OKC Dodgers Game Notes - August 4, 2023
August 4, 2023 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release
Round Rock Express (15-15/59-45) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (20-10/70-33)
Game #104 of 148/Second Half #31 of 75/Home #53 of 73
Pitching Probables: RR-RHP Robert Dugger (5-7, 4.50) vs. OKC-RHP Gavin Stone (4-4, 5.79)
Friday, August 4, 2023 | Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark | Oklahoma City, Okla. | 7:05 p.m. CT
Radio: KGHM-AM 1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, iHeartRadio; Video: Bally Live, MiLB.tv
Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers reached 70 wins last night, faster than any Pacific Coast League team since at least 2005, and continue their series against the Round Rock Express at 7:05 p.m. at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark as the Dodgers "Pack the Park Pink" presented by MidFirst Bank to support breast cancer awareness. A silent auction will take place during the game for fans to bid on game-worn, autographed pink jerseys. Pink fireworks are scheduled to follow the game and the first 1,000 fans to the game receive a pink koozie.
Last Game: David Dahl drove in three runs over the final two innings, including a home run and game-winning RBI single, in the Oklahoma City Dodgers' 7-6 comeback win in 10 innings against the Round Rock Express Thursday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Trailing the Express, 6-3, the Dodgers scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to force extra innings. Dahl connected on a two-run homer out to right-center field and Oklahoma City scored another run on a Round Rock throwing error with wo outs to tie the score, 6-6. Dodgers reliever Bryan Hudson (5-0) then pitched a scoreless top of the 10th inning before the Dodgers had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom half. Dahl then delivered a walk-off RBI single, lining a base hit into right field to bring in the winning run. The Dodgers took the game's first lead on a two-run homer by Ryan Ward in the first inning and OKC led, 3-1, after two innings. Round Rock scored two runs in the third inning and three more runs in the fifth inning to take a 6-3 lead before being held without a run over the game's final five innings.
Today's Probable Pitcher: Gavin Stone (4-4) makes his 17th start of 2023 with OKC and second against the Express...He last pitched July 29 in Reno, allowing two runs and two hits with three walks over 4.0 innings with three strikeouts. The outing ended a stretch of four straight outings of at least five innings, including three starts of six innings, and he did not factor into OKC's 8-3 defeat...Over his last four starts since his most recent option to OKC, Stone has posted a 3.43 ERA (8 ER/21.0 IP) and 1.05 WHIP with 21 strikeouts against five walks...Stone was named PCL Pitcher of the Week for July 3-9 for his performance July 9 against Albuquerque, when he completed 6.0 scoreless innings and struck out eight...He made his ML debut May 3 at Dodger Stadium against Philadelphia and has made a total of four appearances (three starts) for the LA Dodgers this season...Last season, Stone was named the Los Angeles Dodgers Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He compiled a 1.48 ERA and 9-6 record across 26 games (25 starts) at three levels. Stone led all pitchers in the Minors in ERA and tied for ninth overall in strikeouts...Entering this season, Stone was tabbed as the Dodgers' No. 5 prospect by MLB Pipeline and No. 6 prospect by Baseball America...The Dodgers selected Stone in the fifth round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of the University of Central Arkansas...Tonight is his second appearance of the season against Round Rock. In a road start May 9, he allowed one run and two hits, including a home run, over 5.1 innings with four walks and four strikeouts (ND).
Against the Express: 2023: 8-1 2022: 16-14 All-time: 170-136 At OKC: 77-66
The Express and Dodgers meet for their first series since mid-May and their first series of 2023 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark...The Dodgers swept the Express May 9-14 in their last series in Round Rock. It was OKC's first-ever six-game series sweep since PCL teams started playing primarily six-game series starting in 2021. The Dodgers outscored the Express, 34-16, in the series and held Round Rock to a .180 AVG as they allowed one run or less in three of the six meetings. OKC trailed in the seventh inning or later in four of the six wins and hit a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning twice...After playing one another 30 times during the 2022 season and 29 times during the 2021 season, the Dodgers and Express meet for just three six-game series in 2023, including two during the second half of the season...The Dodgers have won back-to-back season series between the teams, going 16-14 against the Express in 2022. After OKC went 12-6 through the first 18 games, the Express went 8-4 over the final 12 games, with half of those wins in games they trailed in the seventh inning or later...The teams last played each other in OKC Aug. 9-14, 2022. Although the Express won the series, 4-2, the Dodgers won the series finale by a score of 20-3, scoring 20 runs for the sixth time in team's Bricktown era (since 1998) and the most runs scored by the team in Bricktown since 2013.
Trend Setters: The Dodgers won their 70th game of the season Thursday as they improved to 70-33 overall, becoming the fastest Pacific Coast League team to reach 70 wins since at least 2005, as data from 2004 and earlier is not available. The previous fastest a PCL team reached 70 wins since 2005 was the 2017 Memphis Redbirds, who did so in 106 games (70-36)...The Dodgers own the most wins and best winning percentage (.680) in the Minors and lead the second half of the PCL season with a 20-10 record...The Dodgers now sit a season-best 37 games above .500 as they added to their Bricktown-era record (since 1998) for games above .500...During the Bricktown era, OKC's best previous record through 103 games was in both 2022 and 2015 when the Dodgers went 62-41...Oklahoma City has won nine of the last 11 games and 14 of the last 19 games...The Dodgers finished the first half with a 50-23 record and won the PCL's first-half championship. By virtue of winning the first half in the split-season format, the Dodgers will host a best-of-three PCL Championship Series Sept. 26-28 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark against the winner of the second half (or second-place finisher should the Dodgers also win the second half).
The Late Show: Last night's win in 10 innings was OKC's eighth walk-off victory of the season, seventh win when trailing in the ninth inning or later and 21st last at-bat win of the campaign. By scoring three runs in the ninth inning Thursday, the Dodgers overcame their largest ninth-inning deficit in a win this season. It was also the Dodgers' 11th win of the season when trailing by at least three runs at some point during a game...The Dodgers are now 7-4 in extra-inning games in 2023...The Dodgers also had eight walk-off victories during the 2022 season - the most for an OKC team in a single season since 2015 when the Dodgers had 11 walk-off wins...Over the first 18 games following the All-Star Break, seven have been decided in the ninth inning or later, and 12 of the 18 games have been settled by one or two runs, including 11 of the last 16, eight of the last 11 and six of the last eight.
Better Call Dahl: David Dahl went 3-for-4 with a home run, game-high three RBI and two runs scored last night, recording all three RBI in the ninth and 10th innings. Last night marked the second time in four games he provided a go-ahead and eventual game-winning hit in extra innings, along with his two-run homer Sunday in the 11th inning at Reno during the team's 16-15 victory...Dahl has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games, going 17-for-38 (.447) with three homers, six doubles and 14 RBI. Following a 3-for-40 start after joining the Dodgers, he has also hit safely in 14 of his last 16 games, going 23-for-60 (.383) with 12 extra-base hits...He now has 10 RBI in his last five games, 14 RBI in his last nine games and 18 RBI in his last 13 games.
The Warden: Ryan Ward homered in a second consecutive game last night and has gone deep in four of the last five games. Ward's 15 home runs this season are second-most among OKC players and he is tied for the team lead with 71 RBI overall this season (also tied for fourth in the league)...He has hit safely in a season-best eight straight games, going 15-for-35 (.429) with six extra-base hits, 10 RBI and five multi-hit games...Ward has also hit safely in 14 of his last 16 games, going 24-for-67 (.358) with 17 RBI and 10 extra-base hits.
Buschwacked: Michael Busch reached base with a walk and scored two runs Thursday as he extended his season-best on-base streak to 28 consecutive games. During the longest active on-base streak in the PCL and third-longest on-base streak by an OKC player this season, Busch is 38-for-120 (.317) with 12 homers, 30 RBI, 19 walks and 26 runs scored. However, his season-long hitting streak of nine games came to an end last night as he was held 0-for-4. During the hitting streak, Busch went 18-for-42 (.429) with six homers and 13 RBI...Busch is one game shy of tying Jahmai Jones' 29-game on-base streak from May 6-June 17 and two games shy of tying Devin Mann's 30-game on-base streak from May 2-June 13 - the longest on-base streak by an OKC player this season.
Getting Miggy With It: Miguel Vargas was held 0-for-4 as his eight-game hitting streak was snapped last night. During the streak he went 13-for-35 (.371) with five extra-base hits, nine RBI and 10 runs scored. However, he was hit by a pitch Thursday and has now reached base in all 18 games he has played with OKC since being optioned by the Los Angeles Dodgers in mid-July. He is currently slashing .297/.416/.554. He has recorded 22 hits during that time with 14 RBI and 18 runs scored...Since joining OKC July 14, his 18 runs scored are tied for second-most in the PCL, while his five homers are tied for third and his 41 total bases are seventh in the league.
Dinger Details: The Dodgers recorded a second straight multi-homer game yesterday and have hit at least two homers in seven of the last 10 games, totaling 22 homers. Oklahoma City has also homered in six straight games (16 HR), in nine of the last 10 games (22 HR) and in 18 of the last 20 games (34 HR)...The Dodgers hit 38 homers in July - tied for second-most in the league during the month and their highest monthly total this season. The Dodgers have now hit 76 homers in their 48 games since June 3 after hitting 47 homers through their first 55 games of the season...On the other hand, the Dodgers allowed three home runs last night and have allowed at least one homer in eight of the last nine games (15 HR). Last night marked the 14th time this season the Dodgers allowed three or more homers in a game, matching their entire season total from 2022. The 14th and final occurrence last year did not happen until Sept. 16 in Albuquerque during Game 139.
And the Award Goes to...: The Dodgers swept the Pacific Coast League Player and Pitcher of the Month awards for July, as announced Thursday by Minor League Baseball. Michael Busch was named PCL Player of the Month, while Mike Montgomery was named PCL Pitcher of the Month. Busch slashed .324/.434/.696 as he led the league with 11 home runs and 71 total bases while tying for first with 15 extra-base hits...Montgomery posted a 2-0 record and league-low 1.21 ERA over five appearances (three starts). The left-handed pitcher kept opponents to a .132 AVG - the lowest of any PCL pitcher who threw at least 11.0 innings...The duo becomes the second and third OKC Dodgers to receive monthly awards this season, joining Matt Andriese, who was named PCL Pitcher of the Month for May.
Around the Horn: The Dodgers have won back-to-back home games as well as four of their last five home games immediately following a 2-7 stretch at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark as well as 12 losses in their previous 19 home games. The team has not won three straight home games since taking four in a row from Sugar Land May 16-19. There have been six previous instances of back-to-back wins since then...Round Rock committed three errors last night, tied for the most by an opponent this season. All opponents had combined to commit a total of three errors over the previous 22 games.
Pacific Coast League Stories from August 4, 2023
- Salt Lake Edges El Paso, 4-3 - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Dodgers' Earn 7-1 Win Over Express - Oklahoma City Comets
- Round Rock Narrowly Avoids Shutout by Oklahoma City in Game Four - Round Rock Express
- Sweet Victory on Friday - Tacoma Rainiers
- Bees Win Third Straight - Salt Lake Bees
- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Sugar Land (5:05 PT) - Tacoma Rainiers
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - August 4, 2023 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Sacramento Bats Kept in Check by Reno on Thursday - Sacramento River Cats
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