OKC Baseball Club Game Notes - April 4, 2024
Published on April 4, 2024 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release
Albuquerque Isotopes (1-4) at Oklahoma City Baseball Club (3-2)
Game #6 of 150/First Half #6 of 75/Home #3 of 75
Pitching Probables: ABQ-RHP Karl Kauffmann (1-0, 1.80) vs. OKC-RHP Landon Knack (0-0, 0.00)
Thursday, April 4, 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 has won back-to-back games for the first time in 2024 and looks for a 3-0 start at home when the team continues its first home series of the season at 7:05 p.m. against the Albuquerque Isotopes at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Tonight is the first 89ers Night of the season, and for all Thursday home games in 2024, Oklahoma City players and coaches will wear special OKC 89ers jerseys and hats in recognition of the franchise's pre-Bricktown history.
Last Game: A two-run home run by Miguel Vargas in the eighth inning lifted the Oklahoma City Baseball Club to an 8-7 win in a back-and-forth game against the Albuquerque Isotopes Wednesday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Albuquerque had scored five straight runs, including four runs in the seventh inning, to take a 7-6 lead. In the bottom of the eighth inning, OKC's Trey Sweeney led off by drawing a walk and Vargas followed with his third home run of the season, sending a fly ball to left-center field to give OKC a one-run advantage. Albuquerque scored the first run of the night in the first inning before OKC took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning. OKC's lead grew to 4-1 on a solo home run by Hunter Feduccia and a RBI triple by Drew Avans. After the Isotopes cut OKC's lead to two runs, OKC added two more runs in the fifth inning on a RBI single by Sweeney and a RBI double by Vargas for a 6-2 lead. Gus Varland (1-0) picked up the win with a scoreless eighth inning before Kevin Gowdy notched a save with a scoreless ninth inning for Oklahoma City.
Today's Probable Pitcher: Landon Knack (0-0) makes his home debut for 2024 and second start of the season for Oklahoma City...Knack was OKC's Opening Night starter in Tacoma March 29, pitching 5.0 scoreless innings and allowing three hits. He racked up six strikeouts, did not issue a walk and did not factor into the decision of OKC's eventual 1-0 defeat in 11 innings. Knack retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced and struck out four of his last five batters faced...This was the second straight season Knack was an Opening Day starter, doing the same for Double-A Tulsa in 2023...Knack split time between OKC and Tulsa last season, going a combined 5-1 in 22 starts with a 2.51 ERA over 100.1 innings with 99 strikeouts and 30 walks, setting career highs in starts, innings and strikeouts...He was promoted to OKC in mid-June and made 10 starts in Triple-A, allowing one or no runs in six of his final eight starts. He went 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA and 38 strikeouts before being placed on the IL Aug. 25 and not playing for the rest of the season...Knack was added to the Los Angeles Dodgers 40-man roster Nov. 13 and made two February appearances with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024 Cactus League play (4.0 IP). Knack was on the active roster for the two games during the Seoul Series against the San Diego Padres but not did not appear in either game. He was optioned to OKC March 22...Last season, Knack ranked among Texas League leaders in ERA (2nd, 2.20), AVG (2nd, .202), WHIP (2nd, 0.94) and innings (5th, 57.1) at the time of his promotion from Tulsa to OKC. He made 12 starts with the Drillers, going 2-0 with 61 strikeouts against 12 walks. He allowed one or no runs in eight of 12 starts...He enters the season as the No. 11 prospect in the Dodgers system by Baseball America and the No. 14 prospect by MLB Pipeline...The Johnson City, Tenn., native was selected in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of East Tennessee State...Tonight is his second career appearance against the Isotopes. His last start of the season with OKC in 2023 was Aug. 24 against Albuquerque at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. He allowed one run and two hits with two walks and two strikeouts before exiting the game after 2.0 innings and was placed on the IL the following day.
Against the Isotopes: 2024: 2-0 2023: 10-14 All-time: 140-119 At OKC: 79-51 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.
Feeling at Home: Oklahoma City won its first two home games of the season Tuesday and Wednesday to start 2-0 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark for the first time since 2018 when OKC started the season with 15 straight home wins. Prior to that, OKC had not won its first two home games since 2007...With Tuesday's win in the home opener, 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. It 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...OKC has started 3-0 at home four previous times: 2018, 2007, 2006 and 2005.
Close Calls: The first five games of the season for Oklahoma City have been decided by a total of seven 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 of OKC's last six 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...Last night was OKC's first last at-bat win of the season after capturing 24 last at-bat wins in 2023. Two of the team's first five games have been decided in a final at-bat after 36 of 148 games were decided in a final at-bat in 2023 (24.3 percent). Tacoma registered a last at-bat win in the season opener March 29, winning, 1-0, in 11 innings.
Miggy Mash: With his two-run home run in the eighth inning last night, Miguel Vargas has now homered in back-to-back games and in three of his last four games. Vargas went 2-for-3 Wednesday with a double, home run, sacrifice fly and four RBI for his third multi-hit game of the season and second straight game with multiple extra-base hits. Five of his first seven hits of 2024 have gone for extra bases and he has recorded back-to-back four-RBI nights after hitting a grand slam Tuesday...Going back to last season, Vargas has now homered in six of his last 12 games, including the 2023 postseason...His grand slam Tuesday was his first career grand slam (573rd career game). It was OKC's first of the season and the third hit in the PCL so far in 2024...He has now recorded four straight multi-RBI games and his 12 RBI this season are most in the PCL. Tuesday marked his first game with four-plus RBI since driving in eight for Double-A Tulsa July 25, 2021 against Northwest Arkansas. Prior to Tuesday, he had not recorded a game of at least four RBI at Triple-A or in the Majors in his career (275 games)...Vargas last homered in three straight games June 6-9, 2021 with High-A Great Lakes.
Dinger Details: OKC has now homered in four straight games and the team has eight home runs so far in 2024, hit by five different players - Miguel Vargas (3), Andre Lipcius (2), Hunter Feduccia, Trey Sweeney and Ryan Ward. Last season, OKC needed seven games before recording its eighth homer to start the season...On the other hand, OKC has allowed a home run in just one of the first five games of the season. Their two homers allowed so far are fewest in the PCL.
Drew Up: Drew Avans recorded his third multi-hit game of the season last night, picking up a double and a triple, and he is tied with Miguel Vargas for the most multi-hit games by an OKC player to start the season. His six hits overall are tied for second-most on the team...Last season, Avans led OKC with 129 hits, 95 runs scored and 77 walks in 129 games. Additionally, he finished with 122 hits in 119 games in 2022 with OKC...Avans notched his 19th career triple with OKC last night, as he now trails Joaquin Arias by three for the Bricktown era (since 1998) career record. Avans also currently ranks third with 182 career walks and 83 stolen bases and is eighth with 321 career hits.
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.
Around the Horn: OKC is 7-for-19 with runners in scoring position over the first two game of the current series after going a combined 6-for-33 (.182) with RISP over three games in Tacoma...Trey Sweeney has drawn at least one walk in each of his first five games and his six walks are tied for most in the PCL, while his seven runs scored to start 2024 are tied for most in the league...OKC was charged with two more errors last night and the team's seven errors to start 2024 are most in the PCL.
Pacific Coast League Stories from April 4, 2024
- Oklahoma City Baseball Club Takes First Home Loss Of Season - Oklahoma City Comets
- Diaz Dazzles in Second Straight Win - Tacoma Rainiers
- Justin Verlander Scheduled to Start for Sugar Land on Sunday - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- April 4 Game Notes: Tacoma Rainiers at Salt Lake Bees - Tacoma Rainiers
- OKC Baseball Club Game Notes - April 4, 2024 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Oklahoma City Baseball Club Encourages Organ Donation Through Continued Partnership with Lifeshare of Oklahoma - Oklahoma City Comets
- Chihuahuas Bark Their Way To 11-8 Win Over Express - Round Rock Express
- El Paso Tops Round Rock, 11-8 - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Oklahoma City Earns 8-7 Win Against Albuquerque - Oklahoma City Comets
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