OKC Comets Game Notes - September 24, 2026
Published on September 24, 2026 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release
Oklahoma City Comets (1-1/89-60) vs. Las Vegas Aviators (1-1/87-61)
2026 PCL Championship Series, Game 3
Pitching Probables: OKC-LHP Cole Irvin (12-7, 3.33) vs. LV-LHP James Gonzalez (6-4, 5.53)
Thursday, September 24, 2026 | Las Vegas Ballpark | Las Vegas, Nev. | 9:05 p.m. CT
Radio: KGHM-AM 1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, iHeartRadio; Video: MLB+, Bally Sports Live
Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Comets and Las Vegas Aviators meet for a winner-take-all Game 3 in the Pacific Coast League Championship Series at 9:05 p.m. CT at Las Vegas Ballpark...The Comets won Wednesday against the defending PCL champion Aviators to even the best-of-three series, 1-1, and tonight will look for Oklahoma City's sixth Triple-A title and first since winning in 2023...The Comets have won 19 of their last 23 games overall and seek their second league title during the Bricktown era (since 1998).
Last Game: Led by 6.1 strong innings from starting pitcher Landon Knack, the Oklahoma City Comets evened their best-of-three Pacific Coast League Championship Series against the Las Vegas Aviators with a 7-2 win Wednesday night in Game 2 at Las Vegas Ballpark. Oklahoma City brought home a pair of runs in the third inning on a Zach Ehrhard double. The Comets scored again on a two-bagger from Hyeseong Kim in the fourth inning before James Tibbs III sent a three-run blast into the pool in center field during the following frame to build a 6-0 lead. Las Vegas got on the scoreboard in the sixth inning before the Comets extended their lead in the eighth inning with a solo homer by Ryan Fitzgerald to make it 7-1. Joey Meneses led off the ninth inning for Las Vegas with a solo homer, but Paul Gervase retired the next three Aviators batters to close out the win.
Today's Probable Pitcher: Cole Irvin makes his 29th overall start of 2026 looking to extend his regular-season success into the postseason...Irvin finished the regular season tied for the Triple-A lead with 12 wins while his 3.33 ERA led the PCL. His 137.2 IP finished as second-most in the league, while his BAA was third (.271) and his WHIP was fifth (1.46)...His 28 starts set a new Bricktown era single-season record and he finished 2026 as one of four OKC pitchers during the Bricktown era with 12 or more wins in a season. His season ERA is the lowest qualified mark in the PCL since 2018, and he is the third OKC pitcher in the Bricktown era ton win an ERA title...He received PCL Pitcher of the Week honors following a combined 9.2 scoreless frames over two starts from Sept. 7-13 against Sugar Land...Irvin was signed by the Dodgers Feb. 3 as a minor league free agent and has previous MLB experience with Philadelphia (2019-20), Oakland (2021-22), Baltimore (2023-24) and Minnesota (2024).
Against the Aviators: 2026 PCL CS: 1-1 2026: 7-5 All-time (regular season): 85-82 At LV (regular season): 48-43
Despite having played each year since the start of Oklahoma City's Bricktown era (1998), this marks the first-ever playoff series between the two sides...The Comets won the regular season series for the fourth straight year in 2026...After winning two of six games in Las Vegas, the Comets responded with five straight wins following a series opening loss July 28-Aug. 2 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark...The last time the two sides met in Las Vegas March 31-April 5, James Tibbs III was named PCL Player of the Week after going 10-for-25 with five home runs, including a three-homer game April 4...Tibbs, alongside Ryan Fitzgerald and Zach Ehrhard, each finished with a batting average over .345 in the regular-season series...Las Vegas swept Tacoma in two games in the 2025 PCL Championship Series, but lost to Jacksonville in the Triple-A National Championship Game, 8-7.
All Aboard the 'Ship: Tonight marks the fifth winner-take-all PCL playoff game for Oklahoma City during the Bricktown era, but first in a PCL Championship Series. Tonight is also Oklahoma City's second-ever winner-take-all game for a league championship in franchise history and first since 1963 when the 89ers won the PCL title in seven games against Spokane. During the Bricktown era, OKC is 2-2 in winner-take-all games, including 1-1 on the road. Their last one was during Game 5 of the American Conference Finals in 2016, when OKC defeated Nashville, 10-9...The 2026 season marks the fifth time OKC has advanced to the postseason since the team's affiliation with the Los Angeles Dodgers began in 2015. OKC last went to playoffs in 2023 after winning the first half title and then went on to win OKC's first PCL championship during the Bricktown era, sweeping a best-of-three series against Round Rock, 2-0...Overall, this is OKC's fifth berth in the PCL Championship Series during the Bricktown era, joining 1999, 2008, 2016 and 2023. Including last night's win, OKC is now 6-10 LCS games and 2-6 on the road. During the Bricktown era, OKC has a 20-37 playoff record overall, including 9-20 on the road, with last night's win snapping a stretch of five straight road losses...OKC improved to 6-10 in elimination games during the Bricktown era Wednesday, including 3-4 on the road...During the team's Triple-A history, OKC has won five league titles: 1963, 1965, 1992, 1996 and 2023.
Down the Stretch: The Comets went 48-27 during the second half of the PCL season and clinched the second half title Sept. 16 in El Paso. After a 12-15 start to the half, the Comets posted a 36-12 record over the final 48 games for the best record among all Triple-A teams and the most wins in the Minors during the stretch. The Comets went 18-3 over the last 21 games and 19-4 over the last 23 games...The Comets entered their Aug. 28 game against El Paso tied for fourth place in the second half standings and 4.0 games behind league-leading Sugar Land. The Comets then won a franchise-best 14 consecutive games during the Bricktown era to take over first place in the second half standings by 5.0 games. Going back further, after losing three straight games in Sugar Land Aug. 19-21, the Comets were 6.5 games behind the Space Cowboys. OKC then went 21-6.
Winning the Marathon: The Comets finished the 2026 regular season with the PCL's best record at 89-60. This is the fifth time in the 28 seasons during the Bricktown era that OKC topped the PCL during the regular season (previously 2005, 2013, 2015 and 2023)...The Comets' 89 wins this season are the second-most by the team during the Bricktown era and trail only the 2023 team's 90-58 record. In OKC's overall Triple-A history since 1962, the Comets' 89 wins this season are third-most behind the 1965 89ers (91-54) and the 2023 team...This is the sixth time in 11 seasons OKC has won at least 80 games during the team's affiliation with the Dodgers (since 2015) and fourth time in the last five seasons.
The Third Degree: Last night, James Tibbs III homered in a second straight game, collecting his 32nd home run of the season as he drove in three runs. He has now homered in each of his last three games going back to the end of the regular season and seven times across eight total games at Las Vegas Ballpark...His two homers and five RBI lead the Comets through the first two games of the LCS...During the regular season, Tibbs finished second in the league with 30 home runs, 107 RBI and 109 runs. Additionally, he led the league with 108 walks for the most the most in the PCL since 2006. Tibbs became the first PCL player to cross the 100 RBI/100 R/100 BB barrier since Greg Brock of Albuquerque in 1982...Earlier today, Tibbs was named to the Baseball America Triple-A All-Star team.
Hard-Line: Zach Ehrhard went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI, a walk and run scored Wednesday. Through the first two games of the LCS, he has reached base in eight of his 11 plate apperances, going 4-for-7 with a home run, double, three walks, a hit by pitch and four RBI...He's collected a hit in each of his last 14 games and is 24-for-55 (.436) with nine extra-base hits and 11 RBI during the stretch...During the regular season, Ehrhard scored 120 runs to lead the PCL and set a Bricktown era single-season record.
Fitz Blitz: Ryan Fitzgerald belted his first career postseason home run and increased his overall season home run total to 17 last night. He has driven in four runs through the first two games of the series...Fitzgerald has a hit in each of his last eight games, going 12-for-32 (.375) with five extra-base hits and nine RBI. He's also hit safely in 23 of his last 26 games, going 35-for-103 (.340) with 16 extra-base hits and 29 RBI...During the regular season, Fitzgerald led the Minors with 172 hits while also leading the PCL with 35 doubles.
Getting Offensive: The Comets have scored 18 runs over the first two games of the LCS and scored at least seven runs in nine of their last 14 games overall (97 R)...OKC's run total in Games 1-2 are the most scored by OKC in back-to-back playoff games since scoring 25 runs Sept. 6-7, 2008 in Games 4-5 vs. Iowa in the American Conference Finals.
Around the Horn: When tied, 1-1, through two games of a playoff series, OKC has gone 3-5 in Game 3, including 1-3 on the road and four straight losses overall. During the 2026 regular season, the Comets were 8-5 in Game 3 when tied through two games of a series...Los Angeles Dodgers No. 1 prospect Josue De Paula made his Triple-A debut last night. He drew two walks and scored a run after being optioned by the Dodgers. Earlier today, De Paula was named Baseball America Double-A Player of the Year...Hyeseong Kim put together his second straight multi-hit game of the postseason Wednesday. The infielder is 4-for-8 with one double and one RBI in the series.
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