PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - August 29, 2021

Published on August 29, 2021 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Las Vegas Aviators (54-45) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (49-49)

Game #99 of 130/Home #45 of 65

Pitching Probables: LV-RHP Miguel Romero (3-6, 6.97) vs. OKC-RHP Yefry Ramírez (4-3, 5.24)

Sunday, August 29, 2021 | Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark | Oklahoma City, Okla. | 6:05 p.m. CT

Radio: KGHM AM-1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, iHeartRadio; Video: MiLB.tv

Today's Game: The OKC Dodgers and Las Vegas Aviators continue their series at 6:05 p.m. at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, as the Dodgers look to snap a season-high five-game losing skid. The Aviators have a 3-0 lead in the series, marking the second straight series OKC has opened a series in an 0-3 deficit and the first time in a home series since May 13-15 against Sacramento at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

Last Game: Matt Davidson homered twice and collected six RBI for the OKC Dodgers, but it wasn't enough as the Las Vegas Aviators overcame a five-run deficit to defeat the Dodgers, 10-9, Saturday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Trailing, 9-4, in a back-and-forth game, the Aviators scored six runs on seven hits in the eighth inning to go in front, 10-9. The Dodgers left the tying run at third base in the eighth inning and could not convert in the ninth inning either after Davidson led off with a single. Las Vegas took the first lead of the game on a homer by Khris Davis in the second inning. Las Vegas starting pitcher Brian Howard retired the first 10 Dodgers batters he faced until Zach McKinstry hit a single and Davidson followed with a two-run homer. Deacon Liput homered out to center field in the fifth inning to extend the Dodgers' lead to 3-1. A two-run homer by the Aviators' Marty Bechina tied the game in the sixth inning before a sacrifice fly gave them a 4-3 advantage. The Dodgers responded with two runs in the sixth inning - on a RBI single by Zach Reks and sacrifice fly by Omar Estévez - to take a 5-4 lead. Davidson then hammered a grand slam in the seventh inning for a 9-4 Dodgers lead before the Aviators' comeback.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Yefry Ramírez (4-3) is scheduled to make his 16th start of the season, tying him for the team lead...Ramírez last pitched Aug. 23 in Sugar Land, allowing four runs and tying his season-high mark with seven hits allowed over 5.0 innings with two walks and four strikeouts. He did not factor into the decision of OKC's 6-5 road loss...Ramírez made his Los Angeles Dodgers debut Aug. 1 at Arizona and pitched 2.0 scoreless and hitless innings with two K's and one walk to close out a 13-0 win. Ramírez was optioned to OKC Aug. 2, designated for assignment when the Dodgers signed four-time All-Star Cole Hamels and subsequently outrighted to OKC Aug. 7...Since his return to OKC, Ramírez has made three starts and allowed nine runs (seven earned) over 15.0 IP. Although he's only allowed 11 hits during that time, he's issued nine walks...Ramírez was named Triple-A West Pitcher of the Month for June after going 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA in five starts. He allowed 20 hits and struck out 27 over 26.0 IP while holding opponents to a .213 average. Ramírez led the league in ERA and opponent average while he tied for the best WHIP (1.12). He also ranked third in strikeouts and innings...Ramírez's 81 strikeouts are tied for fifth-most in Triple-A West, while his 15 starts are tied for ninth. However, he also ranks third with 40 walks...Ramírez signed with the Dodgers as a free agent March 25. He is in his 10th pro season, originally signing with Arizona as an international free agent in 2011.

Against the Aviators: 2021: 0-3 2019: 1-3 All-time: 48-58 At OKC: 23-27 Oklahoma City and Las Vegas are meeting for their first of two series this season and only series of the regular season at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The teams will also meet as part of Triple-A's Final Stretch during a five-game series Sept. 23-27 in Las Vegas...The teams last met during a four-game series in Las Vegas Aug. 2-5, 2019. The Aviators won the series, 3-1, and scored 10 runs in each of their three wins during the series, outscoring the Dodgers, 36-29, as the Aviators batted .342. Twice in their three wins, the Aviators trailed in their final at-bat, only to rally and walk off with a win...Austin Barnes and Gavin Lux each led OKC with eight hits and Barnes homered four times in the series, collecting 10 RBI...This is the first time Las Vegas has played in Bricktown since June 16-19, 2018, when the team was known as the 51s and they were affiliated with the New York Mets...OKC last won a series against Las Vegas in 2015 (3-1) on the road and last won a home series against Las Vegas in 2014 (3-1)...Entering tonight, Las Vegas has won eight of the last nine games against OKC going back to 2018...Las Vegas has won three straight in the same series against OKC for the first time since 2016 at The Brick, and tonight they'll look to make it four in a row for the first time since a four-game sweep in 2006, also in OKC.

Cold Spell in the August Heat: Following a win Aug. 17 vs. Round Rock, the Dodgers sat a season-best seven games above .500 at 48-41 and were just 1.0 game out of first place. But since then, the team has dropped eight of nine games and has now fallen 7.5 games out of first place. It's the furthest the Dodgers have been out of first place since they entered June 15 with a 15-20 record and were 8.0 games back. The team has a .500 record for the first time since entering June 24 with a 21-21 ledger and they have not had a losing record since entering June 22 at 20-21...The Dodgers are in the midst of their longest losing streak of the season and longest since losing six in a row Aug. 20-26, 2019. This is also the first time since opening their 2021 schedule with a 1-8 record that the Dodgers have lost eight times in a nine-game span. The team has also tied its longest home losing streak of the season, dropping three straight for the third time...Last night marked the fifth one-run loss during the nine-game slide...After starting August with a 10-4 record, the team is now 11-12 this month.

Loose Leads: For the third time in the last seven games, the Dodgers lost after leading by at least three runs, with two of those leads by at least five runs. They had only lost three times all season when leading by at least three runs over the first 91 games this season, including none at home. It's now happened on back-to-back nights at home, after the Dodgers led by three Friday and by five last night...Yesterday's game was just the second time all season the Dodgers lost when leading after seven innings (May 23 at Albuquerque). However, it was the second time in the last five games they had a lead in the eighth inning and lost...The team now has five blown saves in August, which is their highest monthly total this season.

Matt the Bat: In his first game back since Aug. 13, Matt Davidson connected on two homers, including OKC's sixth grand slam of the season, boosting his team-leading total to 20 homers this season. Davidson finished the night 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a season-high six RBI - which also tied his career-high mark for RBI in a game, last achieved April 29, 2015 for Triple-A Charlotte against Toledo. He became the fourth Dodgers player this season with six or more RBI in a game and is now tied for the team lead with 55 RBI this season...Last night was his second multi-homer game of the season, previously going deep twice July 12 at El Paso...He ranks tied for sixth in Triple-A West with 20 homers this season, but since June 29, he is second in the league with 16 homers and third with 44 RBI...Over his last nine games with OKC, Davidson has five multi-hit outings and has hit safely in seven of the games, going 14-for-34 (.412) with five doubles, three homers, 15 RBI and 11 runs scored.

Mound Maladies: Over the last nine games, the pitching staff has allowed a total 72 runs (8.0 rpg) and posted a 7.70 ERA (65 ER/76.0 IP). Opponents have batted .309 (100x322) with a total of 44 extra-base hits, including 19 home runs. The team has allowed the most runs and home runs across all teams in the Minors or Majors since this spell began Aug. 19. The Dodgers have allowed at least five runs in each of the eight losses, and at least eight runs in five of the eight losses, including three games with 10 or more runs. They've also issued 39 walks and have a 1.83 WHIP over 76.0 IP...Last night marked the third time in the last seven games an opponent has had a six-run inning. Las Vegas' seven hits during the eighth-inning rally were the most in a single inning by an opponent this year...As a result of the recent struggles, the team's season ERA has ballooned from 4.92 entering Aug. 19 to 5.17 at present...During the last nine games, the Dodgers have lost when scoring at least seven runs four times, at least eight runs three times and at least nine runs twice. Prior to Aug. 19, the team had lost three times all year when scoring at least eight runs and just once when scoring at least nine runs.

RISPy Business: The Dodgers went 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position last night and are batting .368 (25x68) with runners in scoring position in their last eight games and .345 (69x200) over their 23 games this month...The nine at-bats last night equaled the team's total from the three previous games combined.

August Arithmetic: The Dodgers are 11-12 in August. In their 11 wins, they've allowed a total of 44 runs, with four or fewer runs allowed in nine of the 11 games. In the 12 losses, they've allowed 97 runs (8.1 rpg), with at least seven runs in eight of the 12 games.

Kings of K's: The Dodgers pitching staff racked up 11 strikeouts last night for the team's 50th double-digit strikeout game of the season. OKC currently leads Triple-A West with 950 strikeouts and is aiming to lead the league in strikeouts for the fourth time in the last five seasons (2016, 2017, 2019).

One and Done: The Dodgers sustained their league-leading 20th one-run loss of the season last night, and they are now 8-20 in one-run games this season. Seven of OKC's 12 losses this month have come in one-run affairs...The Dodgers are one of seven teams across the Minors with at least 20 one-run losses and just one of two among the 30 teams in Triple-A (Louisville -- 26).

Around the Horn: Deacon Liput homered for a second straight game and one night after collecting his first Triple-A homer. It's the second time he's homered in consecutive games this season, also doing it June 12-13 with High-A Great Lakes at Dayton...Opponents have hit 10 homers against OKC over the last five games and have homered in 11 of the last 12 games against the Dodgers, totaling 22 home runs. That includes 19 homers in the last nine games, with opponents going deep more than once in six of the nine contests. As of Aug. 19, Dodgers pitchers paced Triple-A West with just 105 homers allowed overall this season, but since Aug. 19, the Dodgers have allowed the most home runs among all teams in the Minors or Majors...Cristian Santana's streak of reaching base in 25 consecutive starts came to an end last night...Zach Reks has 17 RBI in his last 12 games, with at least one RBI in nine of 12 games and multiple RBI in five of 12 games.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 29, 2021


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