improved his season-high hitting streak to 15 straight games with a single in the top of the third before he was pinch ran for after being hit by a pitch in the sixth.
The Express finish up the first half with a 21-14 record in June and July, recording a win in six of their last seven contests. With the three-day All-Star break starting on Monday, Round Rock won't be back in action until July 12th when they welcome the Dodgers to Dell Diamond for a four-game series.
Until then, E-Train RHP R.J. Alvarez suits up for the Pacific Coast League team in the 2018 Triple-A All-Star Game. First pitch of the All-Star Game is set for 6:30 p.m. on July 11th at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio. The game can be seen live on MLB Network.
Pacific Coast League Stories from July 8, 2018
- I-Cubs Drop First Half Finale to Sounds - Iowa Cubs
- Bracewell's Gem Leads Sounds over Cubs - Nashville Sounds
- Tomlinson collects three hits as team reaches All-Star break - Sacramento River Cats
- Sky Sox Fall in Final Game to Baby Cakes Before All-Star Break - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
- Bees Swept by Chihuahuas - Salt Lake Bees
- 'Cakes Head to Break with a Win - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Dodgers and Round Rock Combine for 26 Runs and 36 Hits in Series Finale - Oklahoma City Comets
- Chihuahuas Sweep Salt Lake - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Express Out-Slug Dodgers 18-8 - Round Rock Express
- Redbirds Win to Wrap up First Half at 56-34 - Memphis Redbirds
- Chasers Suffer Another Narrow Defeat, 4-3 - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Nashville Sounds Game Information: Iowa Cubs (31-56) at Nashville Sounds (41-45) - Nashville Sounds
- Reno Aces Game Notes vs. Sacramento - Reno Aces
- Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (55-34) vs Omaha Storm Chasers (40-47) - Memphis Redbirds
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - July 8, 2018 - Oklahoma City Comets
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