OKC Dodgers Game Notes - April 26, 2022
April 26, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release
Sugar Land Space Cowboys (8-10) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (11-7)
Game #19 of 150/Home #7 of 75
Pitching Probables: SUG-LHP Jonathan Bermudez (1-0, 3.14) vs. OKC-RHP Sam Gaviglio (2-1, 6.75)
Tuesday, April 26, 2022 | Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark | Oklahoma City, Okla. | 7:05 p.m. CT
Radio: KGHM-AM 1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, iHeartRadio; Video: MiLB.tv
Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers return home from a 12-game road trip to open a 12-game homestand at 7:05 p.m. against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark...OKC went 6-6 on the road trip, losing the first three games, winning the next five, then dropping three of the last four.
Last Game: The Sacramento River Cats scored runs in each of the first two innings then held the Oklahoma City Dodgers to one run, sending the Dodgers to a 2-1 loss in the series finale between the teams Sunday afternoon at Sutter Health Park. RBI singles by the River Cats in both the first and second innings gave Sacramento a 2-0 advantage. The Dodgers got on the scoreboard in the sixth inning. Drew Avans led off with a single and later scored with two outs when Jake Lamb hit a RBI ground-rule double down the right field line to cut Sacramento's lead to 2-1. The Dodgers were held to one run for a third straight game and finished with a split in the six-game series.
Today's Probable Pitcher: Sam Gaviglio (2-1) returns to the mound for OKC for his first start and fourth appearance of the season...Gaviglio picked up his second win of the season in his last outing April 20 in Sacramento. He followed starter Beau Burrows and allowed three runs and four hits over 3.0 innings with three strikeouts in OKC's eventual 9-8 win...Gaviglio has been piggybacking Burrows throughout the early season, throwing at least 3.0 innings in each of his outings. Through 9.1 innings, he's notched nine strikeouts against only one walk...Gaviglio signed with LAD as a free agent Jan. 31, 2022...He began the 2021 season with Round Rock, posting a 2-1 record with a 5.13 ERA over five starts. He recorded 24 strikeouts against only four walks...In June he went overseas to Korea to join the SSG Landers of the KBO. He made 15 starts and finished the season with a 6-4 record, 5.86 ERA and 70 K's...He spent the entire 2019 season as a member of Toronto's bullpen, making a career-high 52 appearances...He made his ML debut May 11, 2017 with the Seattle Mariners at Toronto, striking out the first batter he faced...He was selected by St. Louis in the fifth round of the 2011 MLB Draft out of Oregon State University...Gaviglio last pitched against Sugar Land May 15, 2021 while with Round Rock, allowing five runs and nine hits over 5.1 innings with one walk and six strikeouts in a no decision.
Against the Space Cowboys: 2022: 0-0 2021: 12-12 All-time: 12-12 At OKC: 6-6 The Dodgers meet Sugar Land for the first time this season and for the first time since Sugar Land became rebranded as the Space Cowboys following their 2021 Triple-A debut season as the Skeeters...The teams split their 2021 season series, 12-12, and both teams went 6-6 on their home fields. The Dodgers won nine of the first 12 games before Sugar Land took nine of the final 12 games. The Skeeters also won six of the last seven games between the teams...The teams last met Aug. 19-24 at Sugar Land, with the Skeeters winning the series, 5-1, including three one-run victories...The Dodgers outscored Sugar Land, 141-128, while the Skeeters outhit the Dodgers, 221-199...Keibert Ruiz led OKC with 23 hits, including a team-best five homers, tying Zach Reks for a team-best 16 RBI in the series...Dodgers pitchers Aaron Wilkerson and Darien Núñez each went 3-0 against Sugar Land last season with Wilkerson racking up 24 K's in 21.1 innings and Núñez notching 19 K's in 14.2 innings...Last season, the average time of a nine-inning game between the Dodgers and Sugar Land was 3 hours, 34 minutes, including three games that surpassed the four-hour mark.
One By One: For the third straight game, the Dodgers offense was held to one run Sunday afternoon. Prior to Friday, the Dodgers had scored at least three runs in each game this season and prior to Thursday, had scored at least eight runs in four straight games as the Dodgers entered the weekend leading all of Triple-A in batting average, runs scored and hits. Then over Friday, Saturday and Sunday combined, the Dodgers were held to three total runs and 14 hits and posted a .156 batting average in the three games (14x90)...It's the first time the team has been held to one run or less in three straight games since Aug. 24-27, 2016 against Colorado Springs at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark when the Dodgers scored two total runs over a three-game span (1, 0, 1)...Going back to Wednesday's game when they finished 1-for-11, the Dodgers are 20-for-the-last-133 (.150) overall with 46 strikeouts, including 5-for-49 (.102) with runners on base and 1-for-25 with runners in scoring position. Jake Lamb's RBI double in the sixth inning Sunday broke a team-wide drought of 0-for-23 with RISP...Despite the recent slump, the Dodgers still lead the PCL in runs scored (110), while their 166 hits are second in the league and their .269 average is third.
No Diggity, Noda: Ryan Noda singled and drew the Dodgers' lone walk Sunday as he extended his on-base streak to 17 games. The streak is tied with Reno's Stone Garrett for longest in Triple-A, as Noda has reached base in each of his first 17 games this season. His .480 on-base percentage leads the PCL, as do his 14 walks. He ranks among the PCL's top five players in OPS (1.097 - 5th), total bases (37 - 5th), hits (21 - T-5th) and homers (4 - T-5th)...His 21 hits are tied with Zach McKinstry for the overall OKC team lead.
Big Flies: The Dodgers have been held without a home run in a season-high three straight games. It is the team's longest stretch without a homer since May 22-24, 2019 on the road in New Orleans...OKC has homered in 12 of its first 18 games this season and has 22 total homers...On the other hand, OKC did not allow a home run Sunday and has not allowed a home run in three of the last four games.
Zach Attack: Zach McKinstry returns to the OKC roster today after being optioned by the Los Angeles Dodgers Monday when they recalled pitcher Andre Jackson from OKC. McKinstry made his first ML appearance of the season Sunday in San Diego, going 0-for-1...McKinstry's .404 batting average and four triples lead the PCL while his .448 OBP is third, his .673 SLG and 1.121 OPS are fourth, his 13 runs scored are tied for fourth, his 21 hits are tied for fifth, 35 total bases are tied for seventh in the league...Over his last three games with OKC, he is 7-for-15 with six runs scored, a triple and a walk.
Greetings and Salutations: Two other players have been added to OKC's roster today: Outfielder Stefen Romero and relief pitcher Justin Hagenman. Romero was on the Injured List since the beginning of the season. He signed with the Dodgers as a minor league free agent in February after spending the past five seasons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, where he slashed .264/.331/.497 with 96 home runs, mostly as a designated hitter. Four of his five seasons overseas, including last year, were with the Orix Buffaloes. Romero had spent his entire domestic career in the Seattle Mariners organization between 2010-16, including 94 games in the Majors...Hagenman comes to OKC from Double-A Tulsa, where he made five appearances with the Drillers this season. He allowed three runs and seven hits over 9.2 innings with 10 strikeouts against one walk while posting a 2.79 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and .189 BAA. He spent the entire 2021 season with Tulsa, posting a 7-4 record with a 3.45 ERA and six saves in 38 appearances (two starts). He tied for the team lead in wins and ranked second in saves, while his 77 strikeouts were good for third-best on the team and most among relievers. The Dodgers selected Hagenman in the 23rd round of the 2018 MLB Draft from Penn State University.
No Doubting Tomás: Tomás Telis had Sunday off, but on Saturday reached base three times with a single and two walks and scored the team's lone run. The catcher is on a five-game hitting streak, going 9-for-20 with three multi-hit games. He also has three RBI and four runs scored during the stretch...He has hit safely in six of his first seven games overall to start 2022, batting .357 (10x28).
Pillar of Strength: Kevin Pillar singled Sunday and has now reached base in 14 of his first 15 games of the season. He leads the PCL with 16 runs scored while his .420 on-base percentage is seventh in the league. His 11 walks are tied for fifth in the PCL...He has struck out just once in his last 61 plate appearances.
Dup There It Is: Reliever Jon Duplantier pitched 2.0 scoreless and hitless innings Sunday, with one walk and one strikeout. Over his first six appearances this season, Duplantier has allowed only one run and two hits over 8.2 innings, with four walks and nine strikeouts. He's held opponents 2-for-26.
Around the Horn: OKC is 2-1 in series openers so far this season...The Dodgers were held to a season-low one walk Sunday, and it didn't occur until there were two outs in the ninth inning. Their 89 walks this season pace the PCL...Jake Lamb went 2-for-4 with a RBI double Sunday after going 0-for-12 in his previous three games combined. It was his fifth multi-hit game of the season...Andy Burns' six-game hitting streak came to a close Sunday as he went 0-for-4. During the streak, he went 9-for-23 (.391) with five extra-base hits and six RBI. He also had four walks and four runs scored...Rehabbing Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Tommy Kahnle made his third appearance with OKC Sunday. He pitched the fifth inning and allowed one infield single with a groundout, flyout and strikeout, throwing 14 pitches, including 10 strikes...After committing 10 errors within the first seven games of the season, the Dodgers have only committed five errors over last 11 games and just one error over the last four games combined...Sunday marked OKC's first loss when allowing three or fewer runs. They were 36-4 in such games last season.
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