PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - July 29, 2022

Published on July 29, 2022 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Sugar Land Space Cowboys (41-55) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (57-39)

Game #97 of 150/Home #52 of 75

Pitching Probables: SUG-RHP Hunter Brown (6-3, 2.62) vs. OKC-LHP Justin Bruihl (2-0, 2.16)/RHP Michael Grove (0-2, 5.27)

Friday, July 29, 2022 | 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 look for their sixth win in the last seven games of the current homestand as well as their third win of the series against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys at 7:05 p.m. at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Friday Night Fireworks are scheduled to follow the game.

Last Game: The Sugar Land Space Cowboys scored 12 straight runs to overcome a six-run deficit on the way to a 12-7 win against the OKC Dodgers Thursday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The Dodgers scored six runs in the third inning with two outs. Miguel Vargas hit a two-run double and Michael Busch followed with a RBI single. After Jason Martin drew a walk, Ryan Noda hit a three-run homer out to right field for a 6-0 advantage. The Space Cowboys answered in their next at-bat, scoring three runs in the fourth inning, including home runs by Jose Siri and Lewis Brinson. Sugar Land added five runs in the fifth inning, including a pair of two-run doubles by Yainer Diaz and Alex De Goti, to take an 8-6 lead. Sugar Land scored four runs in the seventh inning, including a three-run home run by Corey Julks for a 12-6 advantage. Michael Busch hit a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning OKC's final run.

Today's Probable Pitchers: Justin Bruihl (2-0) is scheduled to open tonight's game and make his first start of 2022...Bruihl last pitched July 22 against Sacramento during the first game of the current homestand with 1.0 scoreless inning of relief, allowing one hit and two walks with two strikeouts and was the winning pitcher in a 10-4 victory...He has allowed one run over his last 10 appearances with OKC, posting a 0.66 ERA over his last 13.2 IP with the team. He also had a scoreless outing with the Los Angeles Dodgers during the stretch against San Diego with 1.1 IP June 30...Bruihl has made 18 appearances for LAD this season, going 1-1 with a 3.57 ERA...Bruihl signed with the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent June 15, 2017 out of Santa Rosa Junior College...Bruihl has been used as an opener three times previously his career, all in 2021.

Michael Grove (0-2) is slated to follow Bruihl serve as the team's primary pitcher...Grove pitched 3.2 scoreless innings in his last start July 23 against Sacramento in OKC. After allowing hits to the first two batters of the game, Grove retired the final 10 batters he faced. He did not allow a walk and struck out four in a no decision...Tonight will be Grove's third appearance after spending about two weeks on the Injured List earlier this month...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 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...He was selected by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft from West Virginia University...This will be his third meeting against the Space Cowboys this season. He is 0-0 and has allowed five runs and eight hits over 8.1 innings, along with six walks and four strikeouts.

Against the Space Cowboys: 2022: 11-4 2021: 12-12 All-time: 23-16 At OKC: 15-9 The Dodgers and Space Cowboys meet for their fourth of five series this season, including the third and final series in OKC...The teams last met in a three-game series June 7-9 in OKC, with the Dodgers sweeping the set. The Dodgers scored at least six runs in each of the three victories, including two walk-off wins...So far in 2022, OKC is 9-3 against Sugar Land at home with wins in eight of the nine last games, including three walk-off wins in the last six games in OKC...The Dodgers also won a three-game road series against the Space Cowboys May 20-22 in Sugar Land, 2-1...Including the current series, Miguel Vargas leads OKC with 20 hits, including four homers, in 15 games and Stefen Romero has a team-best 14 RBI in seven games. Pitcher Ryan Pepiot is 3-0 against the Space Cowboys with 25 K's over 22.2 IP and a 1.59 ERA...The teams split their 2021 season series, 12-12. Both teams went 6-6 on their home fields as Sugar Land played its first season as a Triple-A franchise...Last night ended a seven-game win streak against the Space Cowboys, but the Dodgers have won 10 of their last 12 games against Sugar Land after they had lost 11 of the previous 15 games going back to 2021.

Life At The Top: The Dodgers' five-game winning streak was snapped last night, which was tied for the team's longest winning streak of the season. It was also OKC's first loss during the current nine-game homestand that began last Friday, as the defeat also ended a five-game home win streak - the team's longest since 2018...The Dodgers lead the PCL with a 57-39 record and have a 4.0-game lead ahead of second-place El Paso in the East Division standings. The Dodgers will look to tie their high-water mark for the season at 19 games above .500 tonight (also 46-27; 47-28; 57-38)...OKC also owns the league's best home record, going 32-19 so far at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark this season. The Dodgers have already exceeded their home win totals from both the 2021 and 2019 seasons when the team went 30-34 in OKC in 2021 and 30-39 in OKC in 2019, marking the only time in the ballpark's history the team has had consecutive losing records at home...With yesterday's loss, the Dodgers still have not won six consecutive games since July 18-24, 2019. Each of OKC's last four five-game win streaks have fallen short of reaching six straight wins, going back through last season.

Buschwacked: Michael Busch went 3-for-4 with a home run last night, collecting a game-high three hits and finishing with three or more hits in a game for the fourth time this season with OKC. He also had two RBI and scored two runs. Over his last six games, Busch is 11-for-21 with five multi-hit games, four extra-base hits and six walks, reaching base in 17 of 28 plate appearances. He has also hit safely in 12 of his last 16 games, batting .359 (23x64)...Busch leads the Dodgers with 27 hits in 21 games this month. He's tallied seven doubles, four home runs, 13 RBI and 16 runs scored...Busch is tied for second among Dodgers minor leaguers with 23 total home runs.

Beast Node: Ryan Noda hit his 15th homer of the season last night and finished with a team-best three RBI. Over the first three games of the current series, Noda is 4-for-11 with two homers, a double and six RBI. He's hit three homers over the first six games of the current homestand...His 15 homers this season are tied for second among Dodgers players, while his 53 RBI, 81 total hits and 55 runs scored are all third on the team. Noda paces the Dodgers with 54 walks this season and his walk total ranks second overall in the PCL, while his 55 runs and 53 RBI each rank 10th in the league.

On the Mend: Los Angeles Dodgers Dustin May and Edwin Ríos played with OKC Thursday as part of Major League Rehab Assignments. May made his second start with OKC, starting and pitching 3.0 scoreless innings. He allowed two hits and no walks with six strikeouts. He faced 12 batters and threw 46 pitches, including 32 strikes. It was May's third overall game of his current rehab assignment after he underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2021...Infielder Edwin Ríos reached base twice, as he was hit by a pitch in his first plate appearance of the game and later drew a walk in the fifth inning. He also played five innings at third base but committed two errors. Ríos was placed on the Los Angeles Dodgers Injured List June 3 with a right hamstring injury and was transferred to the 60-day IL June 22.

Drew Point: Drew Avans drew a walk and scored a run last night as he extended his on-base streak to 35 games - tied for the longest by a PCL player this season. El Paso's Nomar Mazara also reached base in 35 games April 12-May 29. Both Avans and Mazara own the longest on-base streaks by a PCL player since El Paso's Brian O'Grady reached base in 38 straight games June 3-Aug. 28, 2021...Avans' streak is the longest by an OKC player since the 2019 season when Gavin Lux reached base in 37 consecutive games, and he has reached base in 49 of his last 50 games...Avans has hit safely in 19 of the last 22 games and last night was just the second time in the last 15 games he was held without a hit, and during those 15 games he is batting .338 (22x65)...He ranks second in the PCL with seven triples, while his 22 stolen bases rank tied for eighth...From the start of the season through May 31 (31 games), Avans batted .235 (20x85) with seven extra-base hits, eight RBI and 15 runs scored. Since June 1 (44 games), Avans is batting .322 (55x171) with 11 doubles, four triples, three homers, 20 RBI, 21 walks and 37 runs scored. During that span he ranks third in the PCL with 55 hits, fourth with a .406 OBP and fourth in batting average.

It Ain't Over Until...: OKC had a six-run advantage erased in Thursday's loss for the team's largest lead in a loss since a 12-11 defeat in Sugar Land Aug. 21, 2021 when the Dodgers led, 11-0. But Thursday was OKC's largest lead in a home loss since July 30, 2012 in a 7-6 defeat against Omaha. The then-RedHawks led, 6-0, through five innings before Omaha scored seven unanswered runs, with two runs in the sixth inning, four runs in the seventh inning and one run in the ninth inning. Current Sugar Land manager Mickey Storey pitched 2.1 innings for the RedHawks that night and was charged with the loss after allowing Omaha's go-ahead run in the ninth inning.

The Rundown: The six runs scored by the Dodgers in the third inning marked the 12th time this season the Dodgers scored six or more runs in an inning and they reached the mark for the second time this homestand after scoring seven runs in the third inning against Sacramento July 22...OKC scored at least six runs in a game for the fifth time in the last six games, but it was OKC's highest run total in a loss since July 1 in El Paso during an 11-8 defeat...On the other hand, the 12 runs allowed by the Dodgers tied for the most allowed in a home game this season. Sugar Land became the fifth opponent to have multiple innings of four-plus runs in one game, but the first to do it in OKC this season. It was also the second time this season the Dodgers have allowed three homers in a home game as well as seven extra-base hits in a home game.

Around the Horn: Miguel Vargas went 1-for-4 with a two-run double last night. He has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games, going 17-for-56 (.304). He's also hit safely in 27 of his last 30 games, batting .333 (40x120) with 13 doubles, four homers, 26 RBI and 25 runs scored. He leads the PCL with 106 hits and 79 runs this season...Jason Martin and Miguel Vargas are the only teammates across the Majors or Minors with at least 70 RBI this season...Including a 3-for-4 output yesterday, the Dodgers are now 15-for-41 (.366) when there were runners in scoring position with two outs over the last eight games...The Dodgers have 18 stolen bases over the last 11 games, going 18-for-19 in their attempts...Hunter Feduccia has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, going 13-for-38 (.342) with six doubles, three homers, 10 RBI, four walks and 10 runs scored.

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