PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - April 26, 2018

Published on April 26, 2018 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Iowa Cubs (4-13) vs. Oklahoma City Dodgers (13-4)

Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Game #18 of 140/Home #9 of 70 (8-0)

Pitching Probables: IOW-RHP Duane Underwood Jr. (0-1, 3.60) vs. OKC-RHP Justin DeFratus (1-0, 1.59)

Thursday, April 26, 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 look to continue their best home start ever at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark when they meet the Iowa Cubs for the second time in their five-game series at 7:05 p.m. The Dodgers are 8-0 in OKC, marking the club's best home start since the ballpark opened in 1998. A win tonight would mark just the fourth time in the stadium's history OKC had a home win streak of nine-plus games.

Last Game: The Dodgers overcame an early 2-0 deficit Wednesday night, scoring all six of their runs between the third and fifth innings in a 6-3 win against the Iowa Cubs at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Iowa took the game's first lead in the third inning on a RBI double by Bijan Rademacher and RBI single by Taylor Davis. Breyvic Valera led off the bottom of the inning with a single. Later with two outs, Tim Locastro's RBI single scored Valera to cut Iowa's lead to 2-1. The Dodgers rallied with two outs in the fourth. Jake Peter walked and Valera followed with a single before Rocky Gale's double to the wall in center field brought home both runners for a 3-2 Dodgers lead. OKC tacked on three more runs in the fifth inning, including a two-run single up the middle by Travis Taijeron for a 5-2 advantage. Valera's RBI single with the bases loaded later in the inning put the Dodgers in front, 6-2. After being held off the scoreboard for five innings, Iowa added a run in the top of the ninth on a RBI groundout by Wynton Bernard. Reliever Daniel Corcino (1-0) picked up the win for Oklahoma City, allowing two runs and three hits over 3.1 innings with five strikeouts. Iowa starting pitcher Adbert Alzolay (1-1) was charged with the loss.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Justin DeFratus (1-0) makes his second start of the season for the Dodgers tonight...In his team debut April 19 in Round Rock, DeFratus held the Express to one run and six hits over 5.2 innings, with one strikeout and no walks, and earned the win in the team's 2-1 victory...DeFratus started the season with Double-A Tulsa where he made two starts and went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA over 11.1 innings. He allowed two unearned runs, seven hits, three walks and had nine strikeouts while holding opponents to a .171 batting average. As a result, he was named the first Texas League Pitcher of the Week of the season...He signed with the Dodgers as a free agent Feb. 17, 2018...DeFratus started the 2017 season in the independent Atlantic League before signing with Seattle May 11 and spending the rest of the season with Double-A Arkansas...With Arkansas, he made 17 appearances (16 starts), going 5-7 with a 4.85 ERA over 98.1 innings with 53 strikeouts against 14 walks...DeFratus made his MLB debut Sept. 18, 2011 with Philadelphia and has appeared in 191 MLB games, all with the Phillies...He was originally drafted by the Phillies in the 11th round of the 2007 MLB Draft from Ventura (Calif.) College...Tonight he makes his first career start and fifth career appearance against Iowa. In 2016, DeFratus made four relief appearances against the I-Cubs -- two with Tacoma and two with Round Rock. He pitched 4.0 scoreless innings total, allowing three hits, three walks and struck out five batters combined.

Against the I-Cubs: 2018: 3-1 2017: 9-7 All-time: 143-146 At OKC: 75-68

The Dodgers and I-Cubs are meeting for the second time this season...The Dodgers won a weather-shortened series in Des Moines to start the season, 2-1, as two of the three games extended into extra innings...Alex Verdugo led OKC with four hits and Breyvic Valera had a team-leading three RBI in the first series...The frigid temps in Des Moines cooled each team's bats, as they combined for just seven runs in non-extra innings. OKC batted .250 while the I-Cubs hit .217...The Dodgers won the 2017 series between the teams, 9-7, and went 4-4 against Iowa at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark...The first three meetings between the teams this season were each decided by one run, while seven of last year's 16 meetings were decided by one or two runs.

Head Start: The Dodgers have won 13 of their first 17 games of the season and their 13-4 record is tied for the team's best-ever start through 17 games since rejoining the PCL in 1998. Both the 2015 and 2008 squads started 13-4, and both were victorious in Game 18 as well...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...The Dodgers are 8-0 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark for the best start in OKC since the ballpark opened in 1998. The team's previous best start was a 5-0 beginning in Bricktown in 2006. The Dodgers have trailed at some point in six of eight home contests, including the last five straight...The only other team in the Minors currently undefeated at home is the Low-A Beloit Snappers, but they have only played four games.

Home is Where the Hits Are: After being held to just two total runs over their previous two games in New Orleans, the Dodgers offense returned Wednesday night, tallying at least six runs for the sixth time in the last nine games and 10th time in the last 15 games...Over their first eight home games, the Dodgers have slashed .355/.428/.522 while amassing 65 runs and 104 hits. They have eight-plus runs in five of eight games and totaled four games with 14 or more hits.

It IS How You Start: OKC starting pitchers have combined to go 5-0 with a 1.99 ERA (17 ER/77.0 IP), while holding opponents to a .204 batting average (56x275) over the first 17 games. The rotation has also totaled 74 strikeouts against 22 walks, resulting in a 3.36/1 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...However, there have only been two starts of 6.0 innings and entering tonight, the starting rotation has barely thrown more innings (77.0) than the bullpen (74.1).

Fueled By Valera: Breyvic Valera went a season-best 4-for-4 with a double, RBI and two runs scored Wednesday night. His four-hit night marked the fifth by a Dodger this season and Valera's first since Aug. 6, 2014 while with the Double-A Springfield Cardinals...He has hit safely in 11 of his 13 games this season with OKC and is 7-for-12 over his last four games...After notching a RBI single last night, Valera is now 8-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

Mound Men: The Dodgers have allowed just 12 runs total over their last five games after allowing 26 runs over their four games prior. During that time opponents have batted .182 (27x148), including 3-for-24 with runners in scoring position. Wednesday also marked the 11th time this season OKC held an opponent to three runs or less...The Dodgers pitching staff racked up 10 more strikeouts Wednesday, marking the team's seventh game of the season with double-digit strikeouts.

Around the Horn: Donovan Solano went 0-for-3 last night, but walked twice and scored once. He still paces the team with 21 hits and has hit safely in nine of his last 11 games, going 19-for-45 (.422) with four RBI and seven runs scored, along with seven multi-hit games...Rocky Gale cut down two attempted base stealers last night and leads the PCL by nabbing seven of 12 runners this season...Since April 10, the Dodgers and Oklahoma City Thunder have combined to go 11-1 in home games.

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