OKC Dodgers Game Notes - August 13, 2018
August 13, 2018 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release
Oklahoma City Dodgers (62-54) vs. Omaha Storm Chasers (55-63)
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Kansas City Royals
Game #117 of 140/Road #57 of 70 (27-29)
Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Zach Neal (3-2, 4.54) vs. OMA-RHP Zach Lovvorn (1-6, 7.43)
Monday, August 13, 2018 | Werner Park | Papillion, Neb. | 7:05 p.m. CT
Radio: KGHM AM-1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, iHeartRadio - Alex Freedman
Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers open a four-game road series against the Omaha Storm Chasers at 7:05 p.m. at Werner Park. Tonight starts a stretch of six straight series against American Northern Division opponents to close out the regular season...The Dodgers snapped a five-game losing skid last night, but have dropped back-to-back road games, as well as four of their last five games away from OKC.
Last Game: A five-run first inning kick-started the Dodgers offense and the pitching staff held Memphis to two hits in a 9-0 shutout win Sunday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Dodgers starting pitcher Brock Stewart (3-2) tied his career high, pitching 7.1 innings in the win. He allowed two hits and three walks with five strikeouts. Relievers Stetson Allie and Michael Johnson combined for the final five outs, as the Dodgers allowed a season-low two hits. After a delay of two hours due to rain, the Dodgers took a 5-0 lead in the first inning. Tim Locastro led off with a walk and scored when Alex Verdugo followed with a RBI double. Donovan Solano reached on an error before Andrew Toles lined a single into right field to score Verdugo. Memphis right fielder Justin Williams' throw to third base went out of play, allowing Solano to score and Toles to advance to third base. Edwin RÃ-os followed with a sacrifice fly, and later with two outs, Jake Peter connected on a RBI single for a five-run lead. Locastro doubled to lead off the second inning for OKC, advanced to third base on a groundout by Verdugo and scored on a passed ball for a 6-0 advantage. RBI singles by Solano and RÃ-os extended OKC's lead to 8-0 in the fourth inning. Verdugo belted a solo homer down the right-field line to push OKC's lead to 9-0 in the eighth as the Dodgers tallied 14 hits on the night. Memphis starting pitcher Jake Woodford (3-3) was charged with the loss, allowing eight runs (four earned) and 11 hits over 4.0 innings with one walk and four strikeouts.
Today's Probable Pitcher: Zach Neal (3-2) makes his seventh start and 10th appearance of the season for OKC tonight...Neal most recently pitched out of the bullpen Aug. 7 in Reno, following Hyun-Jin Ryu's rehab start. He struggled and only lasted one-plus innings, retiring just three of the nine batters he faced, allowing a season-high five runs and five hits...Neal picked up the win in his last start Aug. 2 in Tacoma, allowing three runs (two earned) and eight hits over 6.0 IP. He did not issue a walk and recorded one strikeout in OKC's 6-3 win...Neal returned to OKC following a four-player trade with Cincinnati July 4. Since rejoining the team, Neal has made seven appearances (four starts) and has posted a 4.82 ERA with opponents batting .275...He also made two starts with OKC in April before an April 17 trade sent him to Cincinnati. Neal then made 18 appearances (three starts) with Triple-A Louisville...In games with OKC, Neal has held his opponents 5-for-30 with runners in scoring position...In 2017, Neal made six relief appearances during two stints with Oakland, and spent the majority of the season with Triple-A Nashville...Tonight is Neal's first appearance of the season against the Storm Chasers, sixth career appearance and fifth career start. Between 2015 and 2017 with Nashville, he went 0-3 with a 6.16 ERA against the Storm Chasers. He is most recent start was Aug. 30, 2017 in Nashville, when he allowed three runs and eight hits over 7.0 innings, but did not factor into the decision of Omaha's 4-3 win.
Against the Storm Chasers: 2018: 5-4 2017: 7-10 All-time: 154-142 At OMA: 75-73 The Dodgers and Omaha are meeting for their third series of the season and for the first time since late June at Werner Park...The division foes split their last series June 21-24 at Omaha. The Dodgers won two of the first three games before the Storm Chasers closed out the set with an 8-0 shutout against the Dodgers...The Dodgers won their first series of the season against Omaha, 3-2, at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, with the Dodgers winning the middle three meetings of the series...Omaha has outscored OKC, 51-48, through the first nine meetings of the season, while both teams have tallied 95 hits...Edwin RÃ-os leads the Dodgers with 15 hits through nine games, including four doubles, a home run, six RBI and five runs scored...The Storm Chasers won the 2017 season series, 10-7, marking the fifth time in seven years they won the season series, as well as the seventh time in 10 years...Entering today, the Dodgers have lost eight of their last 11 games at Werner Park...OKC is 1-5-1 in the season series since 2011.
Sunday Funday: Last night's 9-0 shutout win marked the Dodgers' eighth shutout victory of the season and most lopsided shutout victory since a 9-0 win Aug. 11, 2015 in New Orleans. Last night was also OKC's most lopsided home shutout win since an 11-0 victory April 15, 2013 against Memphis at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark...Pitchers Brock Stewart, Stetson Allie and Michael Johnson combined to hold the Redbirds to two hits last night, marking a season-low for a Dodgers opponent. OKC last held an opponent to two hits June 3, 2017 against Colorado Springs in a game that was called due to rain in the bottom of the sixth inning in OKC. The Dodgers last held an opponent to two hits in a nine-inning game April 24, 2017 in a 3-0 win against the Redbirds at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
Reversing Course: After being shut out Saturday night and held to seven total runs over their previous four games combined, the Dodgers offense racked up nine runs on 14 hits Sunday night. Prior to last night, OKC had been held to two runs or less in nine of their last 14 games, and the team's five-run first inning was the highest-scoring first inning of the season. They batted 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position Sunday after batting just .180 (9x50) with RISP over the previous five games combined...On the other hand, OKC pitchers had allowed at least five runs in seven of their last eight games and opponents scored 65 runs in 68.0 innings while batting .332 (99x298) before the Dodgers held the Redbirds scoreless and 2-for-27 at the plate Sunday. The Dodgers did not allow an extra-base hit last night after opponents racked up 33 extra-base knocks over the previous eight games.
Teach Me How to Dugie: Alex Verdugo collected three extra-base hits, including a solo homer, scored three runs and finished with two RBI last night to lead Oklahoma City's offense...Sunday marked his team-leading 29th multi-hit game of the season, as well as his team-best 11th with three or more hits. It's the fifth time this season a Dodger tallied three extra-base hits in one game, and the second time Verdugo did it (June 18 vs. Las Vegas)...His solo blast snapped the Dodgers' season-high stretch of five straight games without a homer...Verdugo has hit safely in 21 of his last 24 games with the OKC Dodgers, batting .380 (35x92) with 10 multi-hit games and 12 RBI. He paces the PCL with a .346 season batting average and leads OKC with 103 hits in 76 games.
Timmy Lo-Down: Tim Locastro doubled, walked and scored two runs last night. He's now hit safely in four straight games and in seven of his last eight games, batting .387 (12-for-31) with four multi-hit efforts...He leads OKC with 13 hits, six doubles and eight runs scored in August.
Around the Horn: Edwin RÃ-os notched a hit and two RBI last night. He's hit safely in six of his last seven games, including four multi-hit outings, batting .417 (10-for-24)...Jake Peter went 3-for-4 last night, marking his first three-plus hit game since May 14 at Colorado Springs. He has hit safely in his last four starts, going 8-for-16 with three multi-hit efforts. His .247 season average is the highest it's been since June 21.
Pacific Coast League Stories from August 13, 2018
- Schwindel's Hit Streak Reaches 20, Chasers Fall 10-5 - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Dodgers Pull Away For 10-5 Win - Oklahoma City Comets
- Salt Lake Slips past Chihuahuas 4-3 - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Sounds Extend Winning Streak to 14 Games with Walk-Off at First Tennessee Park - Nashville Sounds
- Round Rock Suffers 6-5 Walkoff Loss in Nashville - Round Rock Express
- Memphis Loses Series Opener to New Orleans, 4-2 - Memphis Redbirds
- 'Cakes Keep Winning - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Reno Aces Game Notes vs. Sacramento - Reno Aces
- Nashville Sounds Game Information: Round Rock Express (53-66) at Nashville Sounds (64-55) - Nashville Sounds
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - August 13, 2018 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Werner Park to Host Gold Medalists on Curling Night on August 15 - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (74-45) vs New Orleans Baby Cakes (57-61) - Memphis Redbirds
- Baby Cakes' Dean Named PCL Player of the Week - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Dean, Gagnon Receive Weekly Awards - PCL1
- Salt Lake Bees, Los Angeles Angels Extend Affiliation Through 2022 - Salt Lake Bees
- Homestand Highlights: August 13-16 - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Ildemaro Vargas' Hit Streak Ends at 35 in Aces Loss - Reno Aces
- Walsh Has Four Hits, Save in Bees Win - Salt Lake Bees
- Dodgers Close Out Series with 9-0 Win - Oklahoma City Comets
- Redbirds Blanked in Series Finale, 9-0 - Memphis Redbirds
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