PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - April 1, 2023

Published on April 1, 2023 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Tacoma Rainiers (1-0) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (0-1)

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

Pitching Probables: TAC-RHP Easton McGee (NR, -.--) vs. OKC-RHP Matt Andriese (NR, -.--)

Saturday, April 1, 2023 | 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 Dodgers look for their first win of the 2023 season when they continue their three-game Opening Weekend series against the Tacoma Rainiers at 7:05 p.m. at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

Last Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers hit two three-run home runs and scored eight runs overall but were unable to overtake the high-scoring Tacoma Rainiers in a 14-8 loss Friday night in the 2023 season opener between the teams at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The Rainiers scored three runs in both the second and third innings to take a 6-0 lead on a three-run double by Jose Caballero and three-run homer by Colin Moran. The Dodgers responded with three runs in the fourth inning via a three-run homer by Hunter Feduccia for OKC's first homer of the season. Michael Busch connected on a RBI single in the fifth inning as OKC scored four straight runs to trim Tacoma's lead to 6-4. The Rainiers scored eight runs in the seventh inning to build a 14-4 advantage, including a solo homer by Jake Scheiner, two-run single by Mason McCoy and two-run double by Mike Ford. The Dodgers tallied four runs in the eighth inning, fueled by a three-run homer by Luke Williams.

Tonight's Probable Pitcher: Matt Andriese makes his first start of the 2023 season as he enters his 13th professional season and first in the Dodgers organization...Andriese pitched in three Spring Training games with the Los Angeles Dodgers, allowing one unearned run and four hits over 5.0 innings of relief. He recorded four strikeouts and did not issue a walk. In his last Cactus League appearance March 13 vs. Cleveland, he retired six of the seven batters faced, including three via strikeout....He signed with the Dodgers Jan. 30 after spending the 2022 season with the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, going 5-2 with a 2.86 ERA over 15 games. He notched 56 strikeouts against 14 walks across 63.0 innings...In 2021, he made the Opening Day roster for the Boston Red Sox and went on to make 26 relief appearances, going 2-3 with one save and posting a 6.03 ERA before being designated for assignment Aug. 17. He quickly signed with Seattle Aug. 22 and made eight relief appearances with the Mariners, posting a 2.45 ERA with 12 K's...Andriese was selected in the third round of the 2011 MLB Draft by San Diego and he made his ML debut with Tampa Bay April 10, 2015 at the Marlins...Tonight is his third career appearance and third career start against Tacoma, but first since the 2013 season when he was with the Tucson Padres...This is also his first start overall in the U.S. since July 31, 2020 with the Los Angeles Angels against Houston (1.2 IP).

Against the Rainiers: 2023: 0-1 2022: 5-7 All-time: 56-58 At OKC: 34-24

The Dodgers and Rainiers meet for their first of three series during the 2023 season and first of two series in OKC...Tacoma won the 2022 series between the teams, 7-5, and won the most recent series between the teams, 4-2, Sept. 6-11 in OKC. Last season marked the first time the Dodgers lost a season series to the Rainiers since 2014 when OKC went 0-4 in Tacoma and entered last season 2-0-3 over the previous five season series...Fueled by the 20 runs they scored in the final game between the teams in 2022, the Dodgers outscored the Rainiers, 77-62, last season and hit 12 homers compared to Tacoma's 10...Drew Avans led OKC with 19 hits, while Jason Martin hit a team-best three homers and drove in 12 runs in the season series...Entering tonight, the Rainiers have won eight of the last 11 games against the Dodgers...The Rainiers finished the 2022 season with a 72-78 record and in second place in the PCL West Division...This series marks the first time ever OKC and Tacoma have opened the season against each other. The teams were scheduled to start the 2020 season in Tacoma prior to the cancelation of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

First Impressions: With Friday's defeat, the Dodgers fell to 11-14 in season openers overall since 1998 and to 4-8 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark on Opening Day in the Bricktown era...During the Dodgers affiliation, OKC has started a season 0-2 just twice, going 0-4 to begin the 2021 season and 0-3 to open the 2017 season. OKC has started the other five seasons during the affiliation with a 1-1 record....This is the first time since Sept. 5, 2021 (52-53) the Dodgers have been under .500 at any point.

Off on the Wrong Foot: The 14 runs allowed by the Dodgers Friday were the most runs allowed by an Oklahoma City team in a season opener during the team's Bricktown era (since 1998). The previous high was nine runs during season-opening games in 2001, 2003 and 2013...The 14 runs were also the most runs allowed by the Dodgers in OKC overall since a 14-7 loss against Memphis June 21, 2019...The eight runs scored by the Dodgers Friday tied for the most runs scored by an OKC team in a season opener during the Bricktown era (April 7, 2011 at Memphis; 8-7 win)...The six-run margin of the defeat was the team's largest in a home opener since sustaining a 9-2 loss against Salt Lake in 2001.

Debut Dingers: Hunter Feduccia and Luke Williams hit OKC's first two home runs of the season Friday as both players connected on three-run shots, accounting for six of the Dodgers' first eight runs of 2023...Last season, the Dodgers hit 201 home runs for the second-most homers hit during a single season in the team's Bricktown era (since 1998). OKC has hit at least 181 home runs in each of the last three seasons, accounting for the team's top three home run totals since 1998. The Dodgers hit a team-record 203 homers during the 2019 season...Williams homered in his fourth plate appearance of the season after going deep just twice in 194 total plate appearances between the Majors and Triple-A last season and only three times in 445 total plate appearances between 2021-22.

The Boys in Blue: OKC's initial 2023 roster includes two of the Los Angeles Dodgers' top six prospects as ranked by Baseball America - infielder Michael Busch (No. 4) and starting pitcher Gavin Stone (No. 6). Between his time in Double-A and Triple-A, Busch tied for the overall Minor League lead with 118 runs scored and ranked third overall in the Minors in total bases, tied for third with 70 extra-base hits and fifth with 108 RBI. His 32 home runs tied for the Dodgers' organizational lead and was tied for sixth overall in the Minors. Stone was named the 2022 Los Angeles Dodgers Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year, playing at three different levels and posting a cumulative 1.48 ERA - best in the Minors. Infielder Devin Mann is ranked as the Dodgers No. 22 prospect by Baseball America....In addition to Busch, three other players are on the Los Angeles Dodgers' 40-man roster: relief pitchers Justin Bruihl and Victor González and infielder Yonny Hernández...A total of 12 players spent at least part of the 2022 season with OKC, including pitchers Robbie Erlin, Justin Hagenman, Jake Reed, Nick Robertson and Mark Washington, catcher Hunter Feduccia, and outfielder Drew Avans...Eighteen players have previous Major League experience, with three appearing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022 (Bruihl, Erlin and Grove) and seven others appeared in Majors last season with a different organization: pitchers Tyler Cyr (Philadelphia/Oakland), Adam Kolarek (Oakland) and Tayler Scott (San Diego), catcher Patrick Mazeika (New York-NL), infielder Luke Williams (San Francisco/Miami) and outfielders Steven Duggar (San Francisco, Texas, Los Angeles-AL) and Bradley Zimmer (Toronto/Philadelphia). Others who have appeared in the Majors throughout their careers are pitchers Matt Andriese, Dylan Covey and Wander Suero, catcher David Freitas and infielder Jahmai Jones.

Forging the Way: Travis Barbary enters his fourth season managing the Oklahoma City Dodgers in 2023, as well as his 29th season in the Dodgers organization as a player, staff member or coach. The team has finished in second place in its division during each of the last two seasons, going a combined 151-124. Barbary's 2023 coaching staff includes returning hitting coach Manny Burriss, who is back with the team for a third season. They will be joined by pitching coaches Doug Mathis and Justin DeFratus. Mathis begins his first season in OKC after spending the last three seasons on the coaching staff of the Texas Rangers, and DeFratus returns for his third season in OKC. Bench coach Chris Gutierrez comes to Triple-A after holding the same role with Double-A Tulsa last season.

2022 Record-Setting Rewind: The OKC Dodgers wrapped up the 2022 season with an 84-66 record, posting the second-most wins during the team's Bricktown era (since 1998) and scoring the second-most runs in Minor League Baseball (949). Although the Dodgers held at least a share of first place in the PCL East Division for 111 days, the team finished one game behind division-winning El Paso and has now finished in first or second place in their division in six of the seven seasons during the Los Angeles Dodgers affiliation. OKC led all teams in the Minors with 731 walks, setting a team record and posting the most walks by any Triple-A team since 2004. The Dodgers led Triple-A and finished third among full-season teams in the Minors with a team-record .370 on-base percentage. OKC's +156 run differential paced the PCL and also set a team record. Infielder Miguel Vargas was named the Triple-A Player of the Year by Baseball America and the PCL's Top MLB Prospect by MiLB. Outfielder Jason Martin was named a Triple-A All-Star by MiLB, while right-handed pitcher Ryan Pepiot received postseason Triple-A All-Star recognition from Baseball America.

Them's the Rules: Several notable new and returning rules will be in place at the Triple-A level throughout 2023:.

- Pitch Clock: The pitch clock will once again be utilized to improve pace of play at the Triple-A level and will be enforced starting on Opening Day. Pitchers must begin their motion within 14 seconds when the bases are empty and within 19 seconds if there is a runner on base just like in 2022. Batters will be required to be in the batter's box and alert to the pitcher with eight or more seconds remaining to align with the new MLB rules. A violation by the pitcher results in an automatic ball, and a violation by the hitter results in an automatic strike.

- Disengagements/Step-offs: When there is at least one runner on base, the pitcher is allowed two step-offs or disengagements from the pitching rubber during each plate appearance. If there is a third disengagement or a defensive timeout before an out is recorded, a balk is called and each runner advances one base. This remains the same as the 2022 season rules at the Triple-A level.

- ABS: The automated strike zone, also known as ABS, returns to the Pacific Coast League in 2023 and will expand to be in use throughout Triple-A. In games Tuesday-Thursday, balls and strikes will exclusively be called by ABS. Each pitch is sent to the home plate umpire via an earpiece, and the umpire then relays the call. In a new development for 2023, for games Friday-Sunday beginning April 7, teams will use the challenge system During these games, umpires will call balls and strikes, but players can challenge the result of the pitch. The challenge will be resolved by the ABS system, which will either uphold the initial call or overturn it. Each team has three challenges per game, but challenges are only taken away when a call is upheld.

- Infield Positioning Restrictions: On defense, teams will be required to have two players standing on each side of second base with both feet on the infield dirt before each pitch is thrown, which is a new rule for 2023. A violation of this rule will result in either an automatic ball or the batting team can elect to take the result of the play.

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