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Oklahoma City Baseball Club

OKC Baseball Club Game Notes - April 2, 2024

April 2, 2024 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Baseball Club News Release


Albuquerque Isotopes (1-2) at Oklahoma City Baseball Club (1-2)

Game #4 of 150/First Half #4 of 75/Home #1 of 75

Pitching Probables: ABQ-RHP Thomas Ponticelli (NR, -.--) vs. OKC-RHP J.P. Feyereisen (0-0, 0.00)

Tuesday, April 2, 2024 | Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark | Oklahoma City, Okla. | 7:05 p.m. CT

Radio: KGHM-AM 1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, iHeartRadio; Video: MiLB.tv, Bally Live

Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Baseball Club opens the home portion of its 2024 season tonight with a six-game series against the Albuquerque Isotopes that starts at 7:05 p.m. at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Tonight is a $2 Tuesday, featuring $2 select beer, soda and bottled water from a line of Miller, Coors and Pepsi products. Select COOP Ale Works draft beer will also be available at a special rate of $3.

Last Game: The Oklahoma City Baseball Club took an early lead Sunday afternoon before the Tacoma Rainiers scored seven straight runs and OKC rallied late in an eventual 7-6 loss in the series finale between the teams at Cheney Stadium. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler started the game to open a Major League Rehab Assignment and retired the first seven Tacoma batters he faced as OKC built a 3-0 lead on a solo home run by Ryan Ward, RBI single by Chris Owings and a solo homer by Trey Sweeney. Tacoma then responded with seven straight runs, scoring two runs in the third inning to cut OKC's lead to one run. In the fourth inning, a solo home run by Samad Taylor tied the score before a three-run homer by Michael Papierski put Tacoma ahead, 6-3. Later with Tacoma leading, 7-3, Andy Pages connected on a RBI triple in the seventh inning and Miguel Vargas hit a two-run single in the ninth inning.

Today's Probable Pitcher: J.P. Feyereisen (0-0) is set to open a bullpen game for Oklahoma City tonight...The right-hander pitched one inning of relief in Tacoma during Friday's season opener. He issued two walks, but did not allow a hit or run and faced four batters in the seventh inning, keeping the game in a scoreless tie...Feyereisen's first appearance of the season came for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their season-opening series in South Korea March 21 against the San Diego Padres. He allowed three runs on three hits, including one home run, with one walk and one strikeout and did not factor into the decision of the LAD's eventual 15-11 loss at Gocheok Sky Dome. He was optioned to OKC the next day...The native of River Falls, Wis., made four relief appearances for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024 Spring Training, allowing a combined three runs and six hits over 3.1 innings with two strikeouts and two walks, going 1-0...He did not play the entire 2023 season as he continued rehabbing from shoulder surgery in 2022 that repaired the labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder...Feyereisen spent his 2022 season in the Majors with Tampa Bay, making 22 relief appearances and posting a 4-0 record and 0.00 ERA over a combined 24.1 IP, allowing just one unearned run and seven hits, but did not pitch after June 2 and underwent shoulder surgery following the season. He was designated for assignment by Tampa Bay Dec. 13 and traded to the Dodgers Dec. 14 in exchange for pitcher Jeff Belge...He is entering his 11th professional season after originally being selected by Cleveland in the 16th round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point...Feyereisen has made 84 career ML appearances between is time with the Brewers, Rays and Dodgers...Tonight is his third career start in what will be his 225th pro career appearance at any level, as he was used as an opener twice by Tampa Bay in 2022.

Against the Isotopes: 2024: 0-0 2023: 10-14 All-time: 138-119 At OKC: 77-51 OKC and the Isotopes meet for their first of four series in 2024, totaling 24 games, all to be played within the first half of the season...Last season, the Isotopes were one of three teams OKC posted a losing head-to-head record against, along with Salt Lake and Tacoma, as Albuquerque won a season series against OKC for the first time since 2017. OKC won the 2018, 2019 and 2022 series, going a combined 18-6, and split the 2021 series, 9-9, before losing last season's series, 14-10...Last season, the Isotopes went 9-3 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark for their most wins in OKC. Previously, the Isotopes' most wins in Bricktown in one season was five in 2009. Albuquerque won five of six games in OKC Aug. 22-27 before OKC finished that August series with a 14-0 win, tying for the team's largest shutout win ever at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark and tied for the second-largest shutout win in the Bricktown era overall (also April 25, 1998 vs. Nashville)...The teams also played a six-game series in OKC July 4-9, 2023, which the Isotopes won, 4-2. It was Albuquerque's first series win in Bricktown since 2016 and the Isotopes won four straight games against OKC within the same series since Aug. 8-11, 2008 in Albuquerque...In 2023, the road team went 16-8 in the season series...Ryan Ward led OKC with 29 hits and 20 RBI against Albuquerque last season and Michael Busch hit seven homers...In three appearances (two starts), Gavin Stone posted a 0.66 ERA with 18 strikeouts over 13.2 IP.

Homecoming: Oklahoma City is 9-16 in home openers since Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark opened in 1998 and has lost three of its last four home openers, as well as nine of its last 11 and 11 of its last 14. That includes a 2-6 mark during the Dodgers affiliation. Three of OKC's home-opening wins since 1998 have come against Albuquerque and OKC is 3-1 in home openers against the Isotopes. The team's last win in a home opener, which also doubled as the season opener, came against Albuquerque April 5, 2022 in Bricktown - a 3-2 OKC victory thanks to a walk-off home run by Jason Martin. OKC also notched wins in home openers against the Isotopes in 2011 and 2000. The team's loss to the Isotopes in a home opener came in 13 innings in 2010, with Albuquerque winning, 6-3.

Close Calls: The first three games of the season between OKC and Tacoma were decided by a total of four runs after Tacoma won, 1-0, in 11 innings Friday night before OKC won, 9-7, Saturday night and Tacoma won Sunday's series finale, 7-6. Last season, 68 of OKC's 148 games (46 percent) were decided by one or two runs and OKC went 40-28 in those close contests...Going back to last season's Triple-A National Championship game, which OKC lost, 7-6, all four of OKC's last four games have been decided by two runs or less. To close out the 2023 regular season, OKC's final two games were also decided by two runs or less.

Unfamiliar Territory: Although OKC is just three games into the 2024 schedule, this is the latest into a season OKC has owned a record below .500 since 2021. OKC also lost the first game of the 2023 season, but then won the next six games to open with a 6-1 record and went on to finish the season 90-58. OKC started the 2022 season, 1-1, before winning the next four games and staying above .500 the remainder of the season, finishing 84-66. The last two seasons, OKC has finished with two of the three-highest win totals during the Bricktown era...Although the team has been under .500 for just two days this season, it is more than the previous two seasons combined (one day)...During the Dodgers affiliation, OKC has finished with 80 or more wins four times since 2015 and finished with a losing record just once during the 2019 season. Overall, OKC has finished with winning records in 10 of the last 11 seasons and in 19 of the team's 25 seasons during the Bricktown era.

Dre Day: After not playing on Opening Night, Andre Lipcius has gone 5-for-9 over the last two games, including three extra-base hits. During his season debut Saturday, Lipcius was 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI. He homered in his first at-bat of the season in the second inning, notched a two-run single in the third inning and hit a booming two-run homer down the left field line in the fifth inning...Saturday marked Lipcius' second career multi-homer game and third career game with five or more RBI. He last went deep twice in one game Aug. 22, 2023 with Triple-A Toledo at Louisville when he also notched a career-high six RBI.

Victory Parade: Oklahoma City won the 2023 PCL Championship following a 90-58 regular season, posting the most wins for an Oklahoma City team in a single season during the Bricktown era (since 1998) and the second-most wins in Oklahoma City's Triple-A history behind only the 1965 89ers (91-54). OKC's 90 wins tied for the most wins in the Minors last season and OKC became just the second PCL team since 2006 to notch at least 90 wins...In the PCL Championship Series at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, OKC defeated Round Rock, 8-3, in Game 1, and, 5-2, in Game 2 against the Express to sweep the three-game series for OKC's first league title since 1996. Oklahoma City went on to make its first appearance in a Triple-A National Championship Game and first in postseason interleague competition during the franchise's Bricktown era (since 1998) and PCL history (1963-68; 1998-2023), but ended up falling to the Norfolk Tides, 7-6.

You Can Find Us in the Club: The Oklahoma City Baseball Club is taking the field in 2024 while the franchise undergoes a brand identity transition and develops a fresh and local team name to be unveiled following the conclusion of the season. The organization proudly remains the Los Angeles Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate under the current Professional Development League license and will spend the 2024 season celebrating OKC's franchise history, which has been continuous since 1962. During every Thursday home game, the team will wear refreshed Oklahoma City 89ers jerseys and hats. During every Sunday home game, the team will wear its City Celebration jerseys and hats, which were introduced in 2023 in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

Roster Roundup: OKC's Opening Day roster features two of the Los Angeles Dodgers' top 11 prospects, per Baseball America: Outfielder Andy Pages (No. 3) and starting pitcher Landon Knack (No. 11). Also ranked among Baseball America's top Dodgers prospects are shortstop Trey Sweeney (No. 16) and relief pitchers Gus Varland (No. 22) and John Rooney (No. 29)...The roster features seven total members of the Los Angeles Dodgers' 40-man roster. In addition to Knack, Pages and Varland, the list includes relief pitchers J.P. Feyereisen and Ricky Vanasco, catcher Hunter Feduccia and infielder Miguel Vargas...A total of 10 players were part of OKC's 2023 championship season, including pitchers Tanner Dodson and Alec Gamboa and outfielders Drew Avans and Ryan Ward...Of the 27 players on the roster, 14 have Major League experience, with two appearing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023 (Vargas and Varland) while nine others appeared in the Majors last season with a different team.

Around the Horn Two-time MLB All-Star Walker Buehler opened a ML Rehab Assignment with OKC Sunday and completed 3.1 innings while throwing 54 pitches (31 strikes). He allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits, including a home run, with two walks and two strikeouts. After retiring the first seven Tacoma batters he faced, he retired only three of the final eight batters faced. Buehler is recovering from Tommy John surgery and flexor tendon repair in his right elbow that has kept him out of the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup since June 2022...OKC went 10-4 in home series openers last season...OKC outhit Tacoma in each game during the previous series, yet went 1-2. Last season when the team outhit the opposition, it resulted in a 69-14 record (.831)...OKC struggled with runners in scoring position throughout the season-opening series, going 6-for-33 (.182) with RISP at Cheney Stadium.

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