OKC Dodgers Game Notes - June 17, 2021
June 17, 2021 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release
Oklahoma City Dodgers (16-20) at Round Rock Express (23-13)
Game #37 of 120/Road #19 of 60
Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx (3-1, 4.55) vs. RR-RHP Collin Wiles (2-0, 2.88)
Thursday, June 17, 2021 | Dell Diamond | Round Rock, Texas | 7:05 p.m. CT
Radio: KGHM AM-1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, iHeartRadio; Video: MiLB.tv
Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers open a 12-game Texas road trip as well as a six-game series at 7:05 p.m. against the Round Rock Express at Dell Diamond...The Dodgers went 7-5 during their recent homestand and are 7-11 on the road so far this season...OKC is 2-4 in series openers, including 0-3 on the road...This is the second series of the 2021 Red Dirt Rumble between OKC and Round Rock, with the Express currently leading, 5-1.
Last Game: Keibert Ruiz and Omar Estévez each hit pinch-hit homers and OKC Dodgers starting pitcher Yefry Ramírez threw six scoreless innings in the Dodgers' 8-3 win in their series finale against the El Paso Chihuahuas Tuesday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Sheldon Neuse's RBI single in the fifth inning broke a scoreless tie, as he finished with a team-high three hits. The Dodgers scored four runs in the seventh inning, including a RBI triple by Carlos Asuaje and a two-run pinch-hit homer by Ruiz out to right field. Matt Davidson capped the inning with a RBI single. El Paso got on the board with two runs in the eighth inning and another in the ninth. In between, the Dodgers scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Omar Estévez hit OKC's second pinch-hit homer of the game with a two-run shot into the Dodgers' bullpen in left-center field, and DJ Peters drove in OKC's final run with a RBI single. After being held to one run and four hits through six innings, the Dodgers scored seven runs on 10 hits across their final two-at bats.
Today's Probable Pitcher: Austin Bibens-Dirkx (3-1) tries for back-to-back wins after allowing just one run over his last two outings combined...On June 11 against El Paso in OKC, Bibens-Dirkx followed opener Dennis Santana on the mound, holding the Chihuahuas to one run and four hits over 4.2 innings with two walks and four strikeouts as he earned the win in OKC's 9-1 victory...In his last two games - both serving as the bulk innings pitcher following an opener - Bibens-Dirkx has allowed just one run and seven hits with three walks and eight strikeouts over 9.2 innings...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 the High-A Dunedin Blue Jays...Bibens-Dirkx enters today ranked the top seven in Triple-A West in WHIP (1.25, 5th), BAA (.246, 6th) and ERA (4.55, 7th)...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...He made his MLB debut May 17, 2017 for the Texas Rangers and went on to be voted Texas Rangers Rookie of the Year in 2017 by DFW BBWAA chapter...He was originally selected in the 16th round of the 2006 MLB Draft by Seattle from the University of Portland and has spent time playing in the Mariners, Cubs, Rockies, Nationals, Blue Jays and Rangers organizations...Bibens-Dirkx made 40 appearances (31 starts) for Round Rock from 2016-18 and last played for the Express in 2018. He last pitched against the Express May 10 in Round Rock, allowing one run and six hits over 5.0 innings in his season debut. He did not issue a walk and had four strikeouts in his first win of 2021.
Against the Express: 2021: 1-5 2019: 6-10 All-time: 131-113 At RR: 63-56 The Red Dirt Rumble is back in action as the Dodgers and Express are meeting for their second of five series this season, including their second series in Round Rock...The Express won the first series between the teams May 6-11 as the teams opened the 2021 season against one another. Round Rock outscored OKC, 49-24, in the series and outhit the Dodgers, 70-48. The Dodgers had trouble slowing down the E-Train, who slashed .335/.404/.617 over the six-game set with 14 homers. Round Rock scored at least six runs each game and reached double digits twice. For OKC, Zach Reks collected a team-leading five RBI and tied for the team lead with seven hits, including a double and home run. Omar Estévez scored a team-high five runs...Only 371 miles separate Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark from Dell Diamond, making it the shortest distance between the Dodgers and any of their Triple-A opponents, as well as a perfect set-up for a rivalry as the teams meet 30 times this season...In 2019, the Express won the season series for the first time since 2014. The Dodgers went 2-6 at Dell Diamond, posting a losing record there for the first time since 2009 and taking their most losses ever in one season at the stadium...OKC is 3-11 at Dell Diamond over the last two seasons after going 22-10 at the venue between 2015-18.
Making it Look Ruiz-y: Dodgers top prospect Keibert Ruiz hit a pinch-hit home run in the seventh inning Tuesday night for his fifth homer in the six-game series against El Paso and homered in back-to-back games for the second time this month (also June 10-11). During the series, five of Ruiz's six hits were homers as he collected eight RBI...Between OKC and his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers this season, Ruiz has hit nine homers and nine doubles in 96 total plate appearances (27 games). During his last full season in 2019, Ruiz hit nine doubles and six homers between OKC and Double-A Tulsa over 350 plate appearances (85 games)...In 21 games with OKC this season, 17 of his 24 hits have gone for extra bases and he is currently slugging .695...During the homestand, Ruiz went 12-for-39 (.308) with six homers, three doubles, five walks, 11 runs scored and 13 RBI while hitting safely in seven of nine starts.
Reks in Effect: Zach Reks went 2-for-5 with two doubles Tuesday and recorded his 10th multi-hit game of 2021, second straight multi-hit outing as well as his sixth in June. Reks paces the Dodgers with 12 doubles and 29 runs scored and tied for first with 37 hits as he has reached base in 28 of his 29 starts this season...Reks currently ranks tied for second in Triple-A West with 29 runs scored, fourth with 12 doubles, fifth with a .443 OBP and sixth with a .336 AVG...Over his last 15 games, Reks is 21-for-58 (.362) with nine doubles...His 10 doubles since May 29 are the most among all Triple-A players, while his 20 runs scored are tied for the most in Triple-A during that period...In the 11 games Reks has batted in the leadoff spot, the Dodgers are 8-3 and Reks is slashing .349/.472/.581 with seven RBI, seven doubles and 12 runs scored.
Dinger Details: The Dodgers have now homered at least once in eight of the last nine games (13 HR total) and have hit 37 homers in their last 24 games, including 11 homers in the last seven games. In contrast, the Dodgers hit just 11 homers over the first 12 games of 2021...Meanwhile, the Dodgers pitching staff has not allowed a homer in a season-high six straight games and ended up allowing just four homers through the team's recent 12-game homestand after surrendering 42 over the first 24 games of the season. Opponents have been kept inside the park in nine of the last 12 games after they had gone deep at least once in 22 of the first 24 games.
In a Pinch: The Dodgers hit two pinch-hit home runs Tuesday night, collecting two-run homers from Keibert Ruiz in the seventh inning and Omar Estévez in the eighth inning...The Dodgers technically last had two pinch-hit homers in the same game during the completion of a suspended game Aug. 20, 2019 against Nashville in OKC, but was done so under unique circumstances. That game was originally suspended May 10 after the top of the fourth inning due to rain. Zach McKinstry and Zach Reks each homered in their first at-bat when the game picked up Aug. 20 and both appearances were technically considered pinch-hitting situations since they were not on the team's roster when the game initially started...OKC now has three pinch-hit homers this season. The team had only hit more than two pinch-hit homers in an entire season just three times since 2005, including three total in 2017, four in 2012 and five in 2011, but not two true pinch-hit homers in the same game since 2005 until Tuesday.
Mound Turnaround: The Dodgers held an opponent to four runs or less for the fifth time in the last six games and for the 10th time in the last 14 games Tuesday night, including six games allowing two or fewer runs during the stretch...During the team's current 12-7 stretch, the pitching staff has posted a 3.96 ERA - lowest in Triple-A West since May 25 - and opponents are batting .242. Prior to May 25, the team had a 7.44 ERA, 1.72 WHIP and .293 BAA over the first 17 games...Throughout the recent homestand, OKC allowed 43 runs over 12 games and opponents batted .244 (96x393) overall and .255 (27x106) with runners in scoring position...OKC leads Triple-A West with a 3.98 ERA in June after placing eighth in the 10-team league with a 6.53 ERA in May.
Rehab Report: Outfielder Yoshi Tsutsugo is expected to play in the first game of his Major League Rehab Assignment tonight in Round Rock. Tsutsugo was acquired by the Los Angeles Dodgers in a trade with Tampa Bay May 15 and has appeared in 12 games with LAD, going 3-for-25. He was placed on the Injured List June 9 with a right calf strain...Reliever Garrett Cleavinger officially completed his rehab assignment and was reinstated by the Los Angeles Dodgers today. Over four appearances, Cleavinger threw 4.0 scoreless innings with three hits, three walks and seven strikeouts. He retired the side in order on seven pitches during the seventh inning Tuesday, including two strikeouts.
Going Streaking: Sheldon Neuse has hit safely in a season-high four straight games, going 7-for-17 with a homer, four RBI, three runs scored and two walks. He set a season high Tuesday night with three hits, going 3-for-4 with a walk, RBI and run scored...Matt Davidson hit safely in each of the five games he played against El Paso, going 6-for-18 with five RBI...Reliever Ryan Moseley has turned in six consecutive scoreless appearances. During that time he's allowed no runs and four hits over 6.0 innings, with two walks and three strikeouts. Over his first six appearances this season, Moseley allowed 14 runs, 19 hits and nine walks over 9.0 innings...Fellow reliever Kevin Quackenbush has started his 2021 season with 11 straight scoreless appearances. He's allowed just five hits over 12.1 innings and is 5-for-5 in save opportunities.
Around the Horn: Tonight begins a stretch of 18 straight games against American League affiliates, and thus, games with a designated hitter in place...After posting a -49 run differential over the first 13 games (3-10), the Dodgers have a +60 run differential over their last 23 games (13-10)...Tuesday marked the 10th time in the last 23 games OKC scored eight or more runs...The bullpen has allowed only 3 of 18 inherited runners to score this month...The Dodgers have drawn 114 walks in the last 23 games - the most in Triple-A West and second-most in Triple-A (Nashville, 120)...Dodgers pitchers racked up 11 strikeouts Tuesday night, paced by starting pitcher Yefry Ramírez's seven K's. It was the team's 19th game of the season with at least 10 strikeouts as well as the team's fifth 10-plus strikeout game in June. The 352 strikeouts by the Dodgers pitching staff this season are tied for third-most in Triple-A West in 2021. The offense has also struck out exactly 352 times, which is the most in Triple-A West.
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