PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - June 6, 2021

June 6, 2021 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Sugar Land Skeeters (17-8) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (11-15)

Game #27 of 120/Home #9 of 60

Pitching Probables: SUG-RHP Brett Conine (4-0, 0.95) vs. OKC-RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx (2-1, 6.30)

Sunday, June 6, 2021 | Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark | Oklahoma City, Okla. | 6:05 p.m. CT

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

Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers own a 2-0 lead in their series against the Sugar Land Skeeters as they try for a third straight win at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The Dodgers have won seven of their last nine games, including six of their last seven games. They have also won four of their last five home games...Today's game was originally scheduled for 2:05 p.m., but forecasted inclement weather pushed first pitch back four hours to begin at 6:05 p.m. instead.

Last Game: Last night's game was the first OKC game postponed due to rain this season...On Friday, Rangel Ravelo hit two home runs, including a grand slam, as he racked up a career-high six RBI in the Dodgers' 10-1 win against Sugar Land Friday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The Dodgers took a quick lead within the first three pitches in the first inning on back-to-back doubles by Zach Reks and Keibert Ruiz. Ruiz then homered off the front of the right field upper deck in the third inning, and Ravelo followed with a solo homer of his own out to left field for a 3-0 OKC lead. Sugar Land scored a run in the top of the fourth inning, but OKC answered with five runs in the bottom of the frame. OKC loaded the bases with one out for Reks, who drew a walk to push across a run. Ravelo then crushed a grand slam out to left field to extend the Dodgers to an 8-1 advantage. A sacrifice fly by Ravelo and a RBI single by Luke Raley grew the Dodgers' lead to 10-1 in the sixth inning.

Today's Probable Pitchers: Dennis Santana (0-0) is slated to open tonight's game and will be followed by Austin Bibens-Dirkx...Santana served in a similar role in his previous outing May 31 in El Paso. He allowed one run on three hits over 2.0 innings with three strikeouts, including a home run...He was optioned to OKC May 27 after appearing in 16 games with LAD this season, posting a 6.00 ERA in 18.0 IP with eight K's against 11 walks.

Bibens-Dirkx (2-1) tries for back-to-back wins when he takes the mound for OKC...On May 30 in El Paso, Bibens-Dirkx tossed a season-high 6.0 innings and was the winning pitcher in the team's 20-9 runaway victory. He allowed five runs and six hits, with two walks and four strikeouts. Throughout his start, Bibens-Dirkx recorded two separate stretches where he retired eight consecutive batters. It still remains as only one of two outings by an OKC starting pitcher this season to last at least 6.0 innings...The Dodgers have won in three of his first four starts, and he's pitched at least 5.0 innings three times...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...In 2019, he started the season in the Chinese Professional Baseball League before signing a minor league contract with the Rangers in June and finishing the season with Triple-A Nashville...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.

Against the Skeeters: 2021: 2-0 2019: N/A All-time: 2-0 At OKC: 2-0 The Dodgers and Skeeters are meeting for the first of their first of four series (24 games) this season...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)...Even with back-to-back losses by a combined 16 runs, Sugar Land's +53 run differential is still the best in Triple-A West, and their .292 team batting average and .380 OBP also pace the league. The Sugar Land pitching staff leads Triple-A West with a 3.28 ERA, .208 BAA and 1.25 WHIP...The Astros' Triple-A affiliate was previously in Round Rock (2019-20) and Fresno (2015-18) after a four-year stint in Oklahoma City as the RedHawks from 2011-14. In 2019 with Round Rock, the team went 84-56 and won the American Southern Division as well as American Conference before falling in the PCL Finals to Sacramento. They went 10-6 against OKC...The Skeeters are managed by Mickey Storey, who pitched for OKC in both the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

Baker's Dozen Dichotomy: The Dodgers have now played 26 games this season, and the differences between the offense in the first 13 games (3-10; -49 R) and the last 13 games (8-5; +48 R) are stark. Through the first 13 games of the season, the Dodgers scored 48 runs (3.7 rpg) with a .216/.306/.345 slashline. But over the last 13 games, the team has scored 113 runs (8.7 rpg) and is slashing .301/.394/.535. Since May 21, the Dodgers rank second among all 120 teams in the Minor Leagues with 113 runs and 143 hits. (Low-A Tampa leads with 114 runs and Triple-A Salt Lake leads with 151 hits, but both teams have played one more game than OKC.) They also pace all Triple-A teams with a .301 AVG, .394 OBP and .928 OPS...The OKC offense plated 10 runs Friday night, marking the seventh time in the last 13 games they've scored at least eight runs, sixth time in 13 games they've scored at least 10 runs and the ninth straight game the Dodgers have scored at least four runs...During the 13-game roll, the Dodgers are batting .354 (57x161) with runners in scoring position after starting the season .227 (25x110) with RISP over the first 13 games...The team hit just 12 homers through the first 13 games of the season but has swatted 23 homers since...The Dodgers drew 10 walks Friday for their second-highest total of the season (11; May 21 @ ABQ). OKC has now drawn 68 walks in the last 13 games (5.2 pg), which are the most in Triple-A West. Their 119 walks overall this season are second-most in the league.

Raging Ravelo: Rangel Ravelo stayed hot at the plate Friday, hitting two home runs, including a grand slam, on the way to a career-high six RBI. His grand slam in the fourth inning out to left field marked the second grand slam of the season for the OKC Dodgers as well as Ravelo's second grand slam of his career. The MiLB.com Triple-A West Player of the Month for May extended his hitting streak to a team season-best 10 games, going 2-for-3 with the two homers, a sac fly and a walk. The multi-homer game was Ravelo's second in his last nine games after notching just one multi-homer game though the first 926 games of his entire pro career...During his current 10-game hitting streak, Ravelo is 19-for-34 (.559) with eight extra-base hits (five homers), 15 RBI and eight walks...Since May 22, Ravelo leads all players in the Minors with a .559 AVG, .636 OBP, 1.088 SLG and 1.725 OPS, while his 19 hits are tied for eighth, his 16 RBI and 37 total bases are tied for sixth and his five homers are tied for ninth...Overall this season, he leads all Triple-A players with a .413 AVG, .775 SLG and 1.295 OPS, while he ranks second with a .520 OBP, ranks tied for fourth with 15 extra-base hits, tied for fifth with 25 RBI, tied for sixth with 62 total bases, eighth with 33 hits, tied for ninth with 17 walks and tied for 10th with seven homers...He leads the Dodgers' offense with 33 hits, seven homers, eight doubles, 17 walks, 10 multi-hit games and ranks tied for first with 25 RBI...Ravelo has 17 walks against 11 strikeouts in 102 total plate appearances this season.

Cool Hand Luke: Triple-A West Player of the Week Luke Raley connected on a RBI single Friday night, and over his last six starts, Raley is 13-for-27 (.481) with three doubles, a triple, three homers, 17 RBI and 10 runs scored...Overall he is tied for with Rangel Ravelo the Dodgers' team lead and is also tied for third-most in Triple-A West with 25 RBI despite playing in just 14 of the team's 26 games...On May 30 in El Paso, Raley homered three times for the first time in his career and set an OKC team record and new career high with nine RBI. He hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning and a grand slam in his next at-bat in the sixth inning for the team's first grand slam of 2021...He now has 22 RBI in his past seven starts, including games of four RBI, five RBI and nine RBI...Since being optioned by the Los Angeles Dodgers May 21, Raley is batting .370 (17x46) with five homers, three doubles, a triple, 13 runs scored and 24 RBI over the 12-game stretch. Since May 23 he leads all players in the Minors or Majors with 24 RBI (11 games).

Reks in Effect: Zach Reks extended his current hitting streak to six games as he went 2-for-4 last night, scoring three runs with a double and RBI. During the streak Reks is 11-for-27 (.407) with four doubles...His 22 runs scored this season are tied for third-most in Triple-A West while his .447 OBP ranks sixth and his .342 AVG ranks ninth...Overall this season, Reks has reached base in 19 of his 20 games while hitting safely in 17 of his last 19 games...Reks has scored 13 runs in his past five games, with three games of at least three runs scored. No other player in the Minors or Majors has scored more than 11 runs since May 29.

Burn Notice: Andy Burns did not play Friday for the first time this season, but on Thursday he doubled, walked and scored two runs. Since May 17, Burns is batting .392 (20x51) with seven doubles, three homers, 16 runs scored and 14 RBI. And during his current five-game hitting streak, Burns is 10-for-18 with two homers, two doubles and eight RBI...For the season, he is second on the team with 19 runs scored and third on the team with 25 hits...On Tuesday in El Paso, he tied a career high and set a season high with four hits as part of a 4-for-5 night...He recorded his fifth stolen base of the season Thursday night and ranks tied for sixth in the league in steals.

More Hot Hitters: Keibert Ruiz doubled and homered in his first two at-bats Friday night, going 2-for-5 with two RBI. He returned to the lineup Thursday after missing the El Paso series and is 4-for-9 with three extra-base hits and four RBI to begin the current series. Over his 12 games with OKC this season, he now has 11 extra-base hits, scored 10 runs and has 10 RBI...Carlos Asuaje had Friday night off, but has hit safely in 11 straight starts, going 14-for-42 (.333).

Mound Turnaround: Friday marked the third time in four games the Dodgers allowed just one run - something that occurred just once over the first 22 games. Beginning with a shutout May 25 in Albuquerque, the pitching staff has posted a 3.87 ERA over the past nine games (34 ER/79.0 IP). During that time they've held opponents to a .221 batting average (66x298). Prior to May 25, the team had a 7.44 ERA, 1.72 WHIP and .293 BAA over the first 17 games...The team has not allowed a home run in back-to-back games for the first time this season after allowing at least one homer in in 22 of the first 24 games (42 HR total).

Time Stands Still: Friday's game clocked in at 3 hours, 38 minutes - the eighth time this season a game has lasted at least 3:30. (None have gone into extra innings.) Of the team's first 26 games, 20 have lasted at least three hours, with 15 games going at least 3:20. The overall average game time for the Dodgers this season is 3:19 and their 3:24 average during their eight home games is tied for third-highest among the 150 teams across the Major Leagues and Minor Leagues.

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