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Oklahoma City Baseball Club

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - June 20, 2021

June 20, 2021 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Baseball Club News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (19-20) at Round Rock Express (23-16)

Game #40 of 120/Road #22 of 60

Pitching Probables: OKC-LHP Mike Kickham (0-1, 3.66) vs. RR-LHP Hyeon-Jong Yang (NR, -.--)

Sunday, June 20, 2021 | Dell Diamond | Round Rock, Texas | 6:05 p.m. CT

Radio: KGHM AM-1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, iHeartRadio; Video: MiLB.tv

Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers have won four straight games - tying their longest winning streak of the season - and own a 3-0 lead in their current Red Dirt Rumble series against the Round Rock Express, which continues at 6:05 p.m. on Father's Day at Dell Diamond. The Dodgers have opened a series with three straight wins for the first time this season and are 8-2 over their last 10 road games, including 7-1 in the last eight, after starting the season 2-9 on the road...The Dodgers last won five consecutive games during a six-game winning streak July 18-24, 2019.

Last Game: Behind a strong effort from the pitching staff and two-run home runs by Luke Raley and Matt Davidson, the Oklahoma City Dodgers defeated the Round Rock Express, 4-2, Saturday night at Dell Diamond. The trio of Vidal Nuño, Markus Solbach and Kevin Quackenbush faced three over the minimum and allowed five hits and no walks. Raley staked the Dodgers to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning with a two-run homer off the roof of the batter's eye in center field. In the fourth inning, Davidson hit a high fly ball down the left field line that carried over the fence by a few feet for another two-run homer. Nuño faced the minimum over five scoreless innings, and it was still 4-0 until Round Rock strung three straight hits together with two outs in the seventh inning to trim OKC's lead to two. After the third hit of the seventh inning, the Dodgers pitching staff retired six of the final seven batters while facing the minimum, including three strikeouts, and wrapped up the team's fourth straight win.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Mike Kickham (0-1) is set to make his first start since May 27...He most recently made two relief appearances June 11 and 14 against El Paso in OKC. Over a combined 4.1 scoreless innings, he allowed four hits and one walk with five K's...Kickham missed about two weeks of action between late May and early June while dealing with a blister on his left index finger. During his last start May 27 in El Paso, Kickham threw 4.2 scoreless frames before having to leave the game due to the blister flaring up...After allowing eight runs over his first three outings of the season, Kickham has held opponents scoreless over his last three outings (9.0 IP). During that time opponents are 7-for-34 overall and 2-for-16 with runners on base. He's also notched eight strikeouts against just two walks...Kickham signed with the Dodgers as a minor league free agent Jan. 8 and made four appearances for the team during Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. Shortly before OKC's season started, he had his contract selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers and threw the final two innings of the team's 16-4 win Milwaukee on May 2...Kickham spent the 2020 season in the Boston Red Sox organization and made six appearances (two starts) for the Red Sox after having his contract selected from the Alternate Training Site Aug. 31. It was his first ML action since 2014. He picked up his first ML win after throwing 2.0 scoreless innings Sept. 5 against Toronto and recorded a career high eight K's against Tampa Bay Sept. 10...He is in his 12th pro season after he was selected by San Francisco in the sixth round of the 2010 MLB Draft from Missouri State University...He most recently pitched against the Express May 8 at Dell Diamond. In his first start of the season with OKC, he allowed three runs on six hits - including three homers - over three-plus innings and did not factor into the decision.

Against the Express: 2021: 4-5 2019: 6-10 All-time: 134-113 At RR: 66-56

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 6-11 at Dell Diamond over the last two seasons after going 22-10 at the venue between 2015-18.

Trying to Break Even: At 19-20, the Dodgers are only one game under .500 for the first time since they opened the season 0-1. After starting the season 4-13, the Dodgers have posted a 15-7 record, including 10-6 in the month of June...The last time the Dodgers owned a .500 record was when they were 6-6 on April 16, 2019 and they last held a winning record on the final day of the 2018 season when they finished 75-65.

Reks in Effect: Zach Reks added another double to his team-leading total last night, hitting his 14th of the season and his 10th double in the month of June. His 10 doubles this month are tied for most in Triple-A West, while his 14 overall doubles are tied for third-most in the league...Overall this season, he leads the Dodgers with 42 hits, 14 doubles, 32 runs scored and 20 walks. He has reached base in 31 of his 32 starts...Reks is second in Triple-A West with 32 runs scored, ranks third with a .445 OBP, tied for third with 14 doubles, tied for sixth with 16 extra-base hits, seventh with a .341 average, eighth with 42 hits and ninth with a 1.022 OPS...His 23 runs scored and 12 doubles since May 29 are both tied for most among Triple-A players...In the 13 games Reks has batted in the leadoff spot, the Dodgers are 10-3 and he is slashing .353/.476/.588 with eight RBI, nine doubles and 14 runs scored...Last night snapped Reks' stretch of four straight multi-hit games, but he still leads the Dodgers with 12 multi-hit games this season and is 9-for-23 (.391) with five extra-base hits during his current five-game hitting streak.

Dinger Details: Luke Raley and Matt Davidson each homered last night as the Dodgers have now hit at least one home run in 11 of their last 12 games (18 HR total), including a season-best six straight games (9 HR). OKC has hit 42 homers in the last 27 games, including 16 homers in the last 10 games. In contrast, the Dodgers hit just 11 homers over the first 12 games of 2021. Saturday was the team's 15 multi-homer game of 2021...Meanwhile, the Dodgers pitching staff kept an opponent inside the park for the seventh time in the last nine games. Round Rock has homered three times through the first three games of the current series after OKC had allowed just four homers over its recent 12-game homestand, and none in their recently completed six-game series against El Paso, after surrendering 42 over the first 24 games of the season. Opponents have been held without a homer in 10 of the last 15 games after they had gone deep at least once in 22 of the first 24 games...The Dodgers have allowed just eight home runs over 16 games in June. The next lowest total among all Triple-A teams is 11 (Buffalo/Gwinnett), and the next lowest total in Triple-A West is 17 (El Paso/Round Rock).

Luke's Using the Force: Luke Raley connected on his seventh home run of the season with OKC last night - hitting a two-run shot off the roof of the batter's eye in the first inning. It was his second game since returning to OKC's lineup after his most recent stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and so far he is 3-for-9 with three RBI. Over his last 14 starts with OKC, Raley is 21-for-54 (.389) with four doubles, two triples, five homers, 29 RBI and 18 runs scored...Raley leads the Dodgers with 32 RBI - tied for second in Triple-A West - despite playing in just 21 of the team's 39 games.

Mound Turnaround: Last night marked the seventh time in the last nine games and 12th time in the last 17 games the Dodgers held their opponent to four or fewer runs. Saturday was also the eighth time in those 17 games they allowed two or fewer runs...During the team's current 15-7 stretch, the pitching staff has posted a 3.92 ERA - lowest in Triple-A West since May 25 - and opponents are batting .238. Prior to May 25, the team had a 7.44 ERA, 1.72 WHIP and .293 BAA over the first 17 games...Over the last 15 games, OKC has allowed 54 runs and opponents are batting .238 (118x495) overall...OKC leads Triple-A West with a 3.92 ERA in June after placing eighth in the 10-team league with a 6.53 ERA in May. The Dodgers' 63 runs allowed in June are tied for the fewest among all Triple-A teams...Last night was the pitching staff's first game without issuing a walk since Aug. 15, 2019, also at Round Rock.

Warp Speed: Saturday's game was completed in 2 hours, 16 minutes, and it was the team's shortest nine-inning game of the season by a whopping 32 minutes (May 31 at El Paso). The team's average nine-inning game length entering Saturday was 3 hours, 21 minutes, and OKC's previous seven games lasted at least three hours each, including four games that stretched past 3 hours, 30 minutes...It was the team's shortest nine-inning game since current bullpen coach Justin DeFratus authored a complete game gem against Memphis during a 2-0 victory May 22, 2018 (1:54) and the shortest to go nine full innings since Aug. 15, 2015 in a 2-0 loss at home against Tacoma (2:08).

Duck Call to the Bullpen: Last night Kevin Quackenbush made his 13th consecutive scoreless appearance to start the season. He pitched a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts and is now 6-for-6 in save chances. So far Quackenbush has thrown 14.1 scoreless innings while holding opponents 7-for-48 (.146).

Around the Horn: OKC's five hits last night was the team's lowest total in a nine-inning game since May 27 at El Paso (18 games)...after posting a -49 run differential over the first 13 games (3-10), the Dodgers have a +67 run differential over their last 26 games (16-10)...Matt Davidson hit his third home run of the season last night and first since May 30 at El Paso. Davidson was the only Dodger to finish with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4. He has now hit safely in six of his last seven games, going 8-for-24 with seven RBI...Sheldon Neuse was held 0-for-3 with a walk last night, snapping a season-high six-game hit streak. Over the last seven games, Neuse is 13-for-29 with a homer, double, five RBI and five runs scored...Yoshi Tsutsugo played in the third game of his Major League Rehab Assignment Saturday and went 0-for-3 with a walk in four plate appearances. He also played all nine innings at first base. Tsutsugo is the sixth player to join OKC on rehab assignment this season and through three games, Tsutsugo is 0-for-9 with four walks and one RBI...Reliever Ryan Moseley has turned in consecutive scoreless appearances. During that time he's allowed no runs and five hits over 7.1 innings, with two walks and four strikeouts. Over his first six appearances this season, Moseley allowed 14 runs, 19 hits and nine walks over 9.0 innings.

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