OKC Dodgers Game Notes - July 27, 2021
July 27, 2021 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release
Sugar Land Skeeters (40-30) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (37-34)
Game #72 of 130/Home #36 of 65
Pitching Probables: SUG-RHP J.P. France (2-0, 3.07) vs. OKC-RHP Edwin Uceta (0-2, 5.28)/RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx (7-1, 4.38)
Tuesday, July 27, 2021 | Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark | Oklahoma City, Okla. | 7:05 p.m. CT
Radio: KGHM AM-1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, iHeartRadio; Video: MiLB.tv
Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers and Sugar Land Skeeters wrap up their six-game series at 7:05 p.m. at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark on a $2 Tuesday. Sugar Land leads the series, 3-2, and the Dodgers seek a series split after winning the first two series of the season against the Skeeters. Sugar Land currently leads the East Division by 3.5 games ahead of second-place OKC...The Dodgers are 2-2 in series finales this season in which they are aiming for a split.
Last Game: With the score tied in the bottom of the ninth inning, Carlos Asuaje hit a chopper between first and second base that allowed DJ Peters to score the game-winning run for Oklahoma City Dodgers in a 3-2 walk-off win against the Sugar Land Skeeters Monday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Yoshi Tsutsugo drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the ninth inning, and DJ Peters came into the game as a pinch runner. Following a single by Cristian Santana and a wild pitch to advance the runners to second and third base, Asuaje hit into a fielder's choice that was gloved by Sugar Land's C.J. Hinojosa who threw to home plate, but Peters beat the catcher's tag to secure the win. OKC had scored the first run of the night in the second inning when Santana bounced a RBI single into center field. Keibert Ruiz's RBI single in the fifth inning extended the Dodgers to a 2-0 lead. The Skeeters tied the game, 2-2, on a two-run homer by Taylor Jones in the sixth inning.
Today's Probable Pitchers: Edwin Uceta (0-2) is scheduled to make his sixth appearance and third start for OKC...Uceta most recently pitched Thursday against Sugar Land, allowing two runs and three hits over 2.2 innings of relief with no walks and five K's...Uceta was most recently optioned to OKC July 20. He has made 11 appearances (one start) for the Los Angeles Dodgers over four stints on the ML roster and is 0-3 with a 8.10 ERA. He made his MLB debut April 30 at Milwaukee with 2.0 innings in a spot start...Uceta spent a portion of the 2020 season at the Dodgers' Alternate Training Site and was added to the LAD 40-man roster Nov. 20...He originally signed with the Dodgers July 2, 2016 as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic at the age of 18...Tonight is his fourth appearance of the season against the Skeeters and he is 0-1, having allowed six runs (five earned) and 10 hits over 8.1 innings with three walks and 12 K's.
Austin Bibens-Dirkx (7-1) is set to piggyback Uceta as he seeks his league-leading eighth win of 2021...Bibens-Dirkx paces Triple-A West with seven wins, ranks third in the league in ERA at 4.38, seventh with a 1.38 WHIP, ninth with 61.2 IP and 10th with a .286 AVG...He last pitched Thursday against Sugar Land in his ninth start. He held the Skeeters to two runs on seven hits over 4.1 innings with one walk and a season-high seven strikeouts and did not factor into the decision of OKC's 5-4 loss...Over his last five games, Bibens-Dirkx has notched 20 strikeouts against two walks across 22.0 IP...He was named Triple-A West Pitcher of the Week following an outing of 5.0 scoreless innings June 6 vs. Sugar Land, marking his first weekly award since May 2013 with High-A Dunedin...Bibens-Dirkx signed with the Dodgers May 4 after he did not see any formal game action in 2020. He was with the Texas Rangers during Spring Training in 2020 and was released June 1...Tonight is his fourth appearance of the season against the Skeeters. In 14.1 IP against Sugar Land, he has allowed five runs, 19 hits and two walks with 16 strikeouts.
Against the Skeeters: 2021: 11-6 2019: N/A All-time: 11-6 At OKC: 6-5 The Dodgers and Skeeters meet for their third series of the season and second at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark...The Dodgers won each of the first two series between the teams, including most recently June 24-29 at Constellation Field, 5-1. They also took four of six games at home June 3-8...During the six-game series in Sugar Land, each game was decided by one or two runs, with three decided by just one run. In four of OKC's wins, the Dodgers scored the go-ahead run(s) in the seventh inning or later...Keibert Ruiz has led the OKC offense with 22 hits, five homers, 13 extra-base hits, 16 RBI and 16 runs scored in the 15 games he's played against the Skeeters...Through the first 17 games this season, OKC has outscored the Skeeters, 98-69, and has smacked 25 homers while holding Sugar Land to 11...Sugar Land leads the East Division with a 40-30 record and has the most road wins in the league with 24. The Skeeters' +59 run differential is best in the league. Their pitching staff's 4.50 ERA leads Triple-A West, and they have allowed a league-low 330 runs so far in 2021.
Down to the Wire: Including last night, 10 of the last 11 games between OKC and Sugar Land have been decided by one or two runs. And of the last 14 games between the teams, 12 have been decided by one or two runs, including six one-run games. The Dodgers are now 7-5 in those 12 close games with the Skeeters and 3-3 in the one-run contests. Within the last 10 games between the teams, the go-ahead run(s) scored in the seventh inning or later seven times, including last night's walk-off win by OKC...With last night's win, the Dodgers snapped a five-game losing skid in games tied after eight innings and are now 2-5 this season.
Keibert Goes Kaboom: After being named Triple-A West Player of the Week earlier in the day, Keibert Ruiz went 3-for-4 Monday night, collecting hits in each of his first three at-bats, with a double and RBI. Ruiz extended his season-best hitting streak to 10 games, going 18-for-44 (.409) with four homers, six doubles and 13 RBI. Monday was his eighth game of the season with three or more hits and third within his last six games...Seven of his last nine hits have gone for extra bases and he has now reached base in 22 of his last 23 starts, batting .380 (35x92) with eight homers, eight doubles, 17 runs scored and 25 RBI...He ranks among Triple-A West league leaders with a .642 SLG (3rd), 1.027 OPS (3rd), 34 extra-base hits (T-5th), 18 doubles (7th) and 129 total bases (10th). He currently leads the Dodgers with 63 hits, 18 doubles and 45 RBI while ranking second with 16 homers and 39 runs scored...Ruiz is only of just five players across the Minors with at least 18 doubles and 16 homers and one of two Triple-A players with that distinction, joining former Dodgers minor leaguer and University of Oklahoma product Cody Thomas (Las Vegas).
Matt the Bat: Matt Davidson doubled and scored a run Monday night and has now hit safely in a season-best nine straight games, going 13-for-32 (.406) with five homers, two doubles and eight RBI. He is in the midst of his longest hitting streak since the 2013 season when he also hit safely in nine straight games with Triple-A Reno June 9-17. He last hit safely in 10 consecutive games also during the 2013 season with Reno, collecting hits in 11 straight games May 6-18...Davidson leads the Dodgers with 17 homers this season and has homered in three of the last five games and has 15 homers in the last 27 games. Since June 29, his 13 homers, 18 extra-base hits and 71 total bases are most in Triple-A West, while his 28 RBI are tied for most and his .899 SLG and 1.303 OPS are both second and his 22 runs scored are tied for second. His home run total since June 29 is also tied for most in the Minors...Davidson has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games (17x46, 8 HR, 12 RBI) and in 19 of his last 21 games, batting .342 (27x79) with 18 extra-base hits and 28 RBI...His 12 homers this month are tied for the most across the Minors or Majors and mark the highest monthly total of his career. It's also the most homers hit in one month by an OKC player since Mike Hessman socked 14 dingers in June 2012.
July is for Homers: The Dodgers were held without a home run Monday, snapping their season-best streak of 11 straight games with a homer (22 HR). The Dodgers had homered in each of their first 10 games of the current homestand and had hit 15 homers over the previous five games entering Monday. Despite being held without a homer last night, the Dodgers have homered in 15 of the last 17 games and their 33 homers since July 8 are still tied for second-most across the Minors or Majors, only one behind High-A Hickory (Texas Rangers) and even with fellow Dodgers affiliate Great Lakes (High-A). The Dodgers' 38 homers through 23 games in July are second-most in Triple-A West and three behind league-leading Las Vegas. In July 2019 the Dodgers hit 62 homers in 27 games to rank second in the Minors, again only trailing Las Vegas (65)...On the other hand, OKC has allowed homers in three straight games after going three straight games without allowing a homer. The 23 homers allowed by OKC so far in July are fewest in Triple-A West. OKC has allowed 39 homers over the last 47 games - fewest in Triple-A West by 15 since June 3. The 81 homers allowed by the Dodgers overall this season are also fewest in Triple-A West.
Rehab Recap: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Corey Knebel opened a Major League Rehab Assignment and started Monday's game on the mound for OKC. He retired the side in order in the top of the first inning, throwing 15 pitches, including nine strikes before exiting the game after two strikeouts and a flyout hit by rehabbing Houston Astros infielder Alex Bregman. Knebel, a MLB All-Star in 2017, has been on the Injured List with a right lat strain since April 24 and pitched in eight games for LAD this season.
Sales Pitch: The Dodgers pitching staff tied their season high with 15 strikeouts last night. It's the sixth time this season with 15 K's and the second time during the current series. They have struck out at least 10 batters in eight of the last 10 games (115 K) and five of the last six games (73 K). During the current series against Sugar Land, they've racked up 63 strikeouts against 14 walks over five games...Relievers Darien Núñez and Garrett Cleavinger combined to notch eight strikeouts while retiring the 11 final batters of the game for the Skeeters...The Dodgers also issued only two walks yesterday and have allowed two walks or less in 10 of the last 15 games.
Around the Horn: The Dodgers look to record back-to-back home wins for just the second time in the last 22 games in Bricktown and the first back-to-back home wins within the same series during that same amount of time. With last night's win, OKC is now 8-13 in the last 21 home games and 6-10 in the last 16 at home. The team is 1-6 when following their last seven home wins...Yoshi Tsutsugo was held without a hit last night to snap his five-game hitting streak, but drew a walk as he has reached base in 14 straight games, going 15-for-44 (.341) with five homers, a double, 12 RBI and 13 runs scored...Cristian Santana went 2-for-4 Monday and has now hit safely in 13 of his 17 games this month, including 13 of his 15 July starts. He has three multi-hit games over his last six starts and is batting .317 in July after batting .236 through June...OKC has been charged with an error in five straight games (six errors total) for the first time since May 15-20...Omar Estévez has hit safely in five straight games (6x18)...Zach Reks ranks among Triple-A West leaders this season in OPS (5th, 1.003), OBP (6th, .408) and SLG (9th, .596).
Pacific Coast League Stories from July 27, 2021
- Ellis, Vargas Each Record Three RBIs in 9-6 Loss - Reno Aces
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - July 27, 2021 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Aviators Host Tacoma & Salt Lake in 12-Game Homestand from July 29 - August 10 - Las Vegas Aviators
- Aces Notes - Reno Aces
- Round Rock Drops Heartbreaker as Reno Claims 11-10 Walk-Off Win - Round Rock Express
- McCarthy walks off for team's 500th run as Reno stuns Round Rock, 11-10 - Reno Aces
- Dubón, Krizan go deep in loss to Rainiers - Sacramento River Cats
- Dodgers Walk off Sugar Land - Oklahoma City Comets
- Thaiss Gives Bees Walkoff Win - Salt Lake Bees
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