PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - April 12, 2016

Published on April 12, 2016 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (4-1) vs. Memphis Redbirds (2-3)

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Game #6 of 144/Road #6 of 72 (4-1)

Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Zach Lee (1-0, 0.00) vs. MEM-RHP Deck McGuire (0-0, 1.69)

Tuesday, April 12, 2016 | AutoZone Park | Memphis, Tenn. | 6:35 p.m. CT

Radio: KGHM AM-1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, iHeartRadio - Alex Freedman

Today's Game: The Dodgers continue their road series in Memphis with the second meeting of their four-game series at 6:35 p.m. at AutoZone Park. The Dodgers seek a fourth-straight win and have allowed just four runs through the first five games of the season combined. The last time OKC won five of its first six games was in 2012.

Last Game: The Dodgers pitched their second shutout through the first give games of the season Monday night for a 4-0 victory against Memphis at AutoZone Park to open the series between the teams. Julio Urias, Matt West, Sean Burnett, and Chin-Hui Tsao held the Redbirds to no runs on six hits and struck out 16 batters without allowing a walk. Urias (1-0) earned the victory in his season debut. The 19-year-old lefty pitched five scoreless innings, with four hits and nine strikeouts. West struck out four of the seven batters he faced between the sixth and seventh innings. Making his organizational debut, Burnett retired the side in order in the eighth with two strikeouts. Tsao capped the shutout with a scoreless ninth inning. The Dodgers got on the board early in the first inning with a Jose Tabata sacrifice fly. Rob Segedin hit an opposite field solo home run with one out in the seventh, stretching the lead to 2-0. OKC added two more runs in the ninth. Brandon Hicks came through with a key two-run, two-out double for his first hit of the season, pushing the lead to 4-0. Redbirds starting pitcher Arturo Reyes (0-1) pitched five strong innings and gave up just two hits and one run with eight strikeouts, but ended up with the loss.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Zach Lee (1-0) takes the mound for the Dodgers after a strong debut in the season opener Thursday in Nashville...Lee pitched six scoreless innings and combined with three relievers on a four-hit shutout in a 5-0 win. In his first win of the season, Lee scattered three hits over six innings with no walks and two strikeouts. He faced just one over the minimum, throwing 63 pitches, including 47 strikes...Lee was named the Dodgers' 2015 Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year for the second time in his career (also in 2013)...He paced OKC's rotation with 11 wins in 2015, going 11-6 with a 2.70 ERA over 19 starts...He fell 2.0 IP shy of officially qualifying among PCL leaders, but otherwise would have ranked first in ERA and WHIP (1.11)...Lee tied for third in the league in wins and became just the sixth OKC pitcher to notch at least 11 wins since the team joined the PCL in 1998 and first since Michael Kirkman in 2010 (13)...He paced all Dodgers farmhands with a combined 2.63 ERA and allowed one or no runs in eight of his 19 starts with OKC...Lee made his Major League debut July 25 at the New York Mets and took the loss in his only game of the season with LAD...Despite making 47 career appearances (46 starts) in the PCL, tonight marks Lee's first meeting against the Redbirds.

Against the Redbirds: 2016: 1-0 2015: 9-7 All-time: 152-138 In MEM: 65-82

The Dodgers went 5-3 in Memphis last season and went on to win the season series, 9-7. They swept a four-game set, June 30-July 3, marking the team's first-ever sweep at AutoZone Park and hit nine home runs in the process...Oklahoma City won seven of the first eight meetings between the teams in 2015 before losing six of the last eight games against the Redbirds...Memphis outscored the Dodgers, 74-67, in the 2015 series, but the Dodgers outhit the Redbirds, 153-147...Darnell Sweeney led the Dodgers with 18 hits and 11 RBI and Kyle Jensen belted six homers...OKC has won the last three season series between the teams and is 17-8 in Memphis since the start of the 2013 season...Tonight the Dodgers face Deck McGuire, who made 12 appearances (9 GS) for OKC in 2015, going 5-4 with a 3.84 ERA.

Firing Out of the Gates: In 46-plus innings (five games) to start the season, the Dodgers pitching staff has allowed just four runs and 25 hits, resulting in a 0.78 ERA and .157 batting average against. The last time any OKC team allowed just four runs over a five-game stretch was Aug. 14-18, 2003 against Albuquerque (3-1) and Fresno (9-0; 1-0; 2-1; 6-2)...Among all other teams in the Minors who have played five games, OKC has allowed the fewest runs and hits. Low-A West Virginia (Pirates) has also allowed just 25 hits, but has surrendered nine runs...The Dodgers have racked up 45 strikeouts against 11 walks...One time through the rotation, the starting pitchers have allowed a total of one run and 15 hits over 26.2 innings (0.34 ERA; .163 BAA) and have tossed 19.2 consecutive scoreless innings entering tonight. They have recorded 18 strikeouts against one walk...Every other team in the PCL has allowed at least 12 runs, and by contrast, New Orleans has allowed 33 runs...The Dodgers have not allowed a home run yet, equaling their longest streak to begin a season without surrendering a dinger since 2006 (five games). They are the only team in the PCL to have not served up a homer yet.

Donut Factory: The Dodgers have recorded two shutouts within the first five games of the season, marking the fastest the team has pitched its first two shutouts during the PCL era (since 1998). The previous fastest was in 2000 within seven games, but both of those shutouts were in seven-inning games -- a pair of 1-0 victories in a doubleheader against Colorado Springs on April 12. The previous fastest team to record two nine-inning shutouts was in 2010, which accomplished the feat within the first nine games of the season (April 13 vs. Round Rock; April 16 at Memphis)...The Dodgers have held their opponent scoreless through eight innings in three straight games.

Kount 'Em: Last night's 16 strikeouts by the pitching staff was the highest total in a nine-inning game since July 20, 2007 at Round Rock. Alfredo Simon (9), Francisco Cruceta (6), and Randy Williams (2) combined to strike out 17 Express batters in that contest.

RISPy Business: Through the first five games of the season, the Dodgers have held their opponents 2-for-22 with runners in scoring position, including 1-for-14 with two outs...On the other hand, OKC is batting just .103 (4x39) with runners in scoring position. Brandon Hicks' two-run double in the ninth inning last night is the team's only hit with a runner in scoring position with two outs this season (1x14).

Thievery Corporation: The Dodgers have stolen at least one base in each of their first five games and have six total stolen bases this season, tied for second-most in the PCL.

What Can Brown Do for You?: After going 0-for-7 with four strikeouts over the first two games, Corey Brown is 4-for-10 with two extra-base hits and two walks over the last three games.

Robert's Rules of Order: Rob Segedin connected on his second home run last night, and he is one of seven players in the PCL who have gone deep twice thus far. Segedin tied for the L.A. Dodgers team lead during Cactus League play with four home runs...It was the first home run allowed by Memphis this season.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE AND PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)

DATE TIME OPPONENT OKC PITCHERS OPP. PITCHER

Wednesday, April 13 6:35 p.m. at Memphis RHP Jharel Cotton (0-0, 1.59) RHP J.C. Sulbaran (1-0, 1.80)

Thursday, April 14 11:05 a.m. at Memphis RHP Sam LeCure (0-0, 0.00) RHP Jeremy Hefner (1-0, 0.00)

Friday, April 15 7:05 p.m. Nashville RHP Jeremy Kehrt (1-0, 0.00) RHP Zach Neal (0-1, 1.80)

Saturday, April 16 7:05 p.m. Nashville LHP Julio Urias (1-0, 0.00) LHP Sean Manaea (1-0, 1.69)

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 12, 2016


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