PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - April 21, 2023

Published on April 21, 2023 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (13-5) at Albuquerque Isotopes (10-8)

Game #19 of 150/First Half #19 of 75/Road #10 of 75

Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Dylan Covey (0-0, 6.23) vs. ABQ-RHP Phillips Valdez (0-1, 15.63)

Friday, April 21, 2023 | Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park | Albuquerque, N.M. | 7:35 p.m. CT

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

Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers try for a third straight win when they continue their road series against the Albuquerque Isotopes at 7:35 p.m. CT at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park...The Dodgers own the best record in the Pacific Coast League and are tied for the best record in all of Triple-A.

Last Game: In a script similar to the night before, the OKC Dodgers built a sizable lead through the first half of the game before having to fend off the Albuquerque Isotopes in a tight win, 8-6, Thursday afternoon at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park. The Dodgers scored three runs in first inning, with each of the game's first four batters reaching base, capped with a bases-clearing double by Hunter Feduccia. OKC led, 3-2, in the fifth inning before adding a run on a sacrifice fly to deep right-center field, as Drew Avans scored all the way from second base on the play. In the sixth inning, Michael Reed and Jahmai Jones hit back-to-back homers to give the Dodgers their biggest lead yet at 7-2. The Dodgers were in front, 8-5, entering the bottom of the ninth inning, and Albuquerque proceeded to load the bases with none out. Following a strikeout, a RBI single trimmed the Dodgers' lead to two runs. Dodgers reliever Adam Kolarek then induced a ground ball double play to end the game.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Dylan Covey (0-0) makes his fourth start of the season and third on the road...He most recently started April 15 in OKC against Sugar Land, allowing one run and three hits over 4.2 innings - tying his longest outing of the season. He recorded a season-high six strikeouts against three walks and did not factor into the decision of OKC's 5-2 win. The run and hit totals were also season lows...Covey signed with the Dodgers as a free agent Jan. 30 and made three Cactus League appearances, including one start, with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Over 6.0 innings, he allowed two runs and nine hits, totaled eight strikeouts and did not issue a walk...Covey spent the 2022 season with the Rakuten Monkeys of Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball, posting a 13-6 record with a 3.47 ERA and 100 K's in 23 starts. He led the team in wins and ranked second in innings (140.0 IP), starts and strikeouts...Covey originally signed with Oakland after being selected in the fourth round of the 2013 MLB Draft out of the University of San Diego...He made his MLB debut with the Chicago White Sox in 2017 and most recently appeared in a MLB game during the 2020 season with the Boston Red Sox...Covey last pitched in Triple-A during the 2019 season with Charlotte and this is his first career appearance against Albuquerque.

Against the Isotopes: 2023: 2-1 2022: 12-6 All-time: 130-106 At ABQ: 56-64

The Dodgers and Isotopes are meeting for their first of four series during the 2023 season, but this is the only series between the teams during the first half. The teams will then play 18 games throughout the second half of the season...The Dodgers won the 2022 series between the teams, 12-6, and went, 4-2, in Albuquerque, including winning the final four meetings of the season against the Isotopes Sept. 15-18, 2022 at Rio Grande Credit Union Field...Last season, the Dodgers outscored the Isotopes, 128-87, and hit 28 homers compared to Albuquerque's 19...Pitcher Ryan Pepiot posted a 1.04 ERA in four starts and racked up 22 strikeouts, allowing two runs and nine hits over 17.1 innings...Zach McKinstry led OKC with 19 hits, while Ryan Noda and Andy Burns had 13 RBI each and Noda hit six homers...Six of the 18 games played between the teams in 2022 were decided by one run...The Dodgers have not lost a season series to Albuquerque since 2017, going a combined 6-0 against the Isotopes in 2018 and 2019, 9-9 in 2021 and 12-6 last season...OKC enters today having scored at least eight runs in their last six games at hitter-friendly Isotopes Park and at least 10 runs five times during that span (68 runs total). The Dodgers have won six of the last seven games played at the venue.

Strong Start: The 13-5 Dodgers have won back-to-back games and own the second-best start for an OKC team during the Bricktown era (since 1998). Only the 2018, 2015 and 2008 OKC teams had a better record through 18 games at 14-4...The Dodgers own the best record in the Pacific Coast League and their 13 wins are tied with Memphis of the International League for the most wins in all of Triple-A, as the Redbirds are currently riding a 10-game win streak...OKC's current hot start included a six-game winning streak April 1-7, which was the first six-game winning streak for OKC at any point of a season since a six-game streak July 18-24, 2019...The Dodgers won their first road series of the season in Las Vegas, 5-1. It marked the fifth time out of 45 six-games series since the start of the 2021 season that the Dodgers have won five of six games during the same set...Only three OKC teams through the last 24 seasons have had five or fewer losses through 19 games as the 2018 and 2008 teams started 15-4 and the 2015 team started 14-5. Last year's Dodgers team, which went on to win 84 games, started 11-7 through 18 games.

In the Hunt: Hunter Feduccia's offensive tear continued Thursday afternoon as he recorded a third straight game with at least four RBI, going 2-for-5 with two doubles. On Wednesday, he finished with three hits and homered in a second straight game as he tallied four RBI. He went 5-for-5 Tuesday with a double and a home run for his first career five-hit game and the first five-hit effort by an OKC player this season. He also matched his career high with five RBI...Through the first three games of the current series in Albuquerque, Feduccia is 10-for-15 with two home runs, three doubles and 13 RBI. He has reached base in 11 of 16 plate appearances, including in each of his first eight...His 13 RBI are a career-high during a three-game stretch and his six multi-RBI games so far this season pace the Dodgers. Prior to Tuesday, he had recorded a total of three games with four-plus RBI in his career (284 games)...Feduccia leads the Dodgers with 21 RBI and four home runs. He has reached base safely in 11 straight games and has reached base in 30 of his 52 plate appearances (.577 OBP) this season. With the recent surge, Feduccia leads the PCL in OBP, AVG (.432), OPS (1.415) and SLG (.838) and ranks third in RBI.

Steadfast: Michael Busch went 1-for-4 with a double and a walk Thursday. He's reached base in each of OKC's first 18 games of the season and has the longest on-base streak in the PCL, as well as all of Triple-A, to start 2023. Busch has hit safely in 16 of his first 18 games, as well as in five straight games (6x18), and has at least one hit in 13 of his last 14 games, batting .358 (19x53) with eight extra-base hits and nine RBI...Busch is just the sixth OKC player in the last three seasons to have an on-base streak of at least 18 games joining Drew Avans (50 games, 2023), Jason Martin (21 games, 2022), Sheldon Neuse (20 games, 2021), Miguel Vargas (19 games, 2022) and Jake Lamb (18 games, 2022). Busch had a 14-game on-base streak with OKC in 2022 from June 7-23. Going back to the end of last season, he is now on a 24-game on-base streak...His 24 hits are tied for second-most in the PCL, while his 16 walks are tied for fourth and he leads OKC in both categories.

Getting Offensive: After scoring a total of 31 runs in their six-game series against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys in OKC April 11-16, the Dodgers have already scored a total of 33 runs through the first three games of their current series in hitter-friendly Albuquerque. OKC has scored at least eight runs in each of the first three games at Isotopes Park and the Dodgers have piled up 41 hits, including 18 for extra bases. The totals are in stark contrast to their previous series during which they collected 39 hits over the entire six-game set, with 19 extra-base hits. Yesterday OKC set a season high with five doubles and tied its season high with seven extra-base hits...The Dodgers are 13-for-38 (.342) with runners in scoring position through the first three games of the series after going 9-for-55 (.164) with RISP against Sugar Land...On the other hand, although the Dodgers limited the Isotopes to six runs on seven hits yesterday, OKC has allowed 32 runs on 37 hits through the first three games of the current road series after allowing 25 runs and 41 hits in six games to Sugar Land in OKC last week. The 13 runs allowed by OKC in Wednesday's victory were the second-most during a win in the team's Bricktown era (since 1998) and just the seventh all-time game both OKC and its opponent scored at least 13 runs. The only time OKC won when allowing more runs was in a 17-14 victory over Memphis Aug. 26, 2004. The 28 total runs scored by the two teams were the most in a game since May 30, 2021 when the Dodgers won, 20-9, in El Paso.

Yardwork: Michael Reed and Jahmai Jones hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning Thursday, marking the second time this season OKC has hit consecutive homers after Steven Duggar and Ryan Ward went back-to-back in the second inning April 7 in Las Vegas...The Dodgers now have hit 25 homers through 18 games, as well as three straight multi-homer games and five multi-homer outings in the last seven games (12 HR)...On the other hand, the Dodgers allowed three homers Thursday, marking the sixth time this season they have allowed three or more home runs in a game. OKC has given up at least one homer in 12 of the last 13 games (26 HR) and at least two home runs in eight of the last 12 games (25 HR). Over the last 13 games, 43 of the 77 total runs allowed (55.8 percent) have scored via home runs...OKC's 34 home runs allowed so far this season are the most in all of the Minors and enters today tied with the Oakland A's (19 games) for the most home runs allowed in pro baseball. By comparison, the Dodgers didn't allow their 34th home run of the season in 2022 until May 13 (Game 34).

Down to the Wire: The Dodgers have escaped Isotopes Park with a two-run win in each of the last two games, with the game ending during a plate appearance with the bases loaded each time. Thursday was ninth OKC victory of the season by one or two runs and only four of the Dodgers' first 13 wins have been by margins of three of more runs. Six of the Dodgers' first eight victories of 2023 came via one-run margins and five of those wins were secured during OKC's last at-bat.

What a Mighty Good Mann: After starting the season with five hits through his first 11 games and after being held 0-for-10 in his previous three games, Devin Mann has now hit safely in five straight games, going 7-for-19 with five doubles. He singled and scored a run Thursday, while on Wednesday, he doubled twice and scored a season-high three runs...Mann is now tied for the OKC lead with eight doubles, which is also tied for second-most in the PCL this season.

Around the Horn: Yesterday, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin made his first start on a Major League Rehab Assignment as he recovers from a left ankle injury. Gonsolin pitched three-plus innings and allowed two runs and one hit - a home run - with two walks and seven strikeouts. He threw 57 pitches, with 35 strikes...Drew Avans has scored six runs in the last two games and his 20 runs scored this season pace the Dodgers and are tied for most in the PCL to start the season...The OKC pitching staff set a season high Thursday with 16 strikeouts and recorded 15 of their first 19 outs via strikeout...Shortstop Bryson Brigman made his team debut and went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk yesterday. Between OKC and Double-A Tulsa, Brigman is off to a 9-for-15 start this season...The Dodgers have scored nine runs in the first inning over the last three games after scoring a total of four runs in the first inning through their first 15 games this season.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 21, 2023


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