PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Baseball Club Game Notes - April 23, 2024

Published on April 23, 2024 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Baseball Club (12-9) at Albuquerque Isotopes (6-15)

Game #22 of 150/First Half #22 of 75/Road #10 of 75

Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Nabil Crismatt (1-0, 0.79) vs. ABQ-LHP Josh Rogers (1-1, 4.22)

Tuesday, April 23, 2024 | Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park | Albuquerque, N.M. | 7:35 p.m. CT

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

Today's Game: Tonight opens a six-game road series for the Oklahoma City Baseball Club against the Albuquerque Isotopes that begins at 7:35 p.m. CT at Isotopes Park...OKC seeks back-to-back wins overall and has won four consecutive road games entering this series.

Last Game: Oklahoma City scored five runs within the first two innings and then hung on for a 5-4 win against the Sacramento River Cats at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. OKC jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning of the series finale between the teams. Two runs scored when Trey Sweeney lined a single into center field that was coupled with a Sacramento fielding error. Later in the inning, Ryan Ward provided a RBI groundout for a 3-0 lead. Drew Avans knocked a two-RBI single into center field in the second inning for a 5-0 OKC advantage. A RBI single in the fourth inning got Sacramento on the scoreboard. Then the River Cats added three more runs in the eighth inning to cut OKC's lead to one run. Oklahoma City pitcher Kevin Gowdy retired all three batters he faced in the top of the ninth inning to seal the win and record his fourth save of the season.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Nabil Crismatt (1-0) makes his fourth appearance of the season with Oklahoma City and third start...Crismatt most recently pitched and started April 17 against Sacramento in OKC and earned his first win of the season. He allowed one run and four hits, including a homer, over a season-high five innings. He did not issue a walk and recorded five strikeouts as OKC won, 4-3...Through his first three outings of the season, Crismatt has surrendered just one earned run (two runs total) over 11.1 innings. He has scattered eight hits and has yet to issue a walk while notching 15 strikeouts...Crismatt's first appearance of 2024 came with the Los Angeles Dodgers March 31 against St. Louis at Dodger Stadium. He was credited with the win, allowing one hit with three K's over 2.0 innings of relief in the seventh and eighth innings during LA's comeback victory. He was subsequently designated for assignment April 1 and outrighted to OKC April 4...Crismatt signed with the Dodgers as a free agent in December 2023...He made San Diego's Opening Day roster last season and posted a 9.82 ERA across seven games for the Padres and missed nearly two months of action due to a left hip strain before being DFA'd in June...He signed a minor league contract with Arizona in June and pitched in 14 games (nine starts) with Triple-A Reno...Crismatt spent almost the entire 2022 season with San Diego, posting career bests in appearances (50) and ERA (2.94)...He is entering his 13th pro season and originally signed with the Mets as a free agent out of Colombia in 2012...Crismatt made his ML debut Aug. 17, 2020 with the St. Louis Cardinals against the Chicago Cubs...Tonight is his second appearance of the season against the Isotopes. He made his team debut April 6 against Albuquerque at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark and followed rehabbing starter Walker Buehler with 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out five of nine batters.

Against the Isotopes: 2024: 5-1 2023: 10-14 All-time: 143-120 At ABQ: 61-68 OKC and the Isotopes meet for their second of four series in 2024, totaling 24 games, all to be played within the first half of the season...OKC played its first home series of 2024 against the Isotopes, going 5-1, and outscoring Albuquerque, 37-24. Miguel Vargas racked up 11 RBI in six games, while Andy Pages led OKC with eight hits in the first series...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. OKC went 7-5 in Albuquerque and started 7-2 before dropping their final three games...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.

Close Calls: Sunday's one-run game was the fifth in the home series against Sacramento to be decided by two runs or less and was the 15th game for OKC overall this season (21 total games) to be decided by one or two runs. OKC's 15 games decided by two runs or less so far this season are the most in Triple-A to start the 2024 schedule...At Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark this season, 10 of OKC's first 12 home games have been decided by two runs or less and OKC is now 6-4 in those games...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...In the first series between OKC and Albuquerque April 2-7, five of six games were decided by one or two runs.

First Light: Oklahoma City recorded the first runs of Sunday's game in the first inning, marking the first time in the six-game series against Sacramento that OKC scored first. OKC only led at any point during two of the six games against Sacramento, with the other time being in OKC's 4-3 victory Wednesday...OKC is now 6-2 in games in which it scores first this season and 6-7 when it does not.

The Amazing Jonathan: Jonathan Araúz went 2-for-4 with a double and scored a run Sunday afternoon. Araúz extended his hitting streak to 11 games, and he is 13-for-44 (.295) during the stretch with five doubles and a home run. His hitting streak is the longest in the PCL so far this season and is his longest since a career-high 14-game hitting streak with High-A Fayetteville May 17-31, 2019 - the longest hitting streak in the Carolina League that season.

Trey Bien: Trey Sweeney went 1-for-4 with a RBI and scored a run Sunday as he has now reached base safely in each of his first 20 Triple-A games. He owns the longest on-base streak in the PCL to start the season...Sweeney's 18 walks in 20 games pace the PCL and six of his first 18 hits this season have gone for extra bases...Sweeney is 4-for-13 with two doubles over the last three games after enduring a 4-for-33 stretch over the previous eight games. He also has recorded a RBI in three straight games.

Drewing On Up: Drew Avans went 3-for-5 with two RBI, scored a run and recorded two stolen bases Sunday in OKC. It was his second three-hit game of the season, while his two stolen bases and two RBI were season highs. He also became the first OKC player this season with two steals in one game...The three hits moved him into the team lead with 24 hits so far this season, while his 16 runs scored, five stolen bases and nine multi-hit games all pace Oklahoma City...Avans also moved into a tie for second place on OKC's all-time career leaders list for stolen bases during the Bricktown era (since 1998) as he now has 87 total with OKC. He is tied with Freddy Guzman (2006-07)...Avans is now in sole possession of seventh place on OKC's career hits list with 339 total hits and is three hits shy of tying for sixth place...Additionally, Avans sits in a tie for second place in career walks with Jason Botts (2005-08) on OKC's all-time career leaders list and is now six walks shy of first place...Avans has 21 career triples and is one triple shy of first place on the list owned by Joaquin Arias (2006-09) who had 22 career triples...Avans ranks third in career games played with 355 and is four games away from tying for second place...He also ranks ninth on the career list for doubles with 65 - one shy of tying for eighth place.

Full and Empty: OKC went 0-for-1 with a strikeout with the bases loaded Sunday, leaving the bases full in the fourth inning. OKC has had 36 plate appearances with the bases loaded this year but has collected just four hits, going 4-for-28 with three sacrifice flies, three walks, one hit batter and 14 strikeouts. The team's last 12 plate appearances with the bases loaded have resulted in going 0-for-9 with two walks and a catcher's interference...OKC has had at least one plate appearance with the bases loaded in 16 of 21 games this season. The team's .143 batting average with the bases loaded is tied for the lowest in the PCL (with Albuquerque) and tied for 28th out of 30 Triple-A teams. Only Toledo (.118) has a lower batting average with the bases loaded.

Doubling Down: Oklahoma City turned three double plays Sunday, tied for the team's season-high mark in a nine-inning game. OKC's 21 total double plays this season are second-most in the league and just one behind Sugar Land's league-best 22 double plays. OKC's total is also tied for the second-most double plays in all of Triple-A to start the season.

Dinger Details: OKC has not hit a homer in back-to-back games after hitting seven home runs over the previous three games April 17-19. Even with the recent small power outage, OKC's 16 homers since April 12 are still most in the PCL and tied for second-most in all of Triple-A during the span. They have hit at least two homers in six of the last nine games...OKC also held Sacramento without a homer Sunday for a second consecutive day. Overall this season, OKC's 15 home runs allowed are fewest in the PCL and the team has allowed a homer in only 10 of 21 games this season...Sunday was already the seventh time in 21 games this season neither OKC nor the opponent hit a home run. That happened in 20 of 148 games last season.

The Warden: Ryan Ward collected a RBI groundout in the first inning Sunday and he now has 17 RBI over his last 12 games are second-most in the PCL since April 7. Although he has been held without a hit in back-to-back games for the first time since the start of April, Ward's 10 extra-base hits since April 7 are third-most in the league. Eleven of his 15 total hits this season have gone for extra bases, and he leads OKC with 18 RBI overall this season.

Around the Horn: Hunter Feduccia went 1-for-2 with two walks, a double and scored a run Sunday to extend his on-base streak to 12 games. He has also hit safely in four straight games (5x12)...Chris Owings did not play Sunday, but went 2-for-4 Saturday as he extended his hitting streak to five games. He is 7-for-18 (.389) during the stretch with a home run. Prior to the hit streak, Owings started the season 2-for-26...Although Sacramento tallied 12 hits Sunday, none went for extra bases. It's the third time this season OKC has not yielded an extra-base hit. On the other hand, after not allowing more than 11 hits through 17 games this season, Sacramento reached at least a dozen hits in three of the last four games (44 H)...OKC went just 8-for-44 (.182) with RISP during the Sacramento series.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 23, 2024


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