PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - April 19, 2022

Published on April 19, 2022 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (8-4) at Sacramento River Cats (7-5)

Game #13 of 150/Road #7 of 75

Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Andre Jackson (0-0, 1.35) vs. SAC-RHP Sean Hjelle (1-0, 1.34)

Tuesday, April 19, 2022 | Sutter Health Park | West Sacramento, Calif. | 8:35 p.m. CT

Radio: KGHM-AM 1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, iHeartRadio; Video: MiLB.tv

Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers have won three straight games and continue their road trip by opening a six-game road series against the Sacramento River Cats at 8:35 p.m. CT at Sutter Health Park. The Dodgers are in the midst of a 12-game road trip and split their first road series of the season, 3-3, in El Paso.

Last Game: The OKC Dodgers led Sunday's game start to finish and capped the afternoon by scoring seven runs in the ninth inning of a 10-1 win against the El Paso Chihuahuas at Southwest University Park. Leading, 3-1, with the bases loaded in the ninth inning, Omar Estévez hit a bases-clearing double before Kevin Pillar followed with a two-run home run. Later in the inning, Ryan Noda connected on a two-run double for a nine-run Dodgers advantage. The Dodgers took the game's first lead in their first at-bat on a RBI single by Andy Burns. OKC added a run in the fourth inning when Eddy Alvarez tripled and scored on a RBI single by Noda on the 12th pitch of his at-bat. Pillar tripled in the fifth inning and scored on a sacrifice fly by Miguel Vargas for a 3-0 OKC advantage. The lone run of the afternoon for El Paso came in the sixth inning to trim OKC's lead to 3-1. Dodgers starting pitcher Robbie Erlin (1-0) held the Chihuahuas to one run and three hits through 5.2 strong innings to earn the win.

Today's Probable Pitchers: Andre Jackson (0-0) makes his third start of the 2022 season and first-ever appearance against Sacramento...Jackson last pitched Wednesday in El Paso, allowing a solo home run and two total hits over 3.2 innings with two walks and three strikeouts. He did not factor into the decision of OKC's 4-3 defeat...He made his season debut April 7 against Albuquerque at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, pitching 3.0 scoreless and hitless innings. He allowed four walks and recorded one strikeout. The four walks matched his season-high mark from 2021 (Aug. 16 with LAD vs. PIT; Sept. 26 with OKC @ LV)...Jackson entered the season ranked as the Dodgers' No. 9 prospect by Baseball America...Last season, Jackson spent time at three levels of the organization and made his Major League debut Aug. 16 at Dodger Stadium against Pittsburgh with 4.0 scoreless innings...He started the season with Double-A Tulsa and made 15 appearances (13 starts), compiling a 3-2 record with a 3.27 ERA and 75 strikeouts. At the time of his promotion to Triple-A, Jackson led Double-A Central in WHIP (1.04) and BAA (.201)...He earned a win in his Triple-A debut Aug. 3 at Round Rock and went 2-3 with OKC, posting a 5.13 ERA and 23 K's in six games (five starts)...Jackson appeared in a total of three games for LAD, going 0-1 and allowing three runs and 10 hits over 11.2 IP...He was named to the NL roster of the 2021 Futures Game, throwing 1.0 scoreless inning and retiring three of four batters faced...Jackson was selected by the Dodgers in the 12th round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of the University of Utah, where he primarily played as an outfielder.

Against the River Cats: 2022: 0-0 2021: 2-4 All-time: 42-49 At SAC: 21-22 The Dodgers and River Cats are meeting for their first of two series this season...The teams are playing in Sacramento for the first time since the 2018 season. The teams also played series against one another in 2019 and 2021, but both series took place at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in OKC...Last season, the River Cats won the May 13-18 series, 4-2. They outscored the Dodgers, 40-20, and outhit OKC, 55-38...Zach Reks led OKC with eight hits, including a double and two homers, and recorded four RBI, four walks and scored six runs...In two appearances, reliever Darien Núñez held the River Cats to one hit and tallied 11 strikeouts over 6.0 IP...In the teams' last series in Sacramento, OKC won the set, 2-1...Since OKC became affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the River Cats with the San Francisco Giants in 2015, Sacramento has a 13-10 edge in the Triple-A version of the Dodgers-Giants rivalry.

Seven Wonders: The Dodgers scored seven runs on seven hits in the ninth inning Sunday, including four extra-base hits. It was the Dodgers' highest-scoring inning since Sept. 23, 2021 in Las Vegas when they also scored seven runs in the third inning of a 12-5 win. OKC scored seven or more runs in a single inning five times last season with all instances coming July 1 or later. Prior to Sunday, the Dodgers had scored six runs in an inning twice previously already this season...OKC last scored seven or more runs in its final at-bat July 18, 2019 when the team scored nine runs in the ninth inning of an 18-5 win at Iowa...OKC's seven hits in the ninth inning Sunday also marked the team's highest single-inning total this season and highest since Aug. 8, 2021 in Albuquerque when the team had seven hits in the second inning of a 15-10 win.

First Offense: OKC scored 10 or more runs in a game for the fourth time this season Sunday and five or more runs in a fourth straight game. Their 15 hits marked the team's second-highest total this season, trailing their season-high 16 hits April 10 against Albuquerque in OKC...The Dodgers' 85 runs this season lead the Pacific Coast League and rank second among Triple-A's 30 teams, trailing only Worcester's 88 runs scored. OKC's 122 hits are most in Triple-A to start the season as is the team's .290 batting average...Seven Dodgers have at least 11 hits apiece so far this season, including five with 13 or more hits...OKC notched six extra-base hits Sunday and now has 11 XBH in the last two games after being held to three extra-base hits total over the previous three games.

Triplets: The Dodgers tallied two more triples Sunday afternoon thanks to Eddy Alvarez in the fourth inning and Kevin Pillar in the fifth inning. OKC's 11 triples so far this season pace all of Triple-A and all 11 of the Dodgers' triples have come in the team's last nine games. Five different players have hit a triple already this season for the Dodgers, led by Zach McKinstry's four triples...Last season the Dodgers finished with a league-low 23 triples in 129 total games. Drew Avans led the team with four triples over 90 games...No other team in Triple-A has more than eight triples (Rochester), and across the Majors and Minors, only the Single-A Charleston River Dogs have more triples than OKC (12)...Last season the Dodgers didn't even record their first triple until the 14th game of the season and did not reach 11 total triples until the 84th game.

No Diggity, Noda: Outfielder Ryan Noda went 3-for-5 with a double and game-high/season-high three RBI. He extended his hitting streak to nine games - second-longest in the PCL this season, trailing only Las Vegas' Nick Allen, who hit safely in a 10 consecutive games April 5-15. During his hitting streak, Noda is 15-for-33 (.455) with two doubles and four homers, along with 12 RBI, 10 runs scored and six walks...His 12 RBI and four homers pace the Dodgers, while his .510 on-base percentage leads the PCL. He ranks among the PCL's top four players in AVG (.400 - 2nd), SLG (.750 - 2nd), OPS (1.260 - 2nd), RBI (12 - T-2nd), walks (8 - T-2nd), runs (11 - T-2nd), total bases (30 - 3rd), homers (4 - T-3rd) and hits (16 - T-4th).

Pillar of Strength: Kevin Pillar went 2-for-4 Sunday with a triple, homer and a walk, scored three runs and collected two RBI...He has hit safely in eight of his last nine games, going 13-for-32 (.406) with three homers, two triples, a double, nine RBI and a PCL-best 13 runs scored...Pillar has reached base in all 10 of his games this season and is slashing .361/.478/.750. His .478 OBP is second in the league, while his .750 SLG is tied for second and his 1.228 OPS is third in the PCL...During the previous series in El Paso, Pillar went 8-for-16 with four extra-base hits, nine runs scored and five RBI. He reached base safely in 14 of 23 plate appearances, recording five walks and one HBP while not striking out once.

One and Done: The Dodgers held the Chihuahuas to one run for the second time in the last three games Sunday and to six total runs and 17 total hits (1 HR) over the final three games of the series. El Paso had scored a combined 24 runs on 38 hits (7 HR) over the first three meetings of the series...Sunday also was the fourth time this season the Dodgers allowed two runs or less in a game this season and their 54 total runs allowed so far this season and third-fewest in the PCL...OKC is now 5-0 when allowing three runs or fewer in a game this season.

Zach Attack: Zach McKinstry tallied his sixth multi-hit game of the season Sunday, going 2-for-5 with a run scored. He has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, going 18-for-44 (.409) with eight extra-base hits...His 18 total hits this season are tied for second-most in the PCL, while his four triples pace the league. He also ranks among the league's top three players in total bases (32 - 2nd), extra-base hits (8 - T-2nd) and AVG (.391 - 3rd).

RISPy Business: After getting off to a 6-for-30 start through the first three games of the season, the Dodgers have batted .364 (36x99) with runners in scoring position over the last nine games, including going 5-for-11 with RISP Sunday. Their .326 clip with RISP overall this season ranks second in the PCL and third in Triple-A.

Big Flies: The Dodgers have homered in three straight games and in eight of their last 10 games. OKC's 17 homers this season are second-most in the league, trailing Reno's 22 homers. Seven Dodgers have homered this season, including five who have hit two or more homers...On the other hand, the Dodgers held El Paso without a homer in a second straight game Sunday after allowing at least one homer in seven consecutive games.

Around the Horn: Today, the Oklahoma City Dodgers honor those who were killed and those who survived the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995. We will never forget the 168 killed and how our community was changed forever...The Dodgers outscored El Paso by a combined tally of 23-6 over the final three games of the previous series...Tomás Telis went 2-for-5 at the plate Sunday for his third straight multi-hit game. Over his last three games, Telis is 7-for-14 with three RBI and two runs scored...Andy Burns went 3-for-4 with a RBI, walk and run scored Sunday. Over his last two games, Burns is 4-for-6 with four walks and has reached base in eight of 10 plate appearances...The Dodgers lead the PCL with 62 walks through 12 games this season and their .384 OBP is best among all Triple-A teams.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 19, 2022


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