PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - April 25, 2015

Published on April 25, 2015 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (12-4) vs. Omaha Storm Chasers (9-6)

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Kansas City Royals

Game #17 of 144/Home #9 of 72 (6-2)

Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Joe Wieland (2-0, 1.80) vs. OMA-LHP Buddy Baumann (0-0, 3.60)

Saturday, April 25, 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 OKC Dodgers return home from a 6-2 road trip for a four-game series starting at 7:05 p.m. against the Omaha Storm Chasers. At 12-4, the Dodgers have matched the 2012 and 2008 teams for the best start since joining the PCL in 1998 and currently own the league's best record.

Yesterday's Game: The Nashville Sounds scored six times in the first three innings and cruised to an 8-1 win over Oklahoma City Friday night at First Tennessee Park. After scoring two runs in each of the first three games of the series, the Sounds scored three runs in the first inning alone. Max Muncy connected on a two-run homer, and the Sounds added a run later in the inning on a RBI double by Kent Matthes. Alden Carrithers led off the bottom of the second inning with a home run that just stayed fair down the right field line to make it 4-0. Two more scored in the third inning, courtesy of a two-run double by Luke Carlin. The Dodgers got on the board in the fifth. Kiké Hernandez led off the inning with a double and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Matt Carson. The Sounds tacked on runs in the seventh and eighth, scoring each time with two outs. Nashville starting pitcher Zach Neal picked up the win in his first game with the Sounds this season. Neal (1-0) completed five innings and surrendered just one run and four hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Making a spot start, Jorge De Leon (0-1) took the loss after allowing four runs and five hits - including a pair of homers - over two innings.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Joe Wieland makes his third start of the season for OKC...He last pitched April 19 at Iowa in a rain-shortened game, shutting out the I-Cubs over 5.0 innings and allowing just two hits in the Dodgers' 4-0 win in six innings. He did not issue a walk and had five strikeouts before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the sixth. It was the fourth shutout of his career and first since throwing a no-hitter for Double-A Frisco on July 29, 2011...Wieland returned to the mound last season with the Padres after missing the second half of the 2012 season and all of the 2013 season following Tommy John surgery. After rehabbing in the Arizona League and with Double-A San Antonio, he made four starts with El Paso, going 2-1 with a 3.42 ERA. Wieland returned to Major League action on Sept. 6 at Colorado...He's been traded twice in his career, and was acquired by the Dodgers along with Yasmani Grandal and Zach Eflin in exchange for Matt Kemp and Tim Federowicz on Dec. 18, 2014...Tonight will be Wieland's first career meeting with Omaha.

Against the Storm Chasers: 2015: 0-0 2014: 7-9 All-time: 125-115 In OKC: 63-57

Tonight marks the start of the Dodgers' first series of the season against the back-to-back PCL and Triple-A National Champion Storm Chasers...In 2014, Oklahoma City finished 7-9 against Omaha overall, including 3-5 in Bricktown. Two of OKC's three home wins were walk-off victories...Kiké Hernandez paced Oklahoma City with 19 hits, including four doubles and a home run, and also scored 10 runs against Omaha in 2014...While playing for New Orleans, Kyle Jensen batted .323 with 16 RBI over 16 games against Storm Chasers pitching...Oklahoma City has not won a season series against Omaha since going 9-7 against the Storm Chasers in 2010 (0-3-1 since).

Winning Ways: With a 12-4 record, the Dodgers have matched the 2012 and 2008 squads for the team's best start through 16 games since joining the PCL in 1998. They are one of four teams in the Minors to record at least 12 victories so far, along with High-A Visalia (13), Low-A Quad Cities (12), and Low-A Hickory (12)...OKC has already clinched a winning record in April for the fourth consecutive season.

Road Warriors: For the second straight season, OKC won six games during the team's first road trip, taking three at Iowa and three at Nashville. Last year they split a series in Round Rock and then swept a four-game set in New Orleans to open up the road slate...During the trip they posted a 2.37 team ERA and held their opponents to a .204 average. However, they only batted .213 as a team.

Whiff City: The OKC Dodgers pitching staff ranks fourth in the Minors with 160 strikeouts, although it is the highest total among all Double-A and Triple-A teams. The team's 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings are tied for third overall in the Minors with Low-A Peoria (Low-A Cedar Rapids--10.9; Double-A Frisco--10.7)....Through 16 games, the pitching staff has struck out at least 10 batters 10 times. Two of the games in which they failed to record 10 strikeouts were shorter than nine innings.

Start Me Up: Excluding a handful of spot starts, regular members of the starting rotation are 10-1 with a 1.31 ERA (10 ER/68.2 IP) over 12 outings. They've held opponents to a .185 average (45x243) and struck out 77 batters with only nine walks (8.6 K/BB). In seven of the 12 games, the starting pitcher has allowed three or fewer hits...Non-regular members of the rotation have combined to go 1-1 with a 7.98 ERA (13 ER/14.2 IP) over four outings.

RISPy Business: During Oklahoma City's eight-game road trip, the Dodgers pitching staff held opponents just 6-for-54 with runners in scoring position. Last night was the only game during the trip they allowed more than one hit with a runner in scoring position (2x8). Overall this season, opponents are batting just .165 with runners in scoring position, best in the PCL.

Barnes Burner: Austin Barnes has recorded three straight multi-hit games, going 6-for-11 during that span. He leads the team with five multi-hit games this season.

Starting Line: The Dodgers are 3-1 in the first game of a series so far this season and have won three straight series openers since falling to Round Rock on Opening Night.

Revolving Roster: The OKC Dodgers made a total of six roster moves today. Catcher Ralph Henriquez was placed on the DL and relievers Jorge De Leon and Steve Smith were transferred to Tulsa and Ogden, respectively. Chris Heisey rejoins the team after his brief recall with the L.A. Dodgers, and pitchers Matt Shelton and Ramon Troncoso have both been added from Tulsa.

Odds & Ends: The Dodgers pitching staff set season highs last night by allowing eight runs, two homers, and seven walks...After the team's first three losses came by a combined four runs, the Dodgers suffered a seven-run margin of defeat last night...Tonight the Dodgers will look to avoid losing consecutive games for the first time this season.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE AND PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)

DATE TIME OPPONENT OKC PITCHERS OPP. PITCHER

Sunday, April 26 2:05 p.m. Omaha RHP Carlos Frias (2-0, 2.84) RHP Joe Blanton (2-1, 3.24)

Monday, April 27 7:05 p.m. Omaha RHP Zach Lee (3-0, 0.95) RHP Christian Binford (0-2, 4.70)

Tuesday, April 28 11:05 a.m. Omaha TBA LHP John Lamb (0-0, 3.86)

Wednesday, April 29 OFF

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 25, 2015


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