PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - June 24, 2021

Published on June 24, 2021 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (21-21) at Sugar Land Skeeters (25-16)

Game #43 of 120/Road #25 of 60

Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Aaron Wilkerson (3-3, 4.46) vs. SUG-RHP Brett Conine (5-0, 3.86)

Thursday, June 24, 2021 | Constellation Field | Sugar Land, 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 continue their Texas road trip and open a six-game series against the Sugar Land Skeeters at 6:05 p.m. at Constellation Field. The Dodgers won their previous series against the Round Rock Express, 5-1, and are now 10-3 over the last 13 road games, including 9-2 in the last 11 road games.

Last Game: The Dodgers scored eight runs over the first three innings, then withstood a late rally by the Round Rock Express to hang on for an 8-6 win in the series finale between the teams Tuesday night at Dell Diamond. The Dodgers carried a six-run lead into the bottom of the ninth inning when the Express scored four runs on five hits, including three runs before an out was made. The Express later put the tying runs on base with two outs before Kevin Quackenbush secured the game's final out for his seventh save of the season. The Dodgers had jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning as the first four hitters of the game reached base, including back-to-back RBI singles by Sheldon Neuse and Yoshi Tsutsugo. Later with two outs and the bases loaded, Tim Federowicz lined a two-run single into right field for a 4-0 OKC lead. Luke Raley hit a solo homer in the second inning and Matt Davidson led off the third inning with a solo homer. Later after a one-out double by Carlos Asuaje, Federowicz hit a two-run homer to left-center field to extend the Dodgers to an 8-0 lead. A two-run triple by David Dahl, on a Major League Rehab Assignment from the Texas Rangers, put Round Rock on the board in the bottom of the third inning to cut the score to 8-2. The score remained the same until the Express' four-run bottom of the ninth inning.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Aaron Wilkerson (3-3) makes his eighth start and ninth appearance of the season for OKC in tonight's series opener...Wilkerson made his most recent start June 18 in Round Rock, tying his season high with four runs over 4.1 innings. He allowed six hits, including a home run and two triples, with two walks and five strikeouts. It was his shortest outing since May 15 vs. Sacramento...Prior to his last start, Wilkerson had allowed a combined four earned runs over his last four appearances (22.2 IP), with 15 hits, six walks and 27 strikeouts...Overall this season, his 1.23 WHIP is third in Triple-A West, while his 42 strikeouts are fifth, his 38.1 innings pitched and 4.46 ERA is seventh and his .253 AVG is eighth. Since May 25 he leads the league with a 1.07 WHIP, .216 BAA and 27.0 IP, while ranking second with both a 2.67 ERA and 32 strikeouts...Wilkerson signed with the Dodgers as a free agent May 1. He originally signed with Rakuten of the Chinese Professional Baseball League during the 2020-21 offseason, but opted out of his contract due to family reasons...Wilkerson was under contract with the Milwaukee Brewers during the 2020 season, but was not part of the team's player pool and did not play due to the canceled Minor League season...In 2019, Wilkerson spent most of the year with Triple-A San Antonio but also made eight relief appearances over three stints with Milwaukee. While with San Antonio, he made 17 starts and went 8-2 with a 3.42 ERA over 76.1 IP with 81 strikeouts...In his previous meeting against Sugar Land June 7 in OKC (Game 1), he allowed two runs and three hits over 5.0 innings with one walk and five strikeouts, earning the win in a 4-2 victory.

Against the Skeeters: 2021: 4-2 2019: N/A All-time: 4-2 At SUG: 0-0

The Dodgers and Skeeters are meeting for their second series of the season and first at Constellation Field...The teams met June 3-8 in OKC at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark for their first-ever series, which the Dodgers won, 4-2. Zach Reks and Rangel Ravelo each led OKC with seven hits, with Ravelo hitting three homers and finishing with a team-high eight RBI. Luke Raley also recorded seven RBI over five games as OKC outscored the Skeeters, 38-21...Triple-A newcomer Sugar Land was previously an independent team and is now the top affiliate of the Houston Astros. The team was established in 2012 and is one of three previously independent teams to become affiliated in 2021 along with the St. Paul Saints (Triple-A East; Twins) and Somerset Patriots (Double-A Northeast; Yankees)...Sugar Land leads the East Division of Triple-A West with 25 wins and is 12-5 at home this season. The Skeeters' +54 run differential is best in the division and second-highest in the league. The team's .292 batting average is second-best in all of Triple-A while their pitching staff's 4.51 ERA leads Triple-A West and they have allowed a league-low 192 runs so far in 2021...Skeeters manager Mickey Storey pitched for OKC in both the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

Getting Over the Hump: The Dodgers now own a 21-21 record, climbing back to a .500 record for the second time in three games, after starting the season 4-13. The Dodgers have compiled a 17-8 record over the last 25 games, including a 12-7 record in June...OKC last held a winning record on the final day of the 2018 season when the Dodgers finished 75-65. Including Monday night when the team entered at 20-20, OKC has lost in each of the last six chances to achieve a winning record going back to the 2019 season. Prior to Monday, the team had not been at .500 since starting 2019 at 6-6.

Dinger Details: OKC hit three homers Tuesday night for their fourth multi-homer game in their last five games overall, as the Dodgers hit 12 homers over the six games in Round Rock. The Dodgers have now homered at least once in each of the last nine games and have 16 homers over the stretch, as well as at least one homer in 14 of the last 15 games (25 HR). They have hit 49 home runs in their last 30 games, including 23 in the last 13 games. In contrast, the Dodgers hit just 11 homers over the first 12 games of 2021...Tuesday also marked the second time in three games the Dodgers smacked three homers in one game. It's the seventh time they've done that this season - all of which in the last 27 games...Meanwhile, the Express homered in the ninth inning Tuesday as the Dodgers allowed a homer in a third straight game for the first time since allowing homers in six consecutive games May 27-June 1.Tuesday night was just the fifth time in the last 12 games OKC allowed a home run. Opponents have been held without a homer in 11 of the last 18 games after they had gone deep at least once in 22 of the first 24 games (42 HR)...The Dodgers have allowed just 13 home runs over 19 games in June. The next lowest total in Triple-A West is 24 (Round Rock).

Getting Neuse: Sheldon Neuse went 2-for-5 Tuesday in Round Rock with a RBI and scored a run, as he has now hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, going 17-for-40 (.425) with eight RBI and five multi-hit games. Going back to June 15 against El Paso, Neuse is 13-for-27 over his last seven games. He has now reached base 17 of his last 31 plate appearances as well as in 18 of his last 33 plate appearances...Prior to the recent hot streak, Neuse was 4-for-29 with 12 strikeouts to begin his time with OKC.

Luke Uses the Force: Luke Raley hit his team-leading ninth home run Tuesday and boosted his team-leading RBI total to 35 despite playing in just 24 of the team's 42 games this season. His 35 RBI are fourth-most in Triple-A West, while his nine homers are tied for 10th-most in the league. Since May 23, he leads Triple-A with 34 RBI and ranks tied for second in all of the Minors...Entering tonight, Raley has homered in the three of the last four games...Over his last 17 starts with OKC, Raley is 24-for-63 (.381) with five doubles, two triples, seven homers, 32 RBI and 22 runs scored.

Reks in Effect: The Los Angeles Dodgers optioned outfielder Zach Reks Tuesday when they activated Max Muncy from the IL. Reks made his Major League debut in San Diego Monday, going 0-for-2 before exiting the game as part of a double switch in the fifth inning...Reks returns to OKC leading the team with 42 hits, 14 doubles, 32 runs scored and 20 walks. He has reached base in 31 of his 32 starts - including the last 17 straight - and is tied for third in Triple-A West with 14 doubles, is fifth with a .445 OBP, tied for fifth with 32 runs scored, eighth with a .341 AVG, ninth with a 1.022 OPS and tied for 10th with 19 extra-base hits...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...Over his last six starts with OKC, Reks is 11-for-28 (.393) with five multi-hit games, five doubles, one homer and four RBI...Reks became the first player this season to make his ML debut directly from OKC. DJ Peters, Luke Raley and Edwin Uceta have also made their ML debuts this season, but all were before OKC's season began.

Burn Notice: Andy Burns also returns to the OKC Dodgers today after he was optioned by Los Angeles yesterday when Cody Bellinger when reinstated from the IL. Appearing in the Majors for the first time in five years, Burns appeared in nine games for LAD (two starts) and went 3-for-11 with a double and three walks against one strikeout. In his team debut June 12 against Texas, Burns picked up his first career hit and later pitched in the ninth inning, becoming the fifth position player in the expansion era (since 1961) to also pitch in his team debut, but the first to record his first hit in the same game...Burns left OKC on a 10-game hitting streak, going 17-for-33 (.515) with three homers, six doubles and 13 RBI. Between May 25-June 11, Burns led all Triple-A hitters with a .463 AVG and .549 OBP while ranking second with a 1.378 OPS.

Fed Express: Catcher Tim Federowicz entered Tuesday's game with four RBI through his first 16 games this season, then collected four RBI over the first three innings of Tuesday night's game. The RBI total was Federowicz's highest since a four-RBI game May 7, 2017 while with Triple-A Sacramento against Reno. Federowicz reached base four times in the game against the Express, going a team-best 3-for-4 with a walk, homer, four RBI and one run scored.

Around the Horn: The Dodgers have won three straight series openers entering tonight. Prior to June 3 against Sugar Land, the team had dropped 10 straight series openers going back to the 2019 season...After posting a -49 run differential over the first 13 games (3-10), the Dodgers have a +73 run differential over their last 29 games (18-11)...The Dodgers have not committed an error in a season-best five straight games. They've committed just seven errors over the last 22 games after committing 20 errors over the first 20 games...The OKC pitching staff leads Triple-A West with a 3.85 ERA in June - more than one run lower than second-place Round Rock (4.88)...Round Rock went 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position Tuesday, and opponents are now batting .345 (30x87) with RISP over the last 10 games...Four of OKC's last five losses have been by one run...Through six games of his current rehab assignment, Yoshi Tsutstugo is 3-for-22 with two homers, five walks and four RBI. He was placed on the Injured List June 9 with a right calf strain...Keibert Ruiz did not play Tuesday and is in the midst of an 0-for-12 slide. It's the first time he's gone hitless in three straight starts since June 18-22, 2019 with Double-A Tulsa (four games)...Including Tuesday (3:44), 14 of the team's 38 nine-inning games have lasted at least 3 hours, 30 minutes.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from June 24, 2021


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