OKC Dodgers Game Notes - April 10, 2015
April 10, 2015 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release
Oklahoma City Dodgers (0-1) vs. Round Rock Express (1-0)
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Texas Rangers
Game #2 of 144/Home #2 of 72 (0-1)
Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Carlos Frias vs. RR-RHP Luke Jackson
Friday, April 10, 2015 | Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark | Oklahoma City, Okla. | 7:05 p.m. CT Radio: KGHM AM-1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, IHeartRadio - Alex Freedman
Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers continue their season-opening homestand at 7:05 p.m. against the Round Rock Express at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Tonight's game is the second of a four-game series with the Express and marks the first Fireworks Friday of the season.
Last Game: The OKC Dodgers opened their inaugural season with a 2-0 loss against Round Rock Thursday in Bricktown. The Express scored runs in the second and eighth innings and held the Dodgers 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position during the shutout. Express starting pitcher Anthony Ranaudo (1-0) earned the win, holding the Dodgers scoreless over 5.0 innings, allowing four hits and striking out six. He combined with four relievers to complete the blanking. Carlos Peguero singled to lead off the second inning for Round Rock and later scored on a sac fly by Chris Gimenez for a 1-0 Express lead. The Express took a 2-0 lead in the eighth. Third baseman Ed Lucas hit a leadoff triple and scored on a Jared Hoying RBI single. The OKC Dodgers left 10 players on base and never had a leadoff batter reach base. Dodgers starting pitcher Scott Baker was charged with the loss, allowing one run on three hits, and striking out six over 5.0 innings.
Today's Probable Pitcher: Carlos Frias makes his first start of 2015, following a 2014 campaign in which he made his MLB debut... Frias went 1-1 with a 6.12 ERA in 15 games (two starts) with Los Angeles in 2014. He made 13 relief appearances with the Dodgers, limiting opponents to a .204 batting average with 25 strikeouts. He earned his first Major League win Sept. 27 against Colorado, walking one and striking out five in 3.0 scoreless innings...Frias also made 16 appearances (15 starts) for Triple-A Albuquerque and five starts for Double-A Chattanooga last season before joining the Dodgers. He won the June Dodger Pride Award for Albuquerque, going 3-1 with a 3.09 ERA in five starts, including two complete games...He was signed by the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent in 2007 and owns a career 40-34 record and 4.23 ERA in eight minor league seasons in the organization.
Against the Express: 2015: 0-1 2014: 7-9 All-time: 83-77 In OKC: 40-41
Oklahoma City will face Round Rock to open the season for the second straight year. Prior to 2014, they had never faced each to start the season...Oklahoma City won the 2014 season opener in Round Rock, 7-6, in 11 innings at Dell Diamond April 3, 2014. OKC trailed 5-0 after two innings. The teams went on to split the opening series of the season...Round Rock and OKC most recently played July 29-Aug. 1 in Texas. OKC won the first two games of the series, before the Express won the final two games of the series...The Express swept their lone series against Albuquerque last season, June 9-12 at Isotopes Park.
A New Era of Baseball in OKC: In September 2014, Mandalay Baseball Properties, LLC, announced the sale of Oklahoma City's Triple-A team. The franchise's new ownership group - Mandalay Baseball, LLC - is a joint venture between ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers and an investor group led by Mandalay Entertainment Chairman and CEO Peter Guber. As a result of the ownership change, Oklahoma City became the Triple-A affiliate of the Dodgers...The franchise officially changed its name to the Oklahoma City Dodgers on Dec. 3, 2014. The team's new look, developed by the Los Angeles Dodgers' graphic design team, incorporates several elements of the Dodgers' history, as well as the culture of Oklahoma City and Bricktown.
OKC Dodgers Firsts: Scott Baker threw the first pitch at 7:05 p.m....Third baseman Buck Britton hit a two-out single on a line drive to center field in the bottom of the third inning for the first hit in OKC Dodgers team history...Shortstop Kiké Hernandez, second baseman Darnell Sweeney and first baseman O'Koyea Dickson converted the first double play for the final two outs of the top of the fourth inning...Kyle Jensen drew the first OKC Dodgers walk with two outs in the eighth inning.
Season Starting Shutout: Last night's defeat marked the third shutout loss for Oklahoma City in a season opener in the franchise's PCL history (since 1998). Oklahoma City lost 9-0 in seven innings at Memphis to begin the 2013 season and lost 1-0 at Memphis to open the 2005 schedule...The two total runs scored Thursday was the lowest run total in a home opener since Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark opened in 1998.
Trade Winds: Yesterday the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles completed a four-player swap. The Dodgers sent Ben Rowen and Chris O'Brien--both with Double-A Tulsa--to Baltimore in exchange for reliever Ryan Webb and catcher Brian Ward. Ward has reported to the OKC Dodgers and is on the active roster. Last season Ward primarily played with Baltimore's Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk and batted .227 with two homers and 20 RBI over 67 games. Entering this season, Ward was named the best defensive catcher in Baltimore's minor league system by Baseball America...In a corresponding roster move, Ralph Henriquez was placed on the disabled list.
Not Much Ado About 0-2: Oklahoma City has only started one season with back-to-back losses during the PCL era (since 1998). In 2005, OKC lost three straight in Memphis before closing out the series with a win.
Roster Recap: Among the 25 active players on the current roster, 12 played in the Major Leagues in 2014 and a total of 15 players have Major League experience. Ten players are currently on the Los Angeles Dodgers' 40-man roster. Five players on the roster are ranked among the Dodgers' top 30 prospects, as ranked by Baseball America: Outfielder Scott Schebler (#9), pitcher Zach Lee (#14), catcher Austin Barnes (#16), infielder Darnell Sweeney (#17), and pitcher Carlos Frias (#26)...18 players are in their first year in the organization. 10 were acquired via trade, and eight signed as free agents...Only three players appeared with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque last season (Carlos Frias, Zach Lee, and Josh Ravin).
Table Setting: The OKC Dodgers did not have a leadoff batter reach base last night. They last time that happened to an OKC team was Aug. 15, 2014 at Fresno. However, it did not prove much of a deterrent, as the RedHawks defeated the Grizzlies, 6-2.
Crowded House: Last night's attendance of 11,189 marked the largest crowd for a home opener since 2005, when 11,774 fans watched the RedHawks defeat Memphis, 5-4, in 11 innings on April 15, 2005.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE AND PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)
DATE TIME OPPONENT OKC PITCHERS OPP. PITCHER
Saturday, April 11 7:05 p.m. Round Rock RHP Zach Lee LHP Wandy Rodriguez
Sunday, April 12 2:05 p.m. Round Rock RHP Mike Bolsinger RHP Alex Gonzalez
Monday, April 13 7:05 p.m. Nashville RHP Joe Wieland LHP Brad Mills Tuesday, April 14 7:05 p.m. Nashville RHP Scott Baker (0-1, 1.80) RHP Chris Bassitt (0-1, 7.20)
Pacific Coast League Stories from April 10, 2015
- Round Rock Express Suffer First Loss of 2015 in Oklahoma City - Round Rock Express
- Home Runs Fuel First Win for OKC Dodgers - Oklahoma City Comets
- Piscotty, Scruggs Homer in 8-1 Win over Cubs - Memphis Redbirds
- Urena Calms Storm Chasers in Zephyrs' 4-1 Win - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- NOLA Evens the Series - Omaha Storm Chasers
- NOLA Evens Series - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Reno Aces Game Information: Reno Aces at Albuquerque Isotopes - Reno Aces
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - April 10, 2015 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Storm Chasers Homestand Highlights: April 17-24 - Omaha Storm Chasers
- River Cats Walk Off on Opening Day - Sacramento River Cats
- Walk-Off Homer Spoils Bees' Opener - Salt Lake Bees
- A New Era of Colorado Springs Begins with a Blast - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
- Grizzlies Begin Growlifornia Era with 2-1 Victory over Las Vegas - Fresno Grizzlies
- De La Rosa Tosses Four Innings, Isotopes Fall to Aces 8-2 in Season - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Omaha Wins on Opening Day - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Omaha Rallies Late to Spoil Zephyrs' Opener - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Chihuahuas Beat Tacoma 11-4 on Opening Night - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Rainiers Drop Season Opener at El Paso, 11-4 - Tacoma Rainiers
- Omaha Wins on Opening Day - Omaha Storm Chasers
- OKC Dodgers Drop Debut, 2-0, to Round Rock - Oklahoma City Comets
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