PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - July 30, 2015

Published on July 30, 2015 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (62-41) vs. Memphis Redbirds (56-49)

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Game #104 of 144/Road #60 of 73 (35-24)

Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Brandon Beachy (1-1, 3.52) vs. MEM-LHP John Gast (5-7, 4.86)

Thursday, July 30, 2015 | AutoZone Park | Memphis, Tenn. | 7:05 p.m. CT

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

Today's Game: The Dodgers look to end a three-game losing skid when they continue their series against the Memphis Redbirds at 7:05 p.m. at AutoZone Park. The Redbirds have won each of the first two games of the current series by one run.

Yesterday's Game: For the second straight game, Memphis put together a key rally in the fifth inning, and the three-run frame held up in a 3-2 win over the Dodgers Wednesday afternoon at AutoZone Park. The Dodgers took the lead in the fourth when Andy Wilkins homered for the second straight day. His solo shot to right field put OKC in front, 1-0. But also for the second straight day, Memphis produced a big fifth inning to take the lead. Each of the first four Redbirds collected a base hit, including a go-ahead two-run homer by Alex Mejia. Ed Easley added a RBI groundout later in the inning, making it a 3-1 game. Kyle Jensen went deep onto the left field bluff in the top of the seventh to pull within one run. The Dodgers had two runners on with none out in the eighth, but ultimately left the bases loaded. Memphis starting pitcher Tyler Lyons went seven strong innings to earn his seventh win. After Darnell Sweeney reached base on an error to start the game, Lyons (7-5) retired 17 of the next 18 batters. Eric Stults (1-1) allowed three runs and nine hits over five innings to take the loss. Mitch Harris picked up his third save.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Brandon Beachy (1-1) makes his sixth start of the season for the OKC Dodgers tonight...He last started for OKC Saturday in Round Rock, allowing four runs and five hits over 6.0 innings. He issued two walks and struck out three in a no decision...Beachy was optioned to OKC July 21 after making two starts for the L.A. Dodgers. Beachy was officially reinstated from the 60-day disabled list (Tommy John surgery) on July 11 and went 0-1 with a 7.88 ERA, allowing seven runs and 10 hits over 8.0 innings...Beachy made four starts with OKC earlier this season as part of his MLB rehab assignment, posting a 2.65 ERA over 17.0 innings with 11 strikeouts...He is coming off the second Tommy John surgery of his career, which forced him to miss the entire 2014 season. After spending the first seven years of his career with the Atlanta Braves, Beachy inked a one-year deal with the Dodgers in February...Two of his first five starts with OKC were against Memphis. He's allowed just one run and seven hits over 7.0 innings, with four walks and four strikeouts.

Against the Redbirds: 2015: 7-3 2014: 10-6 All-time: 149-134 In MEM: 63-81

Oklahoma City earned the club's first-ever series sweep in Memphis June 30-July 3. The Dodgers bashed nine home runs over the four-game set and won three of the four games by one run. It was also the team's first sweep against the Redbirds since July 22-25, 2011 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark...Darnell Sweeney is hitting .405 against Memphis with three homers, 10 RBI, and seven runs scored...Andy Wilkins has hit four homers...The Dodgers finished with a winning record in Memphis each of the past two seasons, and are now 15-7 at AutoZone Park since the start of the 2013 season. Prior to 2013, OKC had not finished with a winning record in the Bluff City since 1999.

Peaks and Valleys: The Dodgers opened the current road trip with a 12-4 win in Omaha on July 20 to improve the team's record to 60-33 and mark the first time ever an OKC team reached 27 games above .500. Since then, the Dodgers have dropped eight of 10 games and have seen their first-place lead shrink from nine games to just four games. It's the team's smallest first-place lead since entering play on April 28. The Dodgers' largest division lead was 11 games entering play on July 4, but they have gone 9-14 since then...Even with the recent struggles, the Dodgers still pace the PCL with 62 wins this season. They are in a three-way tie for the third-most wins in the Minors behind Double-A Corpus Christi (66) and Low-A Quad Cities (65).

Rocky Road: The Dodgers are 3-8 on their current 13-game road trip, with half of the losses coming by one run. The team is also near the end of a stretch where 26 of 33 games are on the road (11-13 road; 14-17 overall)...OKC owns the league's best road record at 35-24.

Bringing the Boom: The Dodgers hit two more home runs yesterday and have now homered at least once in 23 of their last 27 games, totaling 39 dingers during that time. Their 37 homers in July lead the PCL, and it's the team's highest monthly home run total since May 2012 (43). The recent power surge has pushed the Dodgers up to a tie with Tacoma for the most homers in the PCL this season (104). OKC has never led the league in home runs during its previous 17 seasons in the PCL...In five games at AutoZone Park this season, the Dodgers have swatted 13 home runs, accounting for 17 of the 24 runs they've scored (71 percent). And going back to last season, OKC has hit 23 homers over the last 11 games in Memphis.

Barney and Friends: Darwin Barney has hit safely in six straight games, going 11-for-26 (.423) with three RBI, four runs scored, and two stolen bases. Since rejoining OKC on June 18, Barney is tied for third in the league in hits (45) and is third in batting average (.366).

Wilk-ing in Memphis: Andy Wilkins is 3-for-7 with two home runs through the first two games of the series against the Redbirds. He has hit safely in four straight games (7x15) and has picked up at least one RBI in eight of his last nine games (10 RBI), including at least one in six straight. Despite not collecting his first home run or RBI with OKC until May 17, Wilkins leads the team with 49 RBI (third in PCL) and is tied for the team lead with 14 homers (fifth in PCL).

Table Setter: Leadoff man Darnell Sweeney is currently on a six-game hitting streak, going 9-for-27 (.333). Sweeney is tied for fourth in the league with 112 hits, tied for eighth with 60 runs, and is tied for the league lead with 28 stolen bases. Since June 1, he is second in the PCL with 67 hits (Jesus Montero, Tacoma - 73).

Jensen's July: Over the last three games, Kyle Jensen is 7-for-11 with a home run and two RBI. After batting .203 between May and June, Jensen his batting .329 in July.

Tough Times on the Hill: The Dodgers' recent pitching struggles waned a bit Wednesday. They allowed just three runs, but still gave up at least 11 hits for a third straight game. Over the past three games, they've allowed 21 runs and 35 hits. Over the last 13 games, the pitching staff has posted a 5.67 ERA (68 ER/108.0 IP) and opponents are batting .309 (133x430). They have allowed at least five runs in nine of the 13 games, and at least seven runs in four of the last nine games.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE AND PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)

DATE TIME OPPONENT OKC PITCHER OPP. PITCHER

Friday, July 31 7:05 p.m. @ Memphis RHP Joe Wieland (6-4, 5.42) LHP Nick Greenwood (9-3, 5.30)

Saturday, August 1 7:05 p.m. New Orleans RHP Trevor Cahill (0-2, 7.82) RHP Jose Urena (6-1, 2.66)

Sunday, August 2 (G1) 3:35 p.m. New Orleans LHP Eric Surkamp (4-3, 4.56) LHP Adam Conley (9-3, 2.52)

Sunday, August 2 (G2) New Orleans TBA TBA

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