OKC Dodger Game Notes - April 21, 2022
April 21, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Baseball Club News Release
Oklahoma City Dodgers (10-4) at Sacramento River Cats (7-7)
Game #15 of 150/Road #9 of 75
Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Yefry Ramírez (1-0, 4.50) vs. SAC-RHP Raynel Espinal (0-0, 0.00)
Thursday, April 21, 2022 | Sutter Health Park | West Sacramento, Calif. | 8:45 p.m. CT
Radio: KGHM-AM 1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, iHeartRadio; Video: MiLB.tv
Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers seek a sixth straight win when they play the Sacramento River Cats at 8:45 p.m. CT at Sutter Health Park. OKC is 5-3 so far on its 12-game road trip with wins in a season-best five consecutive games.
Last Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers overcame two separate two-run deficits and eventually built a five-run lead before holding off the Sacramento River Cats, 9-8, Wednesday afternoon at Sutter Health Park. Sacramento built early leads of 2-0 and 4-2, but the Dodgers went in front for the first time in the fifth inning. Andy Burns tied the game with a two-run double, and the go-ahead run later scored on a double play. OKC scored four more runs in the sixth inning, including a RBI double by Kevin Pillar and a two-run homer by Eddy Alvarez to make it 9-4. Sacramento notched four straight hits with one out in the seventh inning, leading to three runs. The River Cats added another in the eighth inning and had two runners on base with one out in the ninth inning before Reyes Moronta induced a flyout and struck out the final batter of the game.
Today's Probable Pitcher: Yefry Ramírez (1-0) makes his third start of 2022...He threw five strong innings in his last start April 15 in El Paso, earning the win and allowing one run and two hits, with one walk and two strikeouts. At the time, it was the longest outing by a Dodgers pitcher in the early season. He retired 14 of the 18 batters he faced...Last season, Ramírez posted a 6-4 record for OKC with a 5.02 ERA and 115 strikeouts. He ranked among the Triple-A West's top five in seven categories - second in strikeouts (115); second in starts (22); third in opponent average (.257); fourth in ERA (5.02); fourth in WHIP (1.45); fourth in innings pitched (113.0) and fifth in winning percentage (.600)...Ramírez was named Triple-A West Pitcher of the Month for June after going 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA in five starts. He allowed 20 hits and struck out 27 over 26.0 IP while holding opponents to a .213 average. He led the league in ERA and opponent average while he tied for the best WHIP (1.12)...Ramírez originally signed with the Dodgers as a free agent March 25, 2021 and re-signed during this past offseason...He made one appearance for LAD last season with 2.0 scoreless innings in Arizona and also has MLB experience with Baltimore and Pittsburgh...Ramírez went 0-1 in two starts against the River Cats in 2021 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. He allowed a combined two runs and four hits over 7.2 innings with three walks and 10 K's.
Against the River Cats: 2022: 2-0 2021: 2-4 All-time: 44-49 At SAC: 23-22 The Dodgers and River Cats are meeting for their first of two series this season...The teams are playing in Sacramento for the first time since the 2018 season. The teams also played series against one another in 2019 and 2021, but both series took place at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in OKC...Last season, the River Cats won the May 13-18 series, 4-2. They outscored the Dodgers, 40-20, and outhit OKC, 55-38...Zach Reks led OKC with eight hits, including a double and two homers, and recorded four RBI, four walks and scored six runs...In two appearances, reliever Darien Núñez held the River Cats to one hit and tallied 11 strikeouts over 6.0 IP...In the teams' last series in Sacramento, OKC won the set, 2-1...Since OKC became affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the River Cats with the San Francisco Giants in 2015, Sacramento has a 13-12 edge in the Triple-A version of the Dodgers-Giants rivalry.
Seeking Six: Although the Dodgers had a successful 2021 season and finished with a 67-62 record, they did not win more than five consecutive games at any point, topping out with two five-game win streaks. The team is looking for its first six-game win streak since July 18-24, 2019 and its first six-game road win streak since a record-setting nine-game road win streak May 29-June 16, 2019.
Streak Stats: During the current winning streak, the Dodgers have outscored opponents, 42-18, and outhit opponents, 58-39. They have only trailed in three separate half-innings, tying the game or taking the lead in their next at-bat each time. They've also held a lead in 39 of 45 innings.
First Offense: The Dodgers' offense kept rolling Wednesday, scoring at least nine runs for a third straight game and at least eight runs for the eighth time in the last 11 games. OKC also scored at least four runs in one inning for a third straight game and for a sixth time in the last nine games...The Dodgers' 104 runs scored, 147 hits and .297 batting average lead all 30 Triple-A teams...After compiling at least 10 hits in eight of their last 10 games, OKC was held to seven hits Wednesday. In fact, the Dodgers were outhit, 15-7, but collected their first win of the season when an opponent finished with more hits (1-3). The Dodgers notched four more extra-base hits in the game and now has a combined 19 XBH in the last four games.
Walk On By: OKC matched its season-high mark with 10 walks Wednesday afternoon and the team's 76 total walks this season pace all of Triple-A, as does its .383 on-base percentage. The Dodgers finished the 2021 season second in Triple-A West with 519 walks and third in the Pacific Coast League in 2019 with 573 walks...On the other hand, OKC tied its season-low mark by issuing two walks yesterday, including none over the first eight innings. OKC's 66 walks allowed this season are second-most in the PCL.
No Diggity, Noda: Ryan Noda's 10-game hitting streak was snapped yesterday, but his on-base streak extended to 13 games as he drew three walks. Noda's 10-game hitting streak is tied for the longest in the league this season and he went 17-for-37 (.459) during the streak with three doubles and four homers, 12 RBI and 11 runs scored. He also had seven walks and six multi-hit games during the run. It marked the second-longest hitting streak of Noda's career, only bested by a 12-game streak with Single-A Lansing May 29-June 13, 2018...Noda has now reached base safely in each of his first 13 games this season - tied for the longest on-base streak in the league with Sugar Land's David Hensley and Reno's Stone Garrett. His .525 on-base percentage and 12 walks pace the PCL while his 1.242 OPS is second. He also ranks among the league's top four players in AVG (.391 - 3rd), RBI (12 - T-3rd), SLG (.717 - 4th), hits (18 - T-4th) and homers (4 - T-4th).
Steady Eddy: Eddy Alvarez homered in a second straight game Wednesday, going 1-for-3 overall with a walk, HBP, two RBI and two runs scored. Alvarez is now on a season-high six-game hitting streak and is 10-for-26 (.385) during the stretch. He has hit safely in 11 of his 12 games overall this season, batting .367...Over his last three games, Alvarez has two homers and a triple. His 18 total hits and 13 runs scored are both tied for second among OKC players...He has reached base in all 12 of his games this season, as his on-base streak is tied with teammate Kevin Pillar for fourth-longest in the league to start the season...He ranks among the league's top five players in runs (13 - T-2nd), triples (2 - T-2nd), hits (18 - T-fourth) and OBP (.466 - 5th).
Pillar of Strength: Kevin Pillar reached base three times yesterday with a double and two walks. He finished the game with two RBI and two runs scored. During the current road trip, Pillar is 10-for-23 (.435) with five extra-base hits, 12 runs scored and eight RBI. He's reached base safely in 19 of 34 plate appearances, recording eight walks and one HBP while not striking out once...He has now hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games, going 15-for-39 (.385) with three homers, two triples, two doubles, 12 RBI and a PCL-best 16 runs scored...Pillar has reached base in all 12 of his games to start the season and is tied with Eddy Alvarez for the fourth-longest on-base streak in the league...In addition to runs scored, he ranks among PCL top-five leaders in OBP (.474 - 2nd), triples (2 - T-2nd), walks (10 - 3rd), RBI (12 - T-3rd) and OPS (1.172 - 4th).
RISPy Business: After getting off to a 6-for-30 start through the first three games of the season, the Dodgers have batted .346 (45x130) with runners in scoring position over the last 11 games, including going 4-for-15 with RISP Wednesday. Their .319 clip with RISP overall this season ranks tied for second in Triple-A...Over the first eight games of the current road trip, the team is batting .345 (29x84) with RISP.
Big Flies: The Dodgers have homered in five straight games to match their season-high stretch of consecutive games with a homer and have homered in 10 of their last 12 games. OKC's 19 homers this season are second-most in the league, trailing Reno's 28 homers. Seven Dodgers have homered this season, including six who have hit two or more homers and five who have hit three or more homers...On the other hand, after not allowing a homer in back-to-back games, the Dodgers have allowed five homers through the team's first two games in Sacramento, including two solo homers yesterday.
Going Streaking: Miguel Vargas doubled in a second straight game yesterday and has now hit safely in a season-best four straight games (5x17). He also has two walks, four runs scored and three RBI during the stretch...Tomás Telis is 8-for-18 over his four-game hitting streak with three RBI and three runs scored...Andy Burns has hit safely in three consecutive games, going 5-for-11 with two doubles, two runs, three RBI and four walks.
Around the Horn: With yesterday afternoon's win, OKC improved to 3-0 in day games and 3-2 in one-run games this season...Jake Lamb did not play yesterday, but is 10-for-30 with three homers and nine RBI over his last seven games, including four multi-hit games, after a 1-for-15 start to the season...Dodgers pitchers recorded 10 strikeouts yesterday for the team's ninth double-digit strikeout game of the season and third in the last four games...In the nine games OKC played before the new pitch clock/pace of play rules, their average time of game was 3 hours, 8 minutes. In the five games with those measures in place, their average game time is 3 hours, 6 minutes.
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