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PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - April 16, 2018

April 16, 2018 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


New Orleans Baby Cakes (4-7) vs. Oklahoma City Dodgers (8-1)

Miami Marlins vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Game #10 of 140/Home #7 of 70 (6-0)

Pitching Probables: NO-RHP Zac Gallen (1-1, 1.50) vs. OKC-RHP Walker Buehler (1-0, 2.00)

Monday, April 16, 2018 | 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 remain undefeated at home and close out their impressive first homestand of the season with a 7:05 p.m. game against the New Orleans Baby Cakes at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The Dodgers have won their first six home games for their best start ever in Bricktown and have won seven straight games overall. A win tonight would give Oklahoma City its longest overall winning streak since winning 12 straight games July 26-Aug. 6, 2013.

Last Game: Henry Ramos gave OKC a hot start with a grand slam in the first inning and Alex Verdugo's walk-off three-run home run in the 10th inning pushed the Dodgers to a thrilling 8-6 win against New Orleans Sunday afternoon at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The Dodgers offense built a quick lead after loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the first inning. Ramos followed, hitting a grand slam into the Baby Cakes bullpen in right-center field. New Orleans scored two runs in the top of the second inning to cut the Dodgers' lead to 4-2 before Rob Segedin's RBI single in the bottom of the inning extended OKC's lead to 5-2. The Baby Cakes went on to score three runs over the seventh and eighth innings to tie the game, 5-5. With the new extra-innings rules in place in Minor League Baseball, New Orleans' Scott Van Slyke started the top of the 10th inning at second base and scored on a single by Isaac Galloway to give the Baby Cakes a 6-5 advantage. In the bottom of the 10th, Max Muncy started on second base for the Dodgers and Cael Brockmeyer drew a leadoff walk. In his first at-bat of the day after entering the game in the top of the 10th, Verdugo belted his second home run in as many nights for an 8-6 victory. Dodgers reliever C.C. Lee (1-0) earned the win, and New Orleans reliever Nick Wittgren (0-1) took the loss after allowing Verdugo's homer.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Top Dodgers prospect Walker Buehler (1-0) seeks back-to-back wins when he takes the mound for OKC tonight...Through his first two starts, Buehler has totaled 9.0 innings, allowing two runs and seven hits, with two walks and 11 strikeouts...He picked up his first win of the season Wednesday against Round Rock, holding the Express to one run and four hits over 5.0 innings, with six strikeouts and one walk...He entered the 2018 season rated as the Dodgers' top prospect and 14th prospect overall by Baseball America...In 2017, Buehler saw action at four levels during his second season in the organization, starting the year with High-A Rancho Cucamonga, moving to Double-A Tulsa May 10 and OKC July 16 before the Dodgers selected his contract Sept. 6...The Dodgers named him 2017 Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year and he was named a MiLB.com Organization All-Star after posting a 3.35 ERA in 28 appearances (19 starts). He held opponents to a .208 average, notching 125 K's against 31 walks over 88.1 IP...With OKC, he pitched in 12 games (three starts), compiling 23.1 IP, a 4.63 ERA, 34 K's and 11 walks...The Dodgers selected the Lexington, Ky. native 24th overall in the 2015 MLB Draft out of Vanderbilt University...Tonight is Buehler's third career appearance and first start against the Baby Cakes. He made two relief appearances against New Orleans in 2017, allowing one hit over 2.0 shutout innings with two strikeouts.

Against the Baby Cakes: 2018: 3-0 2017: 6-9 All-time: 172-147 At OKC: 92-70

The Dodgers and Baby Cakes are meeting for their first series of 2018...New Orleans won the 2017 series, 9-6, marking their first season series win against Oklahoma City since 2011 and just their second against Oklahoma City since 2006. The Dodgers won two of the first three meetings, but went on to lose six of the next eight meetings and then split the final four-game set of the season. The Baby Cakes went 5-3 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in 2017, marking the fifth time in the last seven seasons New Orleans finished .500 or better in OKC...New Orleans had a slight edge in scoring, 67-66, while the Dodgers outhit New Orleans, 120-114...Edwin Rios and Alex Verdugo each had 10 RBI, and Rios hit three homers. Max Muncy batted .406 (13x32) with five extra-base hits, nine runs, five RBI and nine walks against three strikeouts.

We're Going Streaking: The Dodgers' seven-game winning streak is the tied for the team's longest over the past five seasons, last accomplished June 30-July 6, 2016. The team has not won eight straight since a franchise-best 12-game win streak July 26-Aug. 6, 2013...Oklahoma City is 8-1 overall to start 2018, giving the Dodgers their best start to a season through the first nine games since the team rejoined the PCL in 1998...The Dodgers are 6-0 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark for their best home start ever since the ballpark opened in 1998.

Walk-Off on the Wild Side: Sunday's walk-off win was the second for the Dodgers in as many games and the third through their first six home games of 2018. In 2017, the Dodgers notched three walk-off wins for the entire season...The last time OKC had back-to-back walk-off wins was May 13-14, 2012 against Tucson. The RedHawks won, 6-5, on May 13 with a RBI single by Carlos Corporan in the bottom of the ninth. The next night, Brad Snyder launched a solo homer in the ninth to give OKC a 4-3 win.

Teach Me How to Dougie: In his lone at-bat of the day Sunday, outfielder Alex Verdugo belted a walk-off, three-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning out to center field. All seven of Verdugo's RBI so far this season have either tied or won a game in the eighth inning or later. In addition to his heroics yesterday, his two-run homer in the eighth inning tied Saturday's game. On Tuesday, his two-run single in the ninth inning against Round Rock tied the game...This is the second time in Verdugo's career he's homered in consecutive games and first since going deep in each game of a doubleheader with Double-A Tulsa July 16, 2016 at Arkansas.

Oh Henry!: Henry Ramos celebrated his 26th birthday Sunday, finishing the day 4-for-5 at the plate with his second grand slam in three games. In the first three games of the current series, Ramos is 9-for-14 with four extra-base hits and nine RBI...He leads the Dodgers with 13 hits and 12 RBI, and his RBI total is currently tied for fourth-most in the PCL this season...Ramos played 644 career pro games without a grand slam before on connecting on two in his last three games.

Ya Better Call Taijeron: Travis Taijeron went 2-for-3 at the plate Sunday with two walks. Through his first nine games, Taijeron is 9-for-20 with four doubles, four RBI and a team-leading eight walks. He has reached base in 18 of his first 29 plate appearances and his .621 on-base percentage is second-best in all of Triple-A (Mac Williamson, Sacramento - .659).

Monday Memos: In the team's four innings under the new extra innings rules, the Dodgers have gone 7-for-13 as a unit and scored nine runs. They scored eight runs in 11 extra-inning games last season under standard rules...Donovan Solano has strung together four straight multi-hit games, going 10-for-22. His 12 total hits are tied for second most among Dodgers players...Reliever C.C. Lee pitched another scoreless and hitless inning Sunday with two strikeouts. Through his first five appearances (5.1 IP), Lee has retired 16 of the 17 batters he's faced with no hits, one walk and 10 strikeouts.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE AND PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)

DATE TIME OPPONENT OKC PITCHER OPPONENT PITCHER

Tuesday, April 17 7:05 p.m. at Round Rock LHP Manny Bañuelos (1-0, 1.80) LHP Yohander Mendez (0-2, 8.00)

Wednesday, April 18 11:35 a.m. at Round Rock RHP Brock Stewart (1-0, 2.38) RHP Adrian Sampson (0-2, 13.50)

Thursday, April 19 7:05 p.m. at Round Rock RHP Alec Asher (0-0, 3.00) TBA

Friday, April 20 7:05 p.m. at Round Rock RHP Zach Neal (0-0, 3.72) RHP David Hurlbut (0-1, 9.00)

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