OKC Dodgers Game Notes - August 11, 2022
August 11, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Baseball Club News Release
Round Rock Express (57-50) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (62-45)
Game #108 of 150/Home #57 of 75
Pitching Probables: RR-LHP Kolby Allard (1-1, 4.25) vs. OKC-RHP Michael Grove (0-2, 4.71)
Thursday, August 11, 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 will try to end a four-game losing skid tonight when they continue their series against the Round Rock Express at 7:05 p.m. at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The Dodgers have an 0-2 start to a series for the first time since July 4-5 and look to avoid just their second 0-3 start to a series this season.
Last Game: The OKC Dodgers and Round Rock Express entered the ninth inning in a 3-3 tie before the Express scored two runs and then escaped a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the inning to hang on for a 5-3 win. The Express loaded the bases before an out was made in the top of the ninth inning and J.P. Martinez delivered a two-run single. In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Dodgers loaded the bases with one out on two walks and a single, but Round Rock pitcher Demarcus Evans then struck out Miguel Vargas and got Michael Busch to ground out to end the game. The Express took the first lead of the night on a two-run home run by Sam Huff in the first inning and Busch hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning. In the sixth inning, OKC scored a run on a double play before Ryan Noda belted a solo homer into the right field upper deck to put the Dodgers in front, 3-2. The Express quickly tied the game three batters into the seventh inning following a double, sacrifice bunt and RBI single by Nick Solak.
Today's Probable Pitcher: Michael Grove (0-2) is scheduled to make his ninth start of the season and second against the Express...Grove most recently pitched Aug. 6 in Salt Lake, tying his season high with 5.0 innings in a no decision. Grove retired 15 of the 17 batters he faced, but the two batters he did not retire hit home runs. Grove did not allow a walk and set a season high with seven strikeouts...Tonight will be Grove's fifth appearance after spending about two weeks on the Injured List in July. Since his return, he's allowed five runs and nine hits over 15.0 innings, with 18 strikeouts against two walks. And over his last three outings, he's allowed three runs and six hits over 12.2 innings, with all three runs scoring on solo homers...Grove began the season with five starts with Double-A Tulsa and made the jump for a spot start with Los Angeles May 15 against Philadelphia to become the first Los Angeles Dodger to make his Major League debut straight from Double-A since relief pitcher Danny Coulombe in September 2014...He's been recalled three times by Los Angeles and has made two appearances. He was most recently optioned to OKC June 14...He was selected by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft from West Virginia University...Grove started against Round Rock June 22 in OKC, pitching 5.0 scoreless innings and holding the Express to two hits with two walks and five strikeouts in a no decision.
Against the Express: 2022: 12-8 2021: 16-13 All-time: 158-129 At OKC: 73-65 The Dodgers and Express meet for their fourth of five series this season and first since late June...The Dodgers took each of the first three series by 4-2 margins, and the teams most recently played a six-game series at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark June 21-26...Through the first 20 games of the season between the teams, Miguel Vargas has a team-best 29 hits and 19 RBI, and Ryan Noda has hit five home runs...The teams had a wild first series in Round Rock May 10-15, which OKC won, 4-2, winning four straight games in the middle of the series. OKC recorded its largest shutout win in the team's Bricktown era (since 1998) with a 19-0 victory May 12 and Yefry Ramírez became the first OKC Dodger and first pitcher throughout the entire PCL to throw a nine-inning shutout since 2018. Six different players homered in that same game for the first time in the team's Bricktown era. In series finale May 15, OKC lost a game when scoring at least 13 runs for just the fifth time during the team's Bricktown era and for the first time since 2007, as Round Rock won, 14-13...The Dodgers have won five of the last six season series between the teams...With wins Tuesday and Wednesday, the Express have consecutive wins against the Dodgers for the first time this season and have now won three of the last four meetings.
Small Slide: Despite losing four consecutive games, the Dodgers continue to lead the PCL with a 62-45 record and have a 2.5-game lead ahead of second-place El Paso, which has lost back-to-back games. The Dodgers' four straight losses are their most since losing a season-high five games to open July...The Dodgers are 1-5 in the last six games following a stretch of nine wins in 11 games immediately following the All-Star Break...The Dodgers have the most home wins in the PCL with 34 and their 34-22 home record is second best in the league behind El Paso's 32-20 mark...This is only the fourth time this season the Dodgers have lost the first two games of a series. OKC's only series this season they lost the first three games was April 12-14 in El Paso, and they have avoided an 0-3 start during each of the last two times they started 0-2...The only time the team has lost three straight home games at any point this season was May 26-27 against Reno (doubleheader on May 26).
Drew Dat: Drew Avans extended his on-base streak to 46 games Wednesday, going 1-for-4 with a single, walk, run scored and stolen base. Avans owns the longest active on-base streak in the Minors and the longest on-base streak by an OKC player during the MLBAM era (since 2005). He has reached base in 60 of his last 61 games and his 46-game on-base streak is the longest in the PCL since 2018. He owns one of four on-base streaks of at least 46 games recorded this season in the Minors. The last PCL player with an on-base streak longer than 39 games was Nashville's Nick Martini, who reached base in 66 straight games during the 2018 season...From the start of the season through May 31 (31 games), Avans batted .235 (20x85) with seven extra-base hits, eight RBI and 15 runs scored. Since June 1 (55 games), Avans is batting .307 (66x215) with 13 doubles, five triples, three homers, 21 RBI, 28 walks and 46 runs scored. During that span he ranks tied for second in the PCL with five triples, third with 66 hits and 19 stolen bases, as well as fourth with 46 runs...His eight triples are tied for first in the PCL overall this season, while his 26 stolen bases - a career high - are tied for fifth. It's the most stolen bases by an OKC player since Micah Johnson also had 26 in 2016.
On the Mend: Edwin Ríos extended his hitting streak to eight games Wednesday, going 1-for-4 with a walk, as he continued his Major League Rehab Assignment. During the eight-game streak, Ríos is 11-for-33 with four doubles and owns the longest active hitting streak by an OKC player. He was initially placed on the Los Angeles Dodgers Injured List June 3 with a right hamstring injury and was transferred to the 60-day IL June 22.
Beast Node: Ryan Noda went 2-for-4 with a home run Wednesday as he hit his 19th homer of the season - second-most among OKC players this season. Over his last six games, Noda is 11-for-22 with two doubles, three homers, nine RBI, four walks and five runs scored...He has hit seven homers in his last 17 games, batting .306 (19x62) during the stretch with 19 RBI and 13 runs scored. Since the All-Star Break, his seven homers are tied for most in the PCL, while his 11 extra-base hits are second, his 44 total bases are third and his 19 RBI are tied for third...Noda has at least one RBI in six of his last seven games, racking up 10 RBI total...Overall this season, Noda's 58 walks are second-most in the league, while his 19 homers are tied for seventh, his 65 RBI and 172 total bases are ninth and his .381 OBP is 10th.
The Rundown: Dodgers opponents have scored 25 runs over the last three games combined for the most runs allowed by the team in three consecutive games since July 4-6 against Las Vegas in OKC when the Dodgers allowed a combined 27 runs...Over the last 27.0 inning pitched, opponents are 13-for-39 (.333) six homers and 17 runs with two outs. Three of the six homers - including Jake Gatewood's walk-off homer in ninth inning Saturday and Josh Jung's go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh inning Tuesday - have been with two outs and two strikes...The Dodgers are 10-7 since the All-Star Break. In the 10 wins, they've allowed a total of 26 runs, with no more than four runs in any game. In the seven losses, they've allowed 55 runs, with at least six runs in five of the seven games and at least eight runs four times.
Buschwacked: Michael Busch went 1-for-4 with a RBI last night and has now hit safely in 11 of his last 13 games and in 14 of his last 17 games, batting .338 (23x68) with five doubles, three homers, 12 RBI and 13 runs scored...Since joining OKC May 17 from Double-A Tulsa, Busch leads the Dodgers with 75 hits, including a team-best 33 extra-base hits and 20 doubles, while his 13 homers and 134 total bases are second-most and his and 49 runs scored tied for second during the span.
Fourlorn: During the team's current four-game losing streak, two trends have emerged. The team has lost a lead in the sixth inning or later three times, with losses each of the last two nights when leading after six innings. Prior to Tuesday, the Dodgers had been 52-3 when leading after six innings this season. Over the four-game stretch, the bullpen has allowed 17 runs, 22 hits and 12 walks over 15.1 innings. The rough patch includes two runs allowed by Daniel Zamora over 0.1 innings Tuesday after he had not allowed an earned run in 13 straight appearances spanning 19.0 innings. Last night, Carson Fulmer allowed two runs in the ninth inning after allowing two runs over his previous 16.2 innings and one earned run over his previous 21.1 innings...At the plate, the Dodgers have scored 12 runs over the four games with six extra-base hits and only two home runs - both solo homers by Ryan Noda. The team is just 4-for-38 with runners in scoring position and has left 36 runners on base.
Walking Papers: The Dodgers issued seven walks last night and have walked at least seven batters in three of the last five games, including both games to start the current series. OKC's 521 walks allowed this season leads all 30 Triple-A teams...On the other hand, OKC tallied four more walks Wednesday and lead all Triple-A teams with 518 walks this season. The team has drawn 94 walks across the 17 games following the All-Star Break for an average of 5.53 per game...The Dodgers are on pace for 726 walks drawn and 730 walks allowed this season, which will shatter the current team single-season records for walks drawn (573) and walks allowed (591).
Around the Horn: Dodgers pitchers recorded 12 strikeouts last night for their seventh double-digit strikeout outing in the last eight games. The team's 92 K's so far in August lead the PCL. However OKC's offense also has 87 strikeouts so far in August, tied for most in the PCL...Miguel Vargas has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games with OKC, collecting 12 hits, four doubles, two homers, eight RBI and 10 runs scored during the span...During the ninth inning last night, the Dodgers issued their first intentional walk of the entire season...Ten of the last 12 homers allowed by the Dodgers have either tied the game of given the opposition the lead.
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