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PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - August, 23, 2022

August 23, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


El Paso Chihuahuas (64-52) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (67-50)

Game #118 of 150/Home #61 of 75

Pitching Probables: ELP-LHP Ryan Weathers (6-7, 6.73) vs. OKC-RHP Michael Grove (0-3, 4.00)

Tuesday, August 23, 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 open a pivotal home series against the El Paso Chihuahuas at 7:05 p.m. at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark as the top two teams in the PCL East Division go head-to-head for six games. The first-place Dodgers own a 2.5-game lead ahead of second-place El Paso...Tonight is a $2 Tuesday and also "FOX Monarch Night," featuring custom player jerseys, giveaways and more to celebrate the upcoming premiere of the FOX series Monarch.

Last Game: After the Oklahoma City Dodgers scored two runs in the top of the 10th inning, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning to send the Dodgers to a 5-4 loss Sunday night at Constellation Field. The teams played to a 2-2 tie through nine innings of the series finale. Devin Mann lined a RBI double to left field to lead off the 10th inning for OKC and score automatic runner Jake Amaya for the lead. The Dodgers added another run on a RBI groundout by Edwin Ríos. In the bottom of the 10th inning, the Space Cowboys knotted the score, 4-4, with a RBI groundout by Corey Julks and RBI double by Marty Costes. Later with Costes at third base, Alex De Goti executed a squeeze bunt to score the game-winning run. The Dodgers had scored the game's lone run through six innings when Amaya hit a RBI single in the second inning for a 1-0 lead. Sugar Land went in front in the seventh inning when Yainer Diaz hit a two-run double with two outs. OKC's Miguel Vargas connected on a game-tying RBI double in the eighth inning.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Michael Grove (0-3) is scheduled to start tonight's series opener...Grove served as OKC's primary pitcher Aug. 17 in Sugar Land, entering the game with two runners on base and none out in the second inning. He proceeded to throw 5.0 scoreless innings, matching his longest scoreless outing of the season and his career. Grove notched a career-high 10 strikeouts, eclipsing his previous high of seven, and all 10 strikeouts were on swinging third strikes. He became the fourth Dodgers pitcher with a double-digit strikeout game this season, but the third this month. Grove scattered four singles, did not allow a walk and did not receive a decision in the team's 2-1 win...Since the Al-Star Break, Grove has a 1.69 ERA with 28 strikeouts against three walks over 21.1 IP (5 R/4 ER). During that span he has posted a 0.75 WHIP and opponents have batted .173...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...Tonight is Grove's second appearance of the season against the Chihuahuas. He started OKC's June 29 game in El Paso, allowing six runs (four earned) and nine hits over 4.0 innings with two walks and five strikeouts in a 14-3 loss. The run and hit totals are season highs.

Against the Chihuahuas: 2022: 7-8 2021: 14-9 All-time: 35-27 At OKC: 15-11 The top two teams in the PCL East Division meet for the fourth of five series this season and the final time of 2022 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark...The teams last played a six-game set in El Paso June 28-July 3 with El Paso winning the series, 4-2. The Dodgers won two of the first three games before the Chihuahuas won the final three of the set, while scoring an incredible 41 runs. In each of El Paso's four wins during the series, the Chihuahuas scored at least 11 runs (55 runs total)...The teams last met in OKC for a three-game series May 17-19 with OKC winning, 2-1, after the teams split a six-game series in El Paso April 12-17 with OKC winning the final three games of the series...Miguel Vargas leads OKC with 18 hits and 15 RBI in the season series, while Jason Martin has eight homers...The Dodgers won the 2021 series between the teams, 14-9, including 8-4 in El Paso...Outside of 2018, OKC has won or split each season series against the Chihuahuas since Tucson's franchise relocated to El Paso for the 2014 season...Following the current series, the teams play six more games head-to-head Sept. 20-25 in El Paso in the second-to-last series of the regular season.

Hanging On: The Dodgers have lost two of their last three games and are 5-9 in the last 14 games, but are tied with Reno for the best record in the PCL at 67-50. The Dodgers lead the East Division and have a 2.5-game lead ahead of second-place El Paso...The Dodgers are in the midst of a key stretch of 24 straight games against East Division foes and are 5-7 so far. Starting today, their next 12 games are against second-place El Paso and third-place Round Rock (5.0 GB)...The Dodgers went 9-2 immediately following the All-Star Break, but are 6-10 since...The Dodgers are 36-24 at home this season and own the most home wins in the league while their home winning percentage is second overall.

Gettin' Miggy With It: Miguel Vargas finished Sunday's game in Sugar Land with OKC's lone multi-hit game as he went 2-for-4 with a double, walk and RBI and extended his current hitting streak to eight games, which is his sixth different hitting streak of the season of at least eight games. He is 12-for-30 (.400) with five doubles during the current streak and in his last four games, Vargas is 8-for-15 with four doubles and four walks...Vargas leads the PCL with 92 runs scored and is tied for first with 125 hits along with El Paso's Eguy Rosario. He also ranks among league leaders in doubles (T-2nd, 30), walks (3rd, 64), RBI (4th, 77), total bases (4th, 208), extra-base hits (T-5th, 49), OBP (6th, .390) and AVG (8th, .296)...Vargas' 92 runs scored this season are tied for seventh on OKC's all-time list for most runs scored in a single season during the Bricktown era (since 1998) and most scored by an OKC player in 10 years. The team record is 103 runs scored by Esteban German in 2005.

Walking Papers: The Dodgers drew five more walks Sunday, adding to the team's single-season record. They pace all-Triple-A teams in walks this season and rank fourth overall in the Minors with a team-record 579 walks during the Bricktown era (since 1998). The team has drawn 155 walks in the 27 games following the All-Star Break for an average of 5.74 per game, including 10 games with seven or more walks...The last PCL teams with more than 579 walks in a season were Salt Lake (637) and Round Rock (623) during the 140-game 2019 season...On the other hand, the Dodgers pitching staff has allowed 568 walks this season to lead all Triple-A teams, including six walks Sunday. They are 24 walks shy of setting a new single-season team record, previously set in 2000.

Close Calls: Following Sunday's defeat, the Dodgers are now 18-13 in one-run games this season. OKC played nine games against Sugar Land this season that were decided by one run, including five of the final nine meetings between the teams...Sunday was the fifth walk-off loss of the season for the Dodgers and second to Sugar Land after Tuesday's walk-off win by the Space Cowboys. For the second time in six games, the Dodgers carried a multiple run lead into the bottom of the 10th inning but ended up losing...The Dodgers are now 3-4 in extra-inning games overall this season, including 0-2 on the road. In four of the five games between OKC and Sugar Land to go past nine innings, the home team won in the bottom of the 10th inning after the visiting team took the lead in the top of the 10th.

Rehab Report: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen made the third appearance of his Major League Rehab Assignment Sunday. He pitched a scoreless and hitless sixth inning, facing four batters and was credited with a hold while protecting a 1-0 lead. He recorded three strikeouts and hit one batter, throwing 18 pitches, including 11 strikes...Treinen was placed on the Injured List April 22 due to right shoulder inflammation and was transferred to the 60-day Injured List May 17.

J-Mart Special: Jason Martin was held 0-for-4 with a walk Sunday night after a three-hit outing with a home run Saturday. Martin's 27 home runs are tied for second in the PCL and one shy of the league lead, and he is one of seven players during OKC's Bricktown era (since 1998) with 27 or more home runs in a season. Martin has also reached 90 RBI, which ranks second in the PCL and is tied for 10th on OKC's list of players with the most RBI in a single season. The most recent OKC player with more than 90 RBI in a season was Edwin Ríos in 2019 (91 RBI)...Martin currently ranks among the PCL's top-10 players in OPS (3rd, .960), SLG (3rd, .578) total bases (3rd, 218), extra-base hits (3rd, 51), runs (3rd, 84), walks (4th, 60), hits (6th, 108) and OBP (9th, .382)...Martin has now hit safely in 10 of his last 12 games, going 14-for-41 (.341) with three homers, a double and 10 RBI...His 17 homers since June 25 are most in the PCL by four and tied for most in the Minors.

Beast Node: Ryan Noda picked up a hit Sunday and over his last 16 games, he is 19-for-52 (.365) with five doubles, three homers, 16 RBI, 12 runs and 14 walks (.535 OBP). He leads OKC with 17 RBI in August and is tied with Michael Busch for the most hits on the team so far this month...Overall this season, Noda ranks among league leaders in walks (2nd, 68), OBP (5th, .392), RBI (T-7th, 72), total bases (8th, 183) and extra-base hits (10th, 42).

'Pen Problems: For the fourth time in the last 12 games, the Dodgers lost a game in which they led in the seventh inning or later. Prior to Aug. 9, OKC was 52-3 when leading after seven innings, but has gone just 3-4 since. Sunday was also the fifth time in 14 games the Dodgers let a lead in the sixth inning or later slip away, and the relief staff has been charged with six blown saves during that time...Sunday marked the fourth time this season the Dodgers took a lead into their opponent's final at-bat, only to see their opponent walk-off with a win (also April 14 at El Paso, May 15 at Round Rock and Aug. 16 at Sugar Land)...Over last 14 games, the bullpen has allowed 66 runs (58 ER), 71 hits, and 39 walks over 58.1 innings. Opponents have batted .293 (70x239) with nine home runs.

RacKs on RacKs on RacKs: The Dodgers pitching staff recorded 15 strikeouts Sunday, hitting the mark for the fifth time this season and falling one short of their season-high of 16 K's set twice previously, including Wednesday in Sugar Land. Starting pitcher Jon Duplantier matched his career high with nine strikeouts over 5.0 innings...OKC leads the PCL with 193 strikeouts over 18 games in August.

Around the Horn: The Dodgers are 12-10 in series openers this season and have lost the last two...Jake Amaya had a RBI single Sunday and scored a run. He has hit safely in three straight games (4x11) and reached base in seven of his last 15 plate appearances over the last four games...On Sunday the Dodgers allowed at least five runs in a third straight game and for the 10th time in the last 13 games. The Dodgers have allowed a league-high 93 runs over the 13-game stretch and own a PCL-high 6.43 ERA during the span, which includes eight runs or more five times and three games with 12-plus runs...Hunter Feduccia did not play Sunday but on Saturday went 2-for-5 with a home run, tying his season and career high with five RBI. He's homered in each of his last two games.

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