PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - April 15, 2015

Published on April 15, 2015 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (4-2) vs. Nashville Sounds (4-2)

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Oakland A's

Game #7 of 144/Home #7 of 72 (4-2)

Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Freddy Garcia (0-0, 1.93) vs. NAS-LHP Barry Zito (0-0, 5.79)

Wednesday, April 15, 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 play the Nashville Sounds for the third time in their four-game series at 7:05 p.m. at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The series is tied, 1-1, and the OKC Dodgers are 4-2 during their current, season-opening homestand.

Last Game: Oklahoma City overcame a 5-0 deficit and tied Nashville in the seventh and ninth frames to force extra innings, but the Sounds scored in the 10th for a 7-6 win Tuesday in Bricktown. The Sounds built a 5-0 lead before OKC tallied five runs in the seventh inning to tie the game. During the five-run frame, the Dodgers only registered two hits, but there were also two walks, a hit batter, and a pair of Nashville errors. Nashville responded with a run in the eighth, but OKC once again tied the game in the ninth inning. With none on and two out, Darnell Sweeney walked and Scott Schebler followed with a double. Chad Smith then uncorked a wild pitch to allow Sweeney to score the tying run. In the top of the 10th, Billy Burns hits a RBI triple to put the Sounds back in front, and this time Nashville would not surrender the lead. The Dodgers managed to score six runs and send the game to extras despite getting outhit, 13-4. Oklahoma City starting pitcher Scott Baker went 5.0 innings, allowing one run and five hits, with no walks and six strikeouts. Nashville reliever Chad Smith (1-0) gave up the lead in the ninth, but finished out the game and earned the win. Rudy Owens (0-1) was charged with the loss in his Dodgers debut.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Freddy Garcia will make a spot start for Oklahoma City tonight...Garcia has appeared in two games with the OKC Dodgers this season, pitching 4.2 innings of relief. In his last appearance Monday against Nashville, Garcia held the Sounds to one hit over 3.0 scoreless innings and struck out two. He made his season debut April 10 against Round Rock, allowing one run and two hits over 1.2 innings with two strikeouts. Garcia was credited with a hold in each appearance...Garcia signed with the Dodgers late in Spring Training, inking a deal on March 30...Last season Garcia played for the EDA Rhinos in Tawain's Chinese Professional Baseball League, making 25 starts and going 11-9 with a 3.19 ERA over 160 IP...Garcia last played in the Majors in 2013 and has appeared in 376 career Major League games (357 starts) over 15 seasons with seven different teams (Mariners, White Sox, Phillies, Tigers, Yankees, Orioles and Braves). He owns a career 156-108 record with a 4.15 ERA...Garcia was named an American League All-Star in 2001 and 2002 while with the Mariners. He led the AL with a 3.05 ERA and 238.2 IP in 2001 and won a career-high 18 games...He won a World Series title in 2005 with the White Sox and earned the win in the series-clinching Game 4 after throwing 7.0 scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory...Garcia is the all-time leader among Venezuelan-born pitchers with 156 wins.

Against the Sounds: 2015: 1-1 2014: 6-10 All-time: 145-129 In OKC: 77-60

Oklahoma City has split or lost its last five series with Nashville and has not won a series against the Sounds since taking three of five in Nashville June 27-30, 2013...The Sounds won the most recent series between the teams July 25-28 in Nashville, 3-1...Oklahoma City finished 6-10 against the Sounds last season after compiling a 24-8 record against Nashville in 2012 and 2013 combined. Last season they dropped five of eight contests at home, finishing with a losing home record against the Sounds for the first time since 2007...Like OKC, Nashville's parent club changed during the offseason, switching from the Milwaukee Brewers (2005-2014) to the Oakland A's.

Whiff City: With nine more strikeouts last night, Oklahoma City pitchers have struck out 36 batters over the past three games. Through six games, the pitching staff has struck out at least 10 batters four times and have yet to strike out fewer than eight batters in one game....The OKC Dodgers lead the PCL with 66 strikeouts and an average of 10.8 K's per nine innings.

In The Zone: Although the OKC Dodgers walked a season-high four batters last night, the pitching staff has notched a 5.5/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (66 K/12 BB), which is tops in the league. The next closest team is Nashville with 3.4/1 ratio...The pitching staff's 12 walks are fewest in the league.

Start Me Up: OKC Dodgers starting pitchers are 4-1 with a 2.23 ERA (8 ER/32.1 IP) through six games. They've held opponents to a .188 average (22x117) and struck out 41 batters with only six walks (6.8 K/BB). In four of the six games, the starting pitcher has allowed three or fewer hits.

Austin's Powers: Last night Austin Barnes accounted for half of the team's four hits. He has hit safely in all five games he's played in, going 7-for-17 (.412) with a .500 on-base percentage. Barnes is the only OKC Dodger to collect more than one multi-hit game so far, and he's currently tied for the team lead with both seven hits and four runs scored.

Thievery Corporation: The Dodgers swiped three bases last night, matching their season total through the first five games. Austin Barnes and Kiké Hernandez each stole their first base of the season, and Darnell Sweeney stole his fourth, putting him in a tie with Nashville's Billy Burns for the league lead.

Buck Wild: Yesterday Buck Britton was held without a hit for the first time this season, although he did draw a walk and scored a run. He is still tied for the team lead with seven hits, and during this homestand he's become the first OKC Dodger to collect a hit (4/9), a three-hit game (4/12), and a triple (4/13).

Glovework: With two errors last night, the OKC Dodgers matched their season total entering the game. Nashville also committed two errors, surpassing the previous total by OKC opponents this season (1).

Winning Ways: The team's 4-2 start has been in lockstep with recent opening month success. Oklahoma City has jumped out to a quick start in April each of the past three seasons, posting winning records in the first month of the schedule in 2014 (15-12), 2013 (15-10) and 2012 (16-9).

That's A First: Kiké Hernandez has gone hitless in three straight games for the first time in 73 career games with an Oklahoma City team. In fact, it's just the second time he's gone hitless in at least two consecutive starts (May 27-28, 2014 vs. Omaha).

UPCOMING SCHEDULE AND PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)

DATE TIME OPPONENT OKC PITCHERS OPP. PITCHER

Thursday, April 16 7:05 p.m. Nashville RHP Zach Lee (1-0, 1.50) LHP Ryan Verdugo (1-0, 2.45)

Friday, April 17 7:08 p.m. @ Iowa RHP Mike Bolsinger (1-0, 0.00) RHP Barret Loux (0-0, 4.91)

Saturday, April 18 7:08 p.m. @ Iowa RHP Joe Wieland (1-0, 3.60) RHP Yoanner Negrin (0-0, 0.00)

Sunday, April 19 1:08 p.m. @ Iowa RHP Scott Baker (0-1, 1.80) TBA

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