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PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Baseball Club Game Notes - April 3, 2024

April 3, 2024 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Albuquerque Isotopes (1-3) at Oklahoma City Baseball Club (2-2)

Game #5 of 150/First Half #5 of 75/Home #2 of 75

Pitching Probables: ABQ-RHP Noah Davis (0-1, 27.00) vs. OKC-Kyle Hurt (NR, -.--)

Wednesday, April 3, 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 seeks back-to-back wins for the first time in 2024 when the team continues its series against the Albuquerque Isotopes at 7:05 p.m. at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. OKC has now won two of the last three games and looks to push its record above .500 for the first time early this season.

Last Game: Miguel Vargas hit a grand slam in the fourth inning as the Oklahoma City Baseball Club scored seven runs over a three-inning stretch during a 7-5 win against the Albuquerque Isotopes Tuesday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Albuquerque scored in its first at-bat to take the early lead before back-to-back RBI singles by Kody Hoese and Trey Sweeney put OKC in front, 2-1, in the second inning. The Isotopes knotted the score, 2-2, in the third inning before a RBI single by Andre Lipcius in the third inning put OKC ahead again. OKC loaded the bases in the fourth inning and Vargas hit a fly ball out to left-center field for the first grand slam of OKC's season for a 7-2 advantage. The Isotopes scored three runs in the sixth inning to trim the lead to two runs, but OKC relievers Stephen Gonsalves, Michael Petersen and Ricky Vanasco held the Isotopes scoreless over the final three frames, with Vanasco recording his first save of the season.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Kyle Hurt (0-0) makes his first appearance with Oklahoma City and first start of the season after opening the season with the Los Angeles Dodgers...Hurt made his season debut with the Dodgers against San Diego in South Korea March 21, allowing one earned run on three hits with one walk over 2.0 innings of relief...He pitched 2.2 innings of relief against St. Louis March 30 at Dodger Stadium and was charged with the loss after the placed runner came around to score in the 10th inning during a 6-5 defeat. He allowed one unearned run and one hit with three strikeouts...He was optioned to OKC the following day...Hurt last pitched for Oklahoma City in the PCL Championship Series Sept. 26 against Round Rock. He started Game 1 and allowed one run and two hits, along with three walks, over 4.0 innings while recording eight strikeouts as OKC took a 1-0 lead in the three-game series...Hurt made seven appearances, including one start for OKC last season, going 2-1 with a 3.33 ERA over 27.0 innings in his first Triple-A action. He struck out 42 of the first 109 batters he faced in Triple-A, allowed 11 walks and held opponents to a .198 average...Hurt was named the Dodgers' 2023 Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year and between OKC and Double-A Tulsa, made 26 appearances (16 starts) and posted a 3.91 ERA, .205 batting average and a 1.23 WHIP over 92.0 innings. His 152 strikeouts led the minor league system by 26 and among organizational pitchers with at least 90.0 IP, he ranked second in BAA, second in WHIP and fifth in ERA...Hurt made his ML debut Sept. 12 with the Los Angeles Dodgers against San Diego, retiring all six batters he faced in relief, including three strikeouts...Hurt was selected by Miami in the fifth round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of the University of Southern California and was traded to the Dodgers Feb. 12, 2021 with Alex Vesia in exchange for Dylan Floro...Tonight is his third career appearance against the Isotopes. In two meetings last season, Hurt totaled 7.0 innings and allowed four runs and seven hits, including two homers, while racking up 12 strikeouts.

Against the Isotopes: 2024: 1-0 2023: 10-14 All-time: 139-119 At OKC: 78-51 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 improved to 10-16 in home openers since Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark opened in 1998. The team won a home opener for the second time in the last three seasons, but for just the fourth time in the last 15 seasons...Four of OKC's home-opening wins since 1998 have come against Albuquerque, as OKC improved to 4-1 in home openers against the Isotopes. The team's previous 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...Last night was also the first time since 2011 that OKC did not play the bottom of the ninth inning during a home opener. OKC's other two wins in between came via walk-offs...The team last started 2-0 at home in 2018 during a 15-game home wining streak. Prior to that OKC had not won its first two home games since 2007.

Close Calls: The first four games of the season for Oklahoma City have been decided by a total of six runs and all have been decided by margins of two runs or less. 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 five of OKC's last five 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, also against Albuquerque.

Grand Opening: Miguel Vargas hit his first career grand slam (573rd career game) in the fourth inning last night, which was also his second home run of the season. Going back to last season, Vargas has now homered in five of his last 11 games, including the 2023 postseason. His grand slam Tuesday was OKC's first of the season and the third hit in the PCL so far in 2024...Vargas finished the game 2-for-4 with a double, home run, four RBI and two runs scored. He has recorded three straight multi-RBI games and his eight RBI this season are second-most in the PCL. Yesterday marked his first game with four-plus RBI since driving in eight for Double-A Tulsa July 25, 2021 against Northwest Arkansas...Last season OKC slashed .329/.396/.574 with eight grand slams when the bases were loaded.

Dre Day: After not playing on Opening Night, Andre Lipcius has gone 6-for-13 over the last three games, including three extra-base hits, six RBI and five runs scored. He connected on a RBI single in the third inning to give OKC the lead...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...Lipcius has also stolen two bases, already eclipsing his 2023 season total of one steal over 117 games between the Minors and Majors.

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 current roster features three of the Los Angeles Dodgers' top 11 prospects, per Baseball America: Outfielder Andy Pages (No. 3), pitcher Kyle Hurt (No. 7) and 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 eight total members of the Los Angeles Dodgers' 40-man roster. In addition to Hurt, Knack, Pages and Varland, the list includes relief pitchers J.P. Feyereisen and Ricky Vanasco, catcher Hunter Feduccia and outfielder Miguel Vargas...A total of 11 players spent time with OKC in 2023, including nine who were part of the postseason roster: Drew Avans, Tanner Dodson, Feduccia, Alec Gamboa, Hurt, Rooney, Vanasco, Vargas and Ryan Ward...Of the 28 players on the current roster, 14 have Major League experience, with three appearing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023 (Hurt, Vargas and Varland), while seven others appeared in the Majors last season with a different team.

Around the Horn: In his Triple-A debut, pitcher Braydon Fisher recorded the win for Oklahoma City last night. He pitched the third and fourth innings as part of a bullpen game, allowing one run and two hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Fellow reliever Michael Flynn also made his Triple-A debut and completed two innings, allowing three runs (one earned) and one hit, with one walk and three strikeouts...OKC outhit Albuquerque, 8-7, last night and has outhit the opponent in each of the first four games of the season, but is 2-2. Last season when the team outhit the opposition, it resulted in a 69-14 record (.831)...OKC went 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position last night after going a combined 6-for-33 (.182) with RISP over three games in Tacoma...Forty of last night's 78 total plate appearances ended in a walk or strikeout. Each team drew six walks and struck out 14 times.

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