Sports stats

PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - July 14, 2022

July 14, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (51-35) at Tacoma Rainiers (35-50)

Game #87 of 150/Road #42 of 75

Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Michael Grove (0-1, 5.91) vs. TAC-RHP Darren McCaughan (5-5, 5.11)

Thursday, July 14, 2022 | Cheney Stadium | Tacoma, Wash. | 9:05 p.m. CT

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

Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers seek a 3-0 start to their road series against the Tacoma Rainiers when the teams meet at 9:05 p.m. CT at Cheney Stadium...The Dodgers have won four of the last six games and currently have a 2-0 lead in a series for the first time since sweeping a three-game set against Sugar Land June 7-9 (also their lone 3-0 series lead this season).

Last Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers scored eight runs with the bases loaded, including a grand slam by James Outman, and the pitching staff allowed one run and four hits during an 8-1 win over the Tacoma Rainiers Wednesday night at Cheney Stadium. The game was scoreless in the third inning when the Dodgers loaded the bases with two outs, and Ryan Noda was hit by a pitch to score the first run. Outman stepped up next and clubbed a grand slam off the right-center field scoreboard to push the lead to 5-0. Outman added another RBI in the fifth inning when he hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded. Two batters later, the bases were loaded again for Tomás Telis, who hit a two-run single. The Rainiers scored their only run on a Drew Ellis homer leading off the eighth inning.

Today's Probable Pitchers: Michael Grove (0-1) returns from a stint on the Injured List to make his sixth Triple-A start with OKC tonight...He was placed on the IL July 2 and previously pitched June 29 in El Paso, allowing a season-high six runs (four earned) and a season-high nine hits over 4.0 innings with two walks and five strikeouts. He was charged with his first loss with OKC as the Dodgers went on to lose the game, 14-3. Prior to that outing, Grove had not allowed more than four hits in a game at any level this season...Grove made his team and Triple-A debut May 21 in Sugar Land, six days after making his Major League debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Grove made the jump from Double-A for a spot start with Los Angeles May 15 against Philadelphia and became 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 this season by Los Angeles and has made two appearances. He was most recently optioned to OKC June 14...Grove made five starts with Tulsa to open the season and entered the 2022 season ranked as the Dodgers' No. 24 prospect by Baseball America...He was selected by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft from West Virginia University...This will be his first career meeting with the Rainiers.

Against the Rainiers: 2022: 2-0 2021: N/A All-time: 53-50 At TAC: 21-31 The Dodgers and Rainiers meet for their first of two series of 2022 after last playing each other during the 2019 season. Tuesday's game was the first game between the clubs since Aug. 9, 2019 - a span of 1,069 days...Tacoma was the only Triple-A West foe the Dodgers did not play during the 2021 season. The teams were originally scheduled to play in April 2021, but the games were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Rainiers went on to win the league title...When the teams last met as part of the 2019 schedule, the Dodgers swept a three-game set at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, outscoring the Rainiers, 23-9. Zach McKinstry had a monster series, going 9-for-11 three doubles and three home runs along with 10 RBI...This week the Dodgers are making their first trip to Tacoma since the 2018 season and OKC is 20-31 all-time at Cheney Stadium...OKC is 2-0-3 against the Rainiers in the last five season series and has not lost a series to Tacoma since the 2014 season (0-4 in Tacoma).

Back to Winning Ways: The Dodgers have won four of their last six games and own the best record in the Pacific Coast League. They remain in first place in the East Division, 2.0 games ahead of second place El Paso, and have held sole possession of first place since June 5. The recent stretch follows the team's season-high five-game losing skid to open the month of July. OKC is 4-7 so far in July after going 18-7 over the final 25 games in June.

Offensive Remarks: The Dodgers have outscored the Rainiers, 23-5, through the first two games of the current series and have scored a minimum of eight runs in each of their last four victories overall (44 R), reaching double-digit totals three times...OKC's five-run third inning last night was the team's highest scoring inning since plating five runs during the first inning June 19 in Reno...The Dodgers scored in each of their four plate appearances with the bases loaded Wednesday, totaling all eight of their runs, and they are slashing .326/.425/.593 with the bases full this season. James Outman's grand slam was the team's fourth of the season and first since June 16, when Jake Amaya hit one in Reno. With his two-run single in the fifth inning, Tomás Telis is now 5-for-8 with 11 RBI in bases loaded situations...On Tuesday, OKC set a season high with 20 hits, marking their highest hit total since May 30, 2021 at El Paso when they also tallied 20 hits. OKC's 15 runs in the game were also tied for the second-most in a game this season...The Dodgers lead all 30 Triple-A teams with 414 walks and rank second with 547 runs, 30 triples and a .368 OBP and rank third with a .463 SLG and .831 OPS.

Breaking Out, Man: James Outman homered last night for a second straight game and finished with a career-high five RBI. His grand slam was his second of the season, as he previously hit one for Double-A Tulsa June 21 at Midland. Between OKC and Tulsa, Outman is up to 19 home runs this season, tying his career high (2019), and he's gone deep in consecutive games for the third time overall this year...Outman is 3-for-9 with two homers and seven RBI over the first two games in Tacoma. He has also hit safely in three straight games, as well as in four of the last five, collecting five hits, including three homers, and a whopping 11 RBI during the five-game stretch.

Gettin' Miggy With It: Miguel Vargas reached base three times last night with two walks and a single and has now reached base in eight of his last 10 plate appearances with three hits and five walks. Vargas also extended his hitting streak to seven games, going 10-for-28. His current hitting streak is the longest active streak by an OKC player, and he has now hit safely in 21 of his last 23 games, batting .359 (33x92) with nine doubles, three homers, 17 RBI and 20 runs scored...He leads the PCL with 99 total hits and 73 total runs scored this season. His 166 total bases are second-most in the league, while his 48 walks are tied for second and his 61 RBI are third. His 20 doubles and 37 extra-base hits are tied for fourth...This Saturday, Vargas will play in the annual MLB All-Star Futures game held at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Busch League: Michael Busch collected a single and a walk last night to extend his hitting streak to six games, however his stretch of four straight games with a double (5 2B) came to an end. During the six-game streak, Busch is 11-for-27 (.407). It his second hitting streak of the season with OKC of at least six games...He now has 25 extra-base hits in his 47 games with OKC (15 doubles, 10 homers), accounting for almost half of his total 51 hits...Busch leads all Dodgers minor leaguers with 21 home runs this season, including 10 with OKC and 11 with Double-A Tulsa, and is one of 12 players in all of the Minors with 21 or more home runs this season.

Drew Point: Drew Avans went 1-for-5 to extend his season-best on-base streak to 25 games, which is the longest by an OKC player this year and longest active streak in the PCL. He is one of 10 PCL players to have an on-base streak of 25 games or longer this season and he owns the longest on-base streak by a Dodgers player since the 2019 season when Gavin Lux reached base in 37 consecutive games...Avans swiped his team-leading 14th stolen base of season last night and scored one run. He has now hit safely in five straight games (7x23), as well as 21 of his last 25 games, and has reached base safely in 39 of his last 40 games...From the start of the season through May 31, Avans batted .235 (20x85) with seven extra-base hits, eight RBI and 15 runs scored over 31 games. Since June 1 (34 games), Avans is batting .310 (40x129) with 10 doubles, four triples, three homers, 18 RBI and 30 runs scored. He also has 16 walks during the stretch...He paces the PCL with seven triples this season.

Turning Point?: The pitching tandem of Jon Duplantier and Beau Burrows limited Tacoma to one run and four hits last night, marking the fourth time in the last five games the Dodgers have allowed four runs or less and the second time allowing two runs or less during the span. It was the 13th time this season overall OKC allowed one run or less in a game...Duplantier completed the first four innings last night and did not allow a run while retiring 12 of 15 batters faced. Burrows covered the final five innings and started his outing by retiring the first nine batters he faced on just 24 pitches. He allowed one run and two hits, with one walk and five strikeouts to earn the win. Duplantier and Burrows combined to hold the Rainiers 0-for-11 with runners on base and Tacoma did not have an at-bat with a runner in scoring position until there were two outs in the ninth inning. Before last night, starting/primary/tandem pitchers had a combined 10.70 ERA through the first 10 games of July...Prior to last Thursday (July 7), OKC had allowed at least seven runs in six straight games, with four games of at least 10 runs...The Dodgers have limited Tacoma to six at-bats with runners in scoring position the last two nights after opponents had reeled off nine straight games with at least 11 at-bats with RISP, totaling 127 AB...Last night was just the third time in the last 18 games the Dodgers held their opponent scoreless through the first two innings...The pitching staff's two walks last night were the team's fewest since June 24 against Round Rock (1 BB).

Feducciary Duty: Hunter Feduccia did not play last night but on Tuesday recorded his first career multi-homer game and first two Triple-A home runs. He hit a two-run homer in the second inning and added a solo shot in the fifth inning...In his last three games, Feduccia is 5-for-13 with five extra-base hits.

Around the Horn: Jake Amaya posted a second straight multi-hit game last night and reached base three times, going 2-for-3 with a walk, and he also recorded his first Triple-A stolen base. Amaya has now hit safely in three straight games and is 5-for-11 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs following a 1-for-17 stretch over his previous five games...Last night snapped a stretch of seven straight games for the OKC pitching staff with at least 11 strikeouts. They notched eight strikeouts Wednesday and have 101 strikeouts over the last eight games...Jason Martin went 1-for-4 with a walk and two runs last night. He is batting .333 (13x39) with eight RBI through his first 10 games of July with two doubles, four home runs and eight RBI...Ryan Noda was hit by a pitch twice last night, collected a RBI and scored two runs, as he has now reached base in 10 straight games. Noda leads the PCL with 49 walks this season...The Dodgers are in the midst of a stretch of 15 straight games against West Division foes (4-4). OKC is 15-14 against the West Division this season...OKC stole two bases last night after stealing a total of two bases over the previous 13 games.

Check out the Oklahoma City Comets Statistics



Pacific Coast League Stories from July 14, 2022


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Oklahoma City Comets Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central