PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - August 27, 2015

Published on August 27, 2015 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (79-52) vs. El Paso Chihuahuas (70-61)

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres

Game #132 of 144/Road #70 of 73 (42-28)

Pitching Probables: OKC-LHP Eric Surkamp (7-3, 3.39) vs. ELP-LHP Jason Lane (10-8, 5.58)

Thursday, August 27, 2015 | Southwest University Park | El Paso, Texas | 8:05 p.m. CT

Radio: KGHM AM-1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, iHeartRadio - Alex Freedman

Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers begin their final road series of the season and make their maiden voyage to Southwest University Park to face the El Paso Chihuahuas at 8:05 p.m. Central time.

Last Game: The Dodgers built a 5-0 lead, but Albuquerque answered with 11 straight runs in an eventual 11-6 win Wednesday at Isotopes Park. The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a RBI single by Buck Britton. In the top of the fourth, the Dodgers connected on three extra-base hits, including a two-run triple to right field by Britton and a RBI double by Joe Wieland for a 4-0 advantage. Scott Schebler led off the sixth inning by belting his 13th home run of the season to make it 5-0. After being held to no runs and two hits through five innings, the Isotopes reeled off six straight hits with one out in the sixth and scored five times to tie the game. Willin Rosario's three-run homer to left field pulled the Isotopes even. The Dodgers seemed poised to break the tie with runners at first and second base and none out in the top of the seventh inning, but Jose Tabata grounded into a 5-4-3 triple play to end the inning. The Isotopes kept rolling at the plate in the seventh and eighth innings, scoring three runs in each frame to make it 11-5. The Dodgers tacked on a run in the top of the ninth when Kyle Jensen scored on a wild pitch. Oklahoma City reliever Chris Anderson (0-1) was charged with the loss in his Triple-A debut, allowing six runs (five earned) on five hits over 1.1 innings. Nelson Gonzalez (4-3) got the win.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Eric Surkamp (7-3) looks to keep his recent hot streak alive...In his last four starts, Surkamp is 3-0 with a 0.78 ERA (2 ER/23.0 IP). He's allowed three runs total and opponents are batting .202. The lefty has allowed just one run over his last 21 innings entering tonight...In his last start Aug. 22 against Reno, Surkamp held the Aces to one run and six hits over 6.0 innings in OKC's 5-2 victory. He issued two walks and struck out seven in the win. The Aces scored their only run in the first inning, ending Surkamp's streak of 15 straight scoreless innings...Surkamp has won seven of his last eight decisions. Over his last 12 outings, he is 7-1 with a 2.63 ERA, and OKC is 10-2 during the stretch...Tonight marks his first career start against El Paso.

Against the Chihuahuas: 2015: 0-0 2014: 2-2 All-time: 2-2 In ELP: 0-0

This marks OKC's first-ever trip to El Paso...The teams split a four-game set in Bricktown last season, Aug. 20-23. Oklahoma City outscored the Chihuahuas, 24-14, as OKC compiled a .321 batting average in the series...El Paso joined the PCL in 2014, moving from Tucson. Oklahoma City went 8-4 against the Padres' Triple-A affiliate in Tucson over three seasons from 2011-13.

Ups and Downs: The Dodgers have lost two of their last three games after a run where they won 11 of 14 games. And that proceeded a stretch where they lost nine of 14 games...Iowa and Omaha both won Wednesday night, cutting the Dodgers' first-place lead in the American Northern Division standings to six games ahead of second-place Iowa and 6.5 games ahead of third-place Omaha. The Dodgers' largest division lead was 11 games entering play on July 4, but they have gone 26-25 since. After their first-place lead was cut all the way down to three games, the Dodgers have added three games to their lead since Aug. 1...The Dodgers and Fresno are tied for the league lead with 79 wins. They represent two of the four teams in the Minors with at least 79 victories...Tonight the Dodgers will look to become the fifth team during OKC's 18 seasons in the PCL to win at least 80 games, and do it for a second time in three seasons. The fastest team to 80 victories was the 1999 squad (80-56).

Road Warriors: The Dodgers have won seven of their last nine road games and are a league-best 42-27 away from OKC this season. They have already set a new team record for most road victories in a season, previously set in 2004 (40-32). The Dodgers' 42 road wins this season are tied for third most in all of the Minors, trailing only Double-A Corpus Christi (43-22) and High-A Visalia (43-21)...The Dodgers are 12-5 in road series openers this season, including 4-1 over their last five.

One Swing = Three Outs: Last night Jose Tabata hit into OKC's first triple play since Aug. 9, 2009 at Sacramento. During that triple play, Dustin Majewski field out to left field, and Chris Denorfia threw out Royce Huffman at home plate. Catcher Eric Munson then threw to third base, where Gregorio Petit tagged out Casey Benjamin. (Note courtesy of Andrew Cockrum of the Pacific Coast League.)

Bump on the Bump: The Dodgers allowed 11 runs Wednesday after holding their opponents to 11 runs in their previous four games combined (and 12 runs over the previous five games). Albuquerque scored five runs in the sixth inning alone; the Dodgers had allowed as many as five runs in an entire game just three times in their previous 17 contests...Prior to last night, the Dodgers had held their opponent to two or fewer runs in 11 of 16 games. During the 16-game stretch, the Dodgers pitching staff surrendered just 41 runs (2.45 ERA - 41 ER/150.1 IP). Opponents batted .214 (114x532) with seven home runs and went 22-for-104 (.212) with RISP...Wednesday marked the fifth time this season the Dodgers surrendered more than 10 runs in a game, and they are now 1-4 in those contests...It was also just the second time this season they lost a game in which they led by as many as five runs (July 8 at Colorado Springs; led 7-1, lost 8-7).

Barnes Burner: Austin Barnes is 13-for-27 (.481) over his last seven games with a home run, two doubles, three RBI, six runs scored, and five walks. Barnes is batting .365 in August and has posted a .420 on-base percentage this month. His .318 season average is the highest it's been since entering play on April 26 (.333)...Last night marked just the fourth time this season Barnes struck out twice in a game, and the first time since June 12 vs. Nashville.

Great Scott: Scott Schebler has hit safely in four straight games, going 7-for-15 with a home run, three RBI, and six runs scored. The streak is his longest since hitting safely in five straight games, July 16-20.

Dinger Details: The Dodgers have hit a home run in six straight games (seven HR total), marking their longest stretch with a homer since hitting one in seven straight games, June 30-July 6...On the other hand, the Dodgers have allowed at least one home run in three straight games for the first time since July 25-27 at Round Rock. They have not allowed a home run in four straight games since a season-long eight-game streak, June 5-13. They have allowed five home runs over the last three games after surrendering just eight over their previous 24 contests combined, and they have allowed multiple home run in back-to-back games for the first time since May 27-28 at Salt Lake.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE AND PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)

DATE TIME OPPONENT OKC PITCHER OPP. PITCHER

Friday, August 28 8:05 p.m. @ El Paso RHP Zach Lee (10-5, 2.58) RHP Chris Smith (4-6, 3.77)

Saturday, August 29 8:05 p.m. @ El Paso RHP Mike Bolsinger (2-3, 2.72) RHP Daniel McCutchen (8-7, 3.80)

Sunday, August 30 2:05 p.m. @ El Paso LHP David Huff (5-1, 1.68) RHP Casey Kelly (0-1, 7.71)

Monday, August 31 7:05 p.m. Iowa RHP Joe Wieland (10-5, 4.59) TBA

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 27, 2015


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