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PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - April 8, 2023

April 8, 2023 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers have won six games in a row and have matched the best start for an OKC team through seven games during the Bricktown era (since 1998). The Dodgers also own a 4-0 lead in their current series, which continues at 9:05 p.m. CT against the Las Vegas Aviators at Las Vegas Ballpark. The Dodgers' six-game winning streak is the longest current winning streak in all of Triple-A and they are the only PCL team to go 6-1 through the first seven games this season...The Dodgers seek a seventh straight win tonight, which would be the longest winning streak for an OKC team since a nine-game winning streak April 7-17, 2018 when the Dodgers started the season 10-1 and posted the best start to a season in the team's Bricktown era.

Last Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers trailed by five runs after the first inning but outscored the Las Vegas Aviators, 12-1, for the remainder of the game to capture a 12-6 victory Friday night at Las Vegas Ballpark. Las Vegas plated five runs in the Aviators' first at-bat of the night, including back-to-back home runs by Jordan Díaz and Cody Thomas to race out to a 5-0 lead. OKC answered with back-to-back homers of their own by Steven Duggar and Ryan Ward to start the second inning. The Dodgers claimed their first lead with a four-run fifth inning, thanks to a two-run double by Drew Avans and two-run homer by Luke Williams. However, Las Vegas' Pablo Reyes tied the game with a solo home run in the bottom of the inning. Still tied at 6-6, the Dodgers piled up five runs in the seventh inning. Michael Busch and Williams each notched RBI singles before Duggar smacked a three-run homer. Duggar also drove in the Dodgers' final run with a single in the ninth inning.

Tonight's Probable Pitcher: William Cuevas makes his first appearance since signing with the Dodgers earlier this week as a free agent and makes first appearance at Triple-A since 2018...Cuevas spent parts of the 2022 season playing in Korea and Mexico, appearing in two games with the KT Wiz in the Korea Baseball Organization and making one start for the Diablos Rojos del México in la Liga Mexicana de Béisbol. He missed most of the season due to an elbow injury...Prior to signing with the Dodgers, Cuevas played for Colombia in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and pitched in one game against Great Britain March 13, throwing 3.0 innings...Between 2019-22, Cuevas made a total of 82 starts for KT Wiz, going 33-23 with a 3.89 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. In 2021, he made 23 starts and went 9-5 with a 4.12 ERA and 137 strikeouts, helping KT to its first ever KBO championship...His most recent Major League appearance was Sept. 28, 2018 with the Boston Red Sox and Cuevas' last appearance at the Triple-A level came during the 2018 season with the Pawtucket Red Sox...The native of Caracas, Venezuela has made a combined 13 MLB appearances (one start) with Boston and Detroit and made his MLB debut April 28, 2016 with Boston against the Yankees. He originally signed with Boston as a free agent June 2, 2009.

Against the Aviators: 2023: 4-0 2022: 2-4 All-time: 58-66 At LV: 32-33 (8-5 at current ballpark)

The Dodgers and Aviators meet for their first of two series in 2023 and lone series of the season at Las Vegas Ballpark. This is also OKC's first series in Las Vegas since the 2021 season...The Aviators won the only series of the 2022 season between the teams July 4-9 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 4-2. The Aviators outscored OKC, 43-34, while OKC hit eight home runs in the six-game series compared to Las Vegas' six homers...Michael Busch led the Dodgers with eight hits in the 2022 series, including three doubles, while Ryan Noda finished the set with eight RBI. Noda and Eddy Alvarez both hit two homers during the series...Las Vegas has won three straight season series against OKC and the Dodgers have not won a season series with Las Vegas since 2015 when they went 3-1. The Dodgers have gone 0-4-2 in season series with the Aviators since...Entering tonight, the Dodgers have won seven of their last nine games at Las Vegas Ballpark.

Strong Start: For the fourth time in the team's Bricktown era (since 1998), and for the first time since 2018, OKC has opened a season 6-1. Prior to this season, the team also started 6-1 in 2018, 2004 and 2000. Only the 2018 team went on to also win the eighth game of the season to improve to 7-1, while the 2004 and 2000 squads fell to 6-2...The 2018 Dodgers went 10-1 for the best start in the team's Bricktown era.

Ticket to Seventh Heaven?: The Dodgers last won six games in a row July 18-24, 2019 with one win at Iowa, three wins at home against San Antonio and two wins at Nashville. Prior to last night, the Dodgers had lost in each of their last five attempts at a six-game win streak going back to 2021...The Dodgers last won seven games in a row as part of a nine-game streak April 7-17, 2018 when the Dodgers started the season 10-1 and posted the best start to a season in the team's Bricktown era. After starting the 2018 season 1-1, the Dodgers won a game at Iowa, swept a three-game home series against Round Rock, swept a four-game home series against New Orleans and opened a road series in Round Rock with a victory before suffering their second loss of the season...Since then, the Dodgers have put together three six-game winning streaks prior to this season's strong start, but have lost in each of their last three attempts to reach a seven-game winning streak.

Rally Caps: Last night, OKC overcame a five-run deficit to win a game for the second time in five games as the Dodgers trailed, 5-0, after one inning. On Sunday at home against Tacoma, OKC trailed, 7-2, entering the sixth inning before eventually winning, 10-9...In just one of OKC's first six wins this season have the Dodgers scored first and held the lead for an entire game. In each of their other five victories, the Dodgers trailed and staged a comeback, including three games trailing in the eighth inning or later...Four of the team's first six wins have been by one-run margins and three wins have been last at-bat victories...Down by one run entering the ninth inning Thursday, the Dodgers rallied to score two runs with two outs and take a one-run lead before reliever Bryan Hudson shut down the Aviators in the bottom of the frame...Between Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday, the team won three consecutive games each by one run since April 15-17, 2015...Last season the Dodgers only won one game after facing a five-run deficit. On June 8, 2022 against Sugar Land, the Dodgers were down, 6-1, in the eighth inning before winning, 9-8, in 10 innings.

First Offense: The Dodgers set a season high with 12 runs scored Friday and have scored at least five runs in each of their first seven games for a total of 56 runs. Last night's five-run seventh inning was the team's highest-scoring inning of the young season, and the Dodgers also set season highs with 14 hits, four home runs and seven extra-base hits...The OKC offense has scored at least five runs in each of the team's first seven games, as well as six or more runs six times, seven or more runs five times, eight or more runs four times and 10 or more runs two times. The Dodgers' 56 total runs scored are the most scored by an OKC team through seven games during the Bricktown era (since 1998). The previous high was 54 runs scored through seven games by last year's team...OKC's 56 runs scored to start this season are second-most in all of Triple-A, trailing Tacoma's 64 runs...OKC has racked up at least 10 hits five times already this season and their 71 hits are third-most in Triple-A so far this season....The Dodgers have put together an inning of four-plus runs in four of the last five games and in five of team's first seven games this season.

Dug In: Steven Duggar set a career-high with five RBI Friday night during his second career multi-homer game, going 3-for-5. He became the second OKC player with two homers and five RBI in game, joining Jahmai Jones, who pulled off the feat Tuesday in the current series opener. Duggar's previous two-homer game was April 17, 2016 with High-A San Jose at Inland Empire. Friday marked Duggar's 660th career game between the Minors and Majors...After starting the season 1-for-12, Duggar is 6-for-14 with a walk over the last three games. He's also collected seven RBI over the last two games.

More Than Lukewarm: Luke Williams tallied three hits for a second consecutive game Friday, going 3-for-5 with a homer, double and three RBI. He recorded a game-high three hits Thursday and is 6-for-9 with four extra-base hits over the last two games...Williams has hit safely in all six games he's played in, going 12-for-28 with eight extra-base hits and nine RBI. His 26 total bases lead the PCL, while his 12 hits, eight extra-base hits, two triples and three stolen bases are all tied for league lead in each category...Williams has homered two times in 30 plate appearances this season after going deep just twice in 194 total plate appearances between the Majors and Triple-A last season and only three times in 445 total plate appearances between 2021-22.

Succession: Steven Duggar and Ryan Ward hit the Dodgers' first back-to-back home runs this season to start the second inning. Last year, the Dodgers mashed a total of 10 back-to-back homers...Ward hit the first home run of his Triple-A career, and he now has four extra-base hits over the last three games.

Dry Run: Starting with the final out of the first inning Friday, the OKC pitching staff retired 25 of the final 28 Las Vegas batters. The Aviators were limited to one run and three hits over the final eight innings, and each of the final 12 batters were retired, with nine via strikeout. The pitching staff set a season high with 14 strikeouts and did not allow a walk for a second straight game. It's the first time since Aug. 7 (at Reno) and Aug. 9 (vs. Memphis), 2018 OKC did not issue a walk in consecutive games, and the team has allowed just one walk over the last three game after issuing 33 free passes over the first four games, with at least eight in each contest...The bullpen trio of Mark Washington, Nick Robertson and Justin Bruihl retired 14 of 15 batters faced Friday, including 10 via strikeout. Across the last three games, the bullpen has not allowed a run over 13.0 innings, with three hits, one walk and 20 strikeouts.

Dry Run: The Dodgers have won the first four games of a six-games series for the first time since June 17-20, 2021 at Round Rock and for only the second time since PCL teams started playing primarily six-game series in 2021. The Dodgers have not won the first five games of a six-game series under the new format and have only won five total games in a series four times through 44 total six-game series. They have never won five consecutive games within the same series in the six-game format.

Around the Horn: Drew Avans joined Steven Duggar and Luke Williams with a three-hit game, going 3-for-5 with two doubles. He set season highs with three hits and three runs scored. Avans collected hits in each of his final three at-bats, and up to that point, he was 4-for-25 to begin the season.....Michael Busch has reached base safely in each of the team's first seven games and is 9-for-31 with six RBI, three walks and five runs scored...The OKC offense went 7-for-14 with runners in scoring position Friday after going 5-for-28 over the first three games of the current series...The Dodgers have committed a league-leading 10 errors through seven games, with at least two errors in four of the last six games.

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