PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - July 21, 2018

Published on July 21, 2018 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (53-42) vs. Nashville Sounds (47-50)

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Oakland A's

Games #96 & 97 of 140/Road #47 & 48 of 70 (23-23)

Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Brock Stewart (1-2, 3.18) vs. NAS-RHP Raul Alcantara (4-1, 4.20)

OKC-RHP Zach Neal (2-0, 2.53) vs. NAS-TBA

Saturday, July 21, 2018 | First Tennessee Park | Nashville, Tenn. | 5:05 p.m. CT

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

Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers and Nashville Sounds will play a doubleheader of two seven-inning games starting at 5:05 p.m. at First Tennessee Park. The teams are making up a game postponed May 29 in Nashville due to inclement weather. It's the second time the Dodgers are playing a doubleheader over five-day span.

Last Game: After being unable to hang on to a three-run lead with two outs in the ninth inning, the Dodgers found a way to escape First Tennessee Park with a 5-4 win in 10 innings over Nashville Friday. The Dodgers broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning with three runs, and led, 4-1, heading to the bottom of the ninth. The bases were empty with two outs before three Nashville batters reached base, including a RBI single by Steve Lombardozzi. Following a key wild pitch, Beau Taylor evened the score with a two-run single. A sacrifice fly by Donovan Solano put OKC back in front in the 10th. In the bottom of the inning, Dodgers reliever Joe Broussard navigated through a jam. The Sounds had runners at second and third with none out, but Broussard induced a lineout and two strikeouts to end the game. The Dodgers scored the first run of the night when Solano sent a sacrifice fly to right field. OKC maintained a 1-0 lead until Nashville leveled the game in the seventh. Ramón Laureano hit a pop up in foul territory on the first base side. Dodgers first baseman Connor Joe extended his upper body into the stands to make the catch, but the speedy Jorge Mateo was able to tag up from third base and race home to turn the play into a game-tying sacrifice fly. The Dodgers responded in their next at-bat, scoring three runs, all with two outs, including RBI singles by Solano and Andrew Toles. Brian Schlitter (5-1) ended up with the winning decision while Carlos Ramirez (1-2) took the loss.

Today's Probable Pitchers: Brock Stewart (1-2) is slated to start Game 1 for OKC...Stewart suffered a second straight loss in his last start July 16 against New Orleans. He allowed a season-high five runs (three earned) and five hits over 6.1 innings - his longest outing of the season. He issued two walks and recorded four strikeouts in OKC's 5-1 defeat. All five runs scored in the fourth inning, during which time the Dodgers committed three errors...After recording just one loss in his first 22 career starts with OKC, he has been defeated in each of his last two outings. The team has lost in each of his last five starts, although the Dodgers have managed to score a total of three runs in his last three games...He's holding PCL left-handed batters to a .189 average and all hitters to a .158 clip with runners in scoring position...Stewart has shuttled between the Minors and Majors the last three seasons, going 2-3 with a 4.84 ERA over 33 career appearances (11 starts) with the Los Angeles Dodgers...He was named the Dodgers' 2016 Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year and to Baseball America's Minor League All-Star Team...Tonight is his third start of the season against the Sounds. Over 7.1 innings pitched against Nashville this season, Stewart has allowed three runs and seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts in a pair of no decisions.

Zach Neal (2-0) makes his fourth start of the season in Game 2...Neal pitched 5.0 innings while starting the second game of a July 17 doubleheader against New Orleans at home and earned the win. He held the Baby Cakes to two runs (one earned) and four hits, needing just 49 pitches. He did not issue a walk and recorded two K's...Neal returned to OKC following a four-player trade with Cincinnati July 4. Since rejoining the team, Neal has allowed two earned runs and nine hits over 11.2 innings while holding opponents to a .214 average...He also made two starts with OKC in April before an April 17 trade sent him to Cincinnati. Neal then made 18 appearances (three starts) with Triple-A Louisville...In 2017, Neal made six relief appearances during two stints with Oakland, and spent the majority of the season with Triple-A Nashville...Neal made 53 appearances (47 starts) over the 2015-17 seasons with the Sounds, going 18-20 with a 4.19 ERA in his Nashville career. This is his first game against the Sounds since he played for Sacramento in 2014.

Against the Sounds: 2018: 6-7 2017: 11-5 All-time: 182-151 At NAS: 87-79

The Dodgers are playing their fourth and final series of the season against the Sounds...The teams last met June 26-28 in OKC with the Sounds completing a four-game sweep. Each Sounds victory was by one run. It was the first time the Dodgers were swept in a four-game series since May 23-26, 2016 at Fresno and the first time they were swept at home in a four-game set since June 2-5, 2015 vs. Sacramento. Additionally, it was the first time the Sounds swept OKC in a four-game series since 2006 and the first time they swept any series in Bricktown in 17 years...In their last meeting in Music City, the Sounds and Dodgers split a weather-abbreviated series, 2-2, May 25-28. The teams combined to score just 18 runs total...In 2017, the Dodgers won the season series, 11-5, posting at least 10 wins against the Sounds for the third straight year. OKC outscored the Sounds, 85-54, and Dodgers pitchers racked up 158 strikeouts in 16 meetings for an average of 9.9 per game...Each of the last eight meetings has been decided by one run, with the Sounds winning six times, including five of the last six.

Teach Me How to Dugie: Alex Verdugo went 2-for-5 Friday night to extend his hitting streak to 13 games, tying his longest hitting streak of the season (June 3-18), and tying Rocky Gale for the longest hitting streak by a Dodger in 2018...During the current streak, he is batting .458 (22x48) with seven multi-hit outings, two homers and six runs scored. He has 38 hits over his last 26 games...Verdugo paces the Dodgers with 90 hits in 65 games, and his .354 season batting average is tops in the PCL.

Welcome Back: Since returning from the Disabled List last week, both Tim Locastro and Donovan Solano have had noticeable impacts. Solano is 9-for-21 with a pair of games with three-plus hits, seven RBI and four runs scored over five games total. Locastro has hit safely in all seven games he's played in, going 10-for-28 with 10 runs scored...Sunday was the first day both players were active, and since then, the team is 4-0 when both are in the starting lineup and 1-2 when one or neither is in the lineup.

Farm Fresh: Over his current seven-game hitting streak, Kyle Farmer is 12-for-30 (.400) with seven doubles, six RBI and five runs scored...Eleven of his 20 hits this month have gone for extra bases, and since July 3, his 10 doubles are the most in Triple-A and tied for second-most in the Minors overall...Farmer is also tied with Alex Verdugo for the team lead in hits this month with 20.

Around the Horn: The Dodgers are 1-1-2 in their four doubleheaders this season (3-1 in Game 1 and 1-3 in Game 2). They were swept by the Sounds when they played a double dip in OKC June 27 (5-4, 1-0)...Last night the Dodgers played in their third extra-inning game in their past five contests. They won all three games and are now 8-4 in extra-inning games this season. Their 12 extra-inning games in 2018 are second-most in the league behind New Orleans (14)...The Dodgers have scored first in 10 of the last 11 games, but are only 6-4 during that stretch when striking first. The team is 7-8 the last 15 times scoring first after beginning the season 30-5...OKC designated hitters this season have combined to bat .341 with 22 XBH and 21 RBI over 45 games.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 21, 2018


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