PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - April 21, 2018

Published on April 21, 2018 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (12-2) vs. New Orleans Baby Cakes (5-11)

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Miami Marlins

Game #15 of 140/Road #8 of 70 (5-2)

Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Guillermo Moscoso (0-0, 6.00) vs. NO-RHP Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.18)

Saturday, April 21, 2018 | Shrine on Airline | Metairie, La. | 6 p.m. CT

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

Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers continue their road trip trying for a third straight win as they open a three-game series against the New Orleans Baby Cakes at 6 p.m. at the Shrine on Airline. The Dodgers have won 11 of their last 12 games and 12 of their first 14 games of the 2018 season.

Last Game: The Dodgers closed out their road series against Round Rock with a 6-3 win Friday night at Dell Diamond. Oklahoma City took the lead in the first inning. Tim Locastro and Donovan Solano led off the game with back-to-back singles and Locastro later crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Rob Segedin for a 1-0 lead. In the third inning, Locastro drew a one-out walk and Solano followed with a double. After an Express pitching change, both players came around to score on a single by Alex Verdugo that deflected off Round Rock first baseman Tommy Joseph's glove and into shallow right field for a 3-0 lead. Round Rock tied the game in the sixth inning on a three-run home run by Destin Hood. Jake Peter led off the seventh inning for OKC and was hit by a pitch. Breyvic Valera followed with a single. Later with one out, Peter scored when Rocky Gale hit a sacrifice fly. Then with Locastro batting, Round Rock pitcher Connor Sadzeck threw a wild pitch that allowed Valera to score for a 5-3 Dodgers advantage. Valera's RBI single in the eighth inning extended the Dodgers' lead to 6-3. Pitcher Tyler Pill started for the Dodgers in his team and organizational debut, throwing 3.0 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks with two strikeouts. After the Express tied the game, the Dodgers bullpen retired 10 of the final 12 Express batters, with no hits allowed. C.C. Lee (2-0) was credited with the win for Oklahoma City. Round Rock pitcher David Hurlbut (0-2) was charged with the loss.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Guillermo Moscoso (0-0) makes his fourth appearance and first start of the season for OKC...Moscoso last pitched Tuesday in Round Rock, allowing three unearned runs and five hits over 1.0 inning with two K's...He pitched four innings of long relief April 14 against New Orleans in OKC, holding the Baby Cakes to two hits with seven strikeouts and two walks...He signed with the Dodgers as a minor league free agent Jan. 28 after spending the entire 2017 season with Bravos de Leon of the Mexican League...Moscoso made his MLB debut May 30, 2009 with Texas against Oakland, pitching one scoreless inning of relief...Over five MLB seasons with Texas (2009-10), Oakland (2011), Colorado (2012) and San Francisco (2013), he has compiled a 4.28 ERA over 222.2 innings and 70 games (26 starts) with 166 strikeouts and 86 walks...The 2018 season marks his first playing in the U.S. since 2013 following a three-year run in Japan and last year in Mexico...This is Moscoso's second career stint with OKC after having appeared in 35 games (33 starts) for the RedHawks between 2009-10...He originally signed with Detroit as an amateur free agent Jan. 16, 2003...Tonight is Moscoso's eighth career appearance and seventh start against New Orleans. In his last start of 2013 while with Iowa, Moscoso pitched 5.0 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and three walks while recording a career-high nine strikeouts in a no decision.

Against the Baby Cakes: 2018: 4-0 2017: 6-9 All-time: 173-147 At NO: 80-77

In the first series between the two teams this season, the Dodgers swept the four-game set April 13-16 in OKC, outscoring the Baby Cakes, 29-18, and outhitting New Orleans, 56-32, while closing the series with three straight walk-off wins...Henry Ramos went an incredible 12-for-19 in the series with 13 RBI and two grand slams...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...The Dodgers posted a 3-4 record in New Orleans last season, marking the first time since 2011 OKC posted a losing record at the Shrine on Airline.

Winning Ways: The Dodgers have won 11 of their last 12 games and with an 12-2 record have the team's best start through 14 games since Oklahoma City rejoined the PCL in 1998...OKC won nine straight games April 7-17, marking the team's fifth winning streak of at least nine games since rejoining the PCL in 1998...Both of their losses this season have come on the road in extra innings.

Teach Me How to Dougie: Alex Verdugo drove in two more runs Friday, marking his career-best seventh straight game with at least one RBI. During the last seven games, Verdugo is 10-for-25 (.400) with three homers, two doubles and 12 RBI...Verdugo has hit safely in 12 of his first 14 games of 2018, picking up 18 hits and 14 RBI. His 18 hits are tied for the team lead...Ten of his 14 RBI have either tied the game or given the Dodgers the lead, with seven of those RBI coming in the eighth inning or later.

Timmay!!: Tim Locastro scored two more runs Friday night, giving him six straight games with at least one run scored. He's crossed the plate in nine of his last 11 games, and his 18 runs total lead all of the Minors...Locastro is batting .391 (18x46), leads the team with seven multi-hit games, tied for the team lead in hits and tied for the team lead with three stolen bases. Locastro is also riding a six-game hitting streak during which he has gone 11-for-24 (.458) with 11 runs scored...In 44 career games with OKC, Locastro has slashed .389/.456/.564 with 18 multi-hit games and 15 stolen bases. He's notched two or more hits in 16 of his last 30 games with OKC going back to last season.

Offensive Line: Last night, the Dodgers' offense scored six runs for the fifth time in the last six games and in nine of the last 11 games...Oklahoma City outhit the Express, 10-3, Friday marking the eighth time this season the Dodgers have tallied at least 10 hits in a game...OKC's .308 batting average leads all of Triple-A...The team is also batting .349 with runners in scoring position -- second-best in the PCL.

It IS How You Start: Through 14 games, OKC starting pitchers have combined to go 5-0 with a 2.27 ERA (17 ER/67.1 IP), while holding opponents to a .207 batting average (50x242). The rotation has also totaled 57 strikeouts against 16 walks, resulting in a 3.56/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Only once all season has a starting pitcher allowed more than two runs in a game, and the lone exception was when Brock Stewart surrendered three runs over 5.2 innings against New Orleans April 13.

Around the Horn: Oklahoma City held Round Rock to just three hits Friday night - a season low for a Dodgers opponent...Rob Segedin singled last night and is now on a seven-game hitting streak, going 9-for-28 with two home runs and six RBI...Donovan Solano picked up two more hits Friday night and is in a three-way tie with Tim Locastro and Alex Verdugo for the team lead with 18 hits. He's hit safely in seven of his last eight games, going 16-for-35 (.457) with four RBI and six runs scored...Today begins a stretch of 24 consecutive games against fellow National League opponents. The next time a designated hitter will be used is May 17 vs. Nashville.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 21, 2018


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