PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - April 9, 2015

Published on April 9, 2015 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (0-0) vs. Round Rock Express (0-0)

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Texas Rangers

Game #1 of 144/Home #1 of 72 (0-0)

Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Scott Baker vs. RR-RHP Anthony Ranaudo

Thursday, April 9, 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 Oklahoma City Dodgers make their debut at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, opening the 2015 season and beginning a new era of professional baseball in OKC at 7:05 p.m. against the Round Rock Express. Tonight's season opener kicks off an eight-game homestand and the franchise's 18th season as a member of the Pacific Coast League. Los Angeles Dodgers Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda will throw out the ceremonial first pitch, and new team mascots Brooklyn and Brix will make their grand debut.

Last Season : As the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, the Oklahoma City RedHawks finished the 2014 season with a 74-70 record and tied for second place in the American Northern Division with the Iowa Cubs, 2.5 games behind the division-champion Omaha Storm Chasers. OKC finished with a winning record for the third consecutive season and for the 12th time in the team's 17 seasons in the PCL. The club finished with a home record of .500 or better for the seventh consecutive season (38-34), and ended the season .500 or better on the road for the first time since 2008 (36-36).

A New Era of Baseball in OKC : In September 2014, Mandalay Baseball Properties, LLC, announced the sale of Oklahoma City's Triple-A team. The franchise's new ownership group - Mandalay Baseball, LLC - is a joint venture between ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers and an investor group led by Mandalay Entertainment Chairman and CEO Peter Guber. As a result of the ownership change, Oklahoma City became the Triple-A affiliate of the Dodgers. The Dodgers became the fifth MLB parent club to call Oklahoma City its Triple-A home, following the Houston Colt .45s (1962-64)/Houston Astros (1965-72; 2011-14), Cleveland Indians (1973-75), Philadelphia Phillies (1976-82) and Texas Rangers (1983-2010).

The franchise officially changed its name to the Oklahoma City Dodgers on Dec. 3, 2014. The Dodgers nickname is the third in franchise history, following the 89ers and RedHawks. The team's new look, developed by the Los Angeles Dodgers' graphic design team, incorporates several elements of the Dodgers' history, as well as the culture of Oklahoma City and Bricktown.

Today's Probable Pitcher : Scott Baker opens his 2015 season against the team he began his 2014 campaign with. Baker went 4-1 with the Express in 2014, posting a 3.32 ERA over six starts before being promoted to the Texas Rangers in May. He spent the majority of the season with the Rangers, going 3-4 with a 5.47 ERA over 25 appearances, including eight starts. He recorded three wins during a strong August, compiling a 2.60 ERA in six appearances (two starts)...Baker has made 191 career Major League appearances, including 170 starts. He owns a 66-52 career record with a 4.25 ERA while pitching for the Twins, Cubs, and Rangers...Baker spent spring training with the New York Yankees, but was released on March 29. He was signed by the Dodgers on April 3...Baker is no stranger to the state of Oklahoma. He had a stellar collegiate career at Oklahoma State from 2001-2003 before beginning his pro career.

Against the Express : 2015: 0-0 2014: 7-9 All-time: 83-76 In OKC: 40-40

Oklahoma City will face Round Rock to open the season for the second straight year. Prior to 2014, they had never faced each other on Opening Night...Oklahoma City won the 2014 season opener in Round Rock, 7-6, in 11 innings at Dell Diamond April 3, 2014. OKC trailed 5-0 after two innings. The teams went on to split the opening series of the season...Round Rock and OKC most recently played July 29-Aug. 1 in Texas. OKC won the first two games of the series, before the Express won the final two games of the series...The Express swept their lone series against Albuquerque last season, June 9-12 at Isotopes Park.

Meet the Manager : Damon Berryhill, 51, is the first manager of the OKC Dodgers and the eighth manager since the franchise joined the PCL in 1998. Berryhill returns as the Dodgers' Triple-A manager after spending 2014 with Albuquerque (62-80). Prior to his time in Triple-A, Berryhill managed the Rookie-advanced Ogden Raptors for five seasons, guiding them to the Pioneer League playoffs four times. He began his managerial career in 2008 with the Texas Rangers' High-A affiliate, the Bakersfield Blaze. Over seven seasons, Berryhill owns a career 331-330 managerial record...The former catcher spent 10 seasons in the Major Leagues from 1987-1997, with the Cubs, Braves, Red Sox, Reds, and Giants, compiling a .240 average with 47 home runs and 257 RBI...He holds the distinction of playing in the first-ever game at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark on April 16, 1998, albeit as a member of the Edmonton Trappers.

Roster Recap : Among the 25 active players on the Opening Day roster, 12 played in the Major Leagues in 2014 and a total of 15 players have Major League experience. Ten players are currently on the Los Angeles Dodgers' 40-man roster. Five players on the roster are ranked among the Dodgers' top 30 prospects, as ranked by Baseball America: Outfielder Scott Schebler (#9), pitcher Zach Lee (#14), catcher Austin Barnes (#16), infielder Darnell Sweeney (#17), and pitcher Carlos Frias (#26)...18 players are in their first year in the organization. Nine were acquire via trade, and nine signed as free agents...Only three players appeared with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque last season (Carlos Frias, Zach Lee, and Josh Ravin).

#1 of 144 : Oklahoma City has an all-time record of 8-9 in season openers, including 3-5 in Bricktown. Their record all-time in home openers is 7-10, and the team has not won a home opener since defeating Albuquerque, 7-4, in 2011. Last season they fell 8-4 against New Orleans in their home debut...OKC is 2-3 in the last five season-opening games, winning their season debuts in 2014 at Round Rock (7-6, 11 inn.) and in 2011 at Memphis (8-7). OKC last opened its season with a home win in 2008, beating Memphis, 4-3, in 10 innings.

Welcome Back : Two current OKC Dodgers played for the RedHawks in 2014: Kiké Hernandez and Jorge De Leon. Hernandez batted .337 with eight home runs and 31 RBI in 67 games in OKC. His 89 hits during that stretch paced the league, and his average ranked second in the PCL when he was called up to Houston July 1. De Leon made 31 appearances out of the bullpen and went 3-3 with a 2.63 ERA, striking out 43 over 48.0 IP and recording three saves.

Yo, Adrian : Last night Adrian Gonzalez belted three home runs to send the Los Angeles Dodgers past the San Diego Padres, 7-4. The last time Gonzalez hit three home runs in one game was April 24, 2005 when he played with the RedHawks during a game in Albuquerque. He went 3-for-4 with 5 RBI, leading the RedHawks to a 12-9 victory. He is one of six OKC players during the PCL era to accomplish the feat.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE AND PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)

DATE TIME OPPONENT OKC PITCHERS OPP. PITCHER

Friday, April 10 7:05 p.m. vs. Round Rock RHP Carlos Frias RHP Luke Jackson

Saturday, April 11 7:05 p.m. vs. Round Rock RHP Zach Lee LHP Wandy Rodriguez

Sunday, April 12 2:05 p.m. vs. Round Rock RHP Mike Bolsinger RHP Alex Gonzalez

Monday, April 13 7:05 p.m. vs. Nashville RHP Joe Wieland LHP Brad Mills

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