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PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - June 29, 2022

June 29, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (46-27) at El Paso Chihuahuas (40-33)

Game #74 of 150/Road #35 of 75

Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Michael Grove (0-0, 5.19) vs. ELP-RHP Pedro Avila (2-2, 6.39)

Wednesday, June 29, 2022 | Southwest University Park | El Paso, Texas | 7:35 p.m. CT

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

Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers seek a third straight win when they continue their road series against the El Paso Chihuahuas at 7:35 p.m. CT at Southwest University Park...The Dodgers pace the Pacific Coast League with a 46-27 record and have a season-best six-game lead ahead of second-place El Paso in the East Division.

Last Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers used a pair of three-run innings and pitched out of several jams throughout the game, leading the way to a 6-3 win over the El Paso Chihuahuas Tuesday at Southwest University Park. El Paso took a 2-0 lead on a Brett Sullivan triple in the second inning, but the Chihuahuas stranded the bases loaded the next inning with a chance to extend the lead. The Dodgers scored three runs with two outs in the fifth inning, including a RBI single by Drew Avans and two-run double by Miguel Vargas. The Chihuahuas loaded the bases with none out in bottom of the inning before OKC reliever Marshall Kasowski came into the game and notched a strikeout and a ground ball double play to keep the lead intact. Still trailing by one run, El Paso put runners at second and third with none out in the seventh inning, but OKC relievers Dellin Betances and Daniel Zamora kept the Chihuahuas off the board. In the top of the eighth inning, Michael Busch and Jason Martin hit back-to-back homers, totaling three runs and stretching the lead to 6-2. Luis Campusano led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a home run before Garrett Cleavinger retired the next three batters to end the game.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Michael Grove (0-0) makes his fifth Triple-A start with OKC tonight...He most recently pitched June 22 in OKC against Round Rock, holding the Express scoreless over 5.0 innings with two hits, two walks and five strikeouts in no decision. The 5.0 innings pitched was his longest outing of the season overall and tied his career high, and it marked the longest scoreless start of his career. Both hits allowed were singles and he finished his outing by retiring the final seven batters he faced...Grove made his team and Triple-A debut May 21 in Sugar Land, six days after making his Major League debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers. 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 this season 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 and entered the 2022 season ranked as the Dodgers' No. 24 prospect by Baseball America...He was selected by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft from West Virginia University...This will be his first career meeting with the Chihuahuas.

Against the Chihuahuas: 2022: 6-4 2021: 14-9 All-time: 34-23 At ELP:19-12 The Dodgers and Chihuahuas meet for their third series of 2022 and second at Southwest University Park...The Dodgers have won six of the last seven games against the Chihuahuas entering tonight, including four straight wins in El Paso...The teams played a three-game series in OKC May 17-19 with OKC winning, 2-1, after the teams split a six-game series in El Paso April 12-17 with OKC winning the final three games of the series...Ryan Noda and Miguel Vargas each have 10 RBI and Jason Martin has hit four homers in nine games against the Chihuahuas. The Dodgers have outscored the Chihuahuas, 66-50...The Dodgers won the 2021 series between the teams, 14-9, including 8-4 in El Paso. OKC hit 37 homers while holding El Paso to 21 home runs over the 23-game season series. Outside of 2018, OKC has won or split each season series against the Chihuahuas since Tucson's franchise relocated to El Paso for the 2014 season...Until the first series this season, OKC had not lost three straight games at Southwest University Park Dodgers started playing at the venue in 2015.

Life At the Top: At 46-27 overall this season, OKC is now a season-high 19 games above .500 for the first time since finishing the 2016 season with an 81-60 record. The Dodgers have won nine of their last 12 games, 11 of their last 15 games and 15 of their last 20 games. They are also 11-4 in their last 15 road games...OKC currently has a season-best six-game lead ahead of the second-place Chihuahuas in the East Division standings and are tied for the third-most wins this season in the Minors...OKC has won five straight series and is now 10-1-3 through their first 14 series of the season. The team has not lost consecutive games since losing three in a row May 26-27 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark...The Dodgers' 17-7 record in the month of June is the best in Triple-A.

Gettin' Miggy With It: Miguel Vargas went 2-for-4 last night with a two-run double, and for the second straight game he put the Dodgers in the lead for good with a go-ahead hit in the fifth inning. Vargas has now hit safely in 10 consecutive games, going 15-for-39 (.385) with nine RBI, six walks and seven runs scored. It's the second time he's recorded a season-best 10-game hitting streak this season, with the first instance May 28-June 9...Vargas leads the Dodgers in runs (60), hits (81), RBI (53) and games played (71) and is tied for first with 14 doubles. He ranks second on the team in walks (40) and is tied for second in home runs (12)...He paces the PCL in runs and ranks second in hits and total bases (139). His RBI total is third while his walk total is tied for third.

Busch League: Last night Michael Busch hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning over the Big Dog House in right field that traveled an estimated 449 feet. Busch has now homered in four of his last seven games and six of his last 12 games. At 19 home runs overall between OKC and Double-A Tulsa, Busch leads all Dodgers minor leaguers...He finished Tuesday 2-for-4 and has now hit safely in 16 of his last 18 games. Since June 7, he is 22-for-73 (.301) with five doubles, six homers, 16 RBI and 17 runs scored, and over his last 15 games, Busch is 19-for-59 (.322) with 10 extra-base hits and has tallied at least one extra-base hit in nine of his last 13 games.

Mound Matters: For the sixth time in the last nine games, the OKC pitching staff allowed three or fewer runs in Tuesday's series opener. During that time, the team has a 3.38 ERA (30 ER/80.0 IP)...Last night was the sixth time in the last seven games an OKC opponent was held to six hits or less and during the seven-game stretch, opponents have batted .181 (40x221), including 8-for-50 (.160) with runners in scoring position. Last night the Dodgers held El Paso 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position and allowed just one run in six plate appearances with a runner at third base and less than two outs...The bullpen covered the final 5.0 innings Tuesday, allowing just one run and three hits, stranding all seven inherited runners and keeping El Paso 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. During June, the bullpen has combined for a 3.39 ERA and .211 BAA. They've also stranded 32 of 40 inherited runners...The team's 3.95 ERA in June is best in the league by 0.82 and their .222 opponent batting average this month is second-best among all Triple-A teams.

Noda-ry Public: Ryan Noda is 6-for-14 over his last four games, adding a double in last night's series opener...Noda went 7-for-19 with two homers during the previous series against Round Rock for his highest hit total in a series since May 31-June 5 in Round Rock when he also had seven hits over the six-game set...His 41 walks pace the Dodgers - second-highest total in the PCL -while his 11 stolen bases are second-most among OKC players...Prior to June 24, Noda had been held 12-for-63 (.190) with two RBI over his first 18 games of June.

Drew Point: Drew Avans recorded his eighth multi-hit game of June Tuesday night, going 2-for-5 with a RBI, as he reached base for a 14th straight game - the longest active streak by a Dodgers player. This month, Avans is batting .325 (27x83) with a team-leading 27 hits, 22 runs scored and team-best 14 walks, along with six doubles, one triple, three homers and 14 RBI...He has reached base in 28 of his last 29 games with a plate appearance and leads the team with 13 stolen bases this season.

Clearance at JMart: Jason Martin followed Michael Busch's home run with a solo blast in the eighth inning, tying with Busch for the team lead in homers this month with six. Martin has hit safely in 15 of his last 17 games, batting .317 (20x63) with six homers, two triples, four doubles and 18 RBI, 10 walks and 14 runs scored...Martin's 31 extra-base hits are tied for fourth in the PCL, while his .940 OPS is fifth and his run (47) and RBI (49) totals are tied for fifth.

Dinger Details: The Dodgers have now hit a home run in 14 of the last 15 games (22 HR) and in 20 of the last 22 games (32 HR). They have hit 32 home runs in the month of June (24 games) after hitting 35 homers in 26 games during the month of May...The back-to-back home runs by Michael Busch and Jason Martin last night were the team's fifth back-to-back homers of the season and first since June 5 at Round Rock (Ryan Noda and Jason Martin)...The Chihuahuas hit a home run last night, but the Dodgers have allowed a league-low 23 home runs in the month of June so far and have allowed a league-low 70 homers overall this season.

Two for the Show?: The Dodgers are just 2-5 in Game 2 of a series after a win in the series opener, with losses in four of the last five. Eight of the team's last nine series have been 1-1 through two games...The only time OKC started a road series with a 2-0 lead this season was April 19-20 at Sacramento.

Late Risers: Opponents have scored first in six straight games and have scored in either the first or second inning in each of the last five games. Over the five-game stretch, the Dodgers have allowed 12 total runs in the first or second inning (10 innings) but just eight runs from the third inning on (35 innings)...Although the Dodgers' +111 run differential is fourth-best among all 120 Minor League teams, they have a -7 run differential within the first two innings this season.

Around the Horn: The Dodgers lead all of Triple-A with 358 walks, while their 465 runs and .368 OBP are both second. El Paso leads Triple-A with a .287 AVG, 483 runs, 742 hits, a .370 OBP, .486 SLG and .856 OPS...Last night the Dodgers posted two three-run innings to snap a stretch of three straight games without a multi-run inning...OKC has not committed an error in three straight games for their longest error-free stretch since June 1-3 in Round Rock.

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