PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - May 11, 2018

Published on May 11, 2018 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Memphis Redbirds (22-13) vs. Oklahoma City Dodgers (23-9)

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Game #33 of 140/Home #20 of 70 (16-3)

Pitching Probables: MEM-RHP Kevin Herget (1-3, 4.91) vs. OKC-RHP Justin DeFratus (1-1, 3.80)

Friday, May 11, 2018 | Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark | Oklahoma City, Okla. | 7:05 p.m. CT

Radio: KGHM AM-1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, iHeartRadio - Alex Freedman

Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers close out their homestand and four-game series against the Memphis Redbirds at 7:05 p.m. at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Fireworks are scheduled to follow the game, presented by True Sky Credit Union.

Last Game: All eight of the Dodgers' runs came via home run Thursday night as OKC set a team home record by swatting six homers in an 8-4 win against Memphis at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Donovan Solano kicked off the homer parade when he belted his second homer in as many games out to left-center field in the first inning for a 1-0 Dodgers lead. The Redbirds took the lead in the third inning, loading the bases with one out for Yairo Munoz, who connected on a grand slam to put Memphis in front, 4-1. The Dodgers chipped away at the Redbirds' lead when Kyle Garlick connected on his first homer of the night in the fourth inning. Breyvic Valera led off the fifth inning with a solo homer to get OKC within one run. Later with two outs, Danny Espinosa drilled a three-run homer out to left field to put Oklahoma City in the lead, 6-4. Jacob Scavuzzo and Garlick both hit solo homers in the seventh inning for an 8-4 Dodgers lead. In his team debut, Dodgers reliever Ariel Hernandez (1-0) got the win, pitching two perfect innings. Memphis starting pitcher Austin Gomber (2-2) took the loss.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Justin DeFratus (1-1) returns to the mound for OKC for his fifth start of the season...He last started May 6 against Colorado Springs in OKC, allowing two runs and six hits over a season-high 7.0 innings, allowing one walk with a season-high six strikeouts. After allowing two runs over the first three innings, DeFratus held the Sky Sox scoreless and to two hits over his final four frames. He didn't factor into the decision in the team's 3-2 comeback win...The 30-year-old veteran started the season with Double-A Tulsa, where he made two starts and went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA over 11.1 innings and was named the first Texas League Pitcher of the Week of the season...He signed with the Dodgers as a free agent Feb. 17...DeFratus started the 2017 season in the independent Atlantic League before signing with Seattle May 11 and spending the rest of the season with Double-A Arkansas (5-7, 4.85 ERA)...DeFratus made his MLB debut Sept. 18, 2011 with Philadelphia and has appeared in 191 MLB games with the Phillies...He was originally drafted by the Phillies in the 11th round of the 2007 MLB Draft from Ventura (Calif.) College...Tonight is his second start of 2018 against the Redbirds. On May 1 at AutoZone Park, DeFratus was charged with his first loss of the season, allowing five runs and eight hits over 6.0 innings with two walks and one strikeout, as OKC fell, 5-4.

Against the Redbirds: 2018: 3-4 2017: 8-7 All-time: 171-155 At OKC: 96-65

After splitting the first series of the season between the teams April 30-May 3 in Memphis, the Dodgers have won or split nine straight series against the defending PCL champion Redbirds...The Dodgers outscored the Redbirds, 18-13, in the first series of the season, posting two shutout wins and losing the other two games by one-run margins...The Dodgers won the 2017 series, 8-7, and have won five consecutive season series against Memphis. OKC has not lost a season series to the Redbirds since 2011, and the Dodgers were the only team in the PCL last season to have winning record against the 91-win Redbirds...OKC went 4-4 against the Redbirds in OKC last season and has not posted a losing home record against the Redbirds at home in four straight seasons, going 17-14.

Out of the Gates: The Dodgers have won 23 of their first 32 games of 2018 for the best overall record by an OKC team through 32 games since rejoining the PCL in 1998. The Dodgers own the best winning percentage in the Minors (.719) and are tied with Double-A San Antonio (Padres) for the most wins in the Minors.

Power Surge: Five different Dodgers connected on home runs Thursday night as Oklahoma City hit six homers for the time ever at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. It's also the first time the team has gone deep six times since June 18, 2008 at Nashville. The players who hit homers in that game were Nelson Cruz, Chris Davis (2), Nate Gold, Drew Meyer and Taylor Teagarden, as OKC beat the Sounds, 13-9...Fifteen different Dodgers players have accounted for OKC's 33 total home runs this season. Ten players have hit at least two home runs, while Rocky Gale and Alex Verdugo pace the team with four homers apiece...The Dodgers had hit 11 consecutive solo home runs prior to Danny Espinosa's go-ahead three-run shot in the fifth inning yesterday. Thirteen of the team's last 14 homers have been hit with none on base.

Dominant Donovan: Donovan Solano homered during his first at-bat for the second straight game Thursday, collecting his team-leading 40th hit of the season with a solo blast in the first inning. Solano has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games (17x47) and in 23 of his 28 games this season. He leads OKC with 13 multi-hit games and his .367 average ranks sixth in the PCL. He is batting .392 (38x97) over his last 24 outings...Solano has stepped things up even further at home, slashing .450/.507/.600 through 16 games at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

Rock Steady: Rocky Gale extended his hitting streak to 11 games Thursday, continuing the longest hitting streak by a Dodger this season. He is batting .419 (18x43) during the streak with a five extra-base hits (3 HR) and eight RBI while raising his season average from .200 to .333. He's been even hotter over his last eight games, going 16-for-31 with seven multi-hit games, including the last four straight (9x16)...He has already surpassed his 2017 homer total (3) with four homers through his first 20 games of 2018...Behind the plate, Gale leads the PCL with a 57.9 caught stealing percentage (11x19).

Ups and Downs on the Mound: The Dodgers pitching staff has allowed 24 runs in their last four games after allowing just four runs in their four games prior. Even with the recent rough patch, OKC pitchers still pace all of Triple-A with a 2.91 ERA this season, and the Dodgers have allowed a league-low 240 hits this season...Opponents are 13-for-31 with RISP the last four games after OKC held the opposition 3-for-the-last-35 entering Monday's game...This month, the starting rotation is 1-4 with a 5.04 ERA (28 ER/50.0 IP) over 10 games after collectively going 8-0 with a 2.05 ERA over 22 games in April...The Dodgers gave up their third grand slam of the season last night. Although opponents are 5-for-22 with the bases full this season, three of the five hits have left the ballpark...Opponents have a hit a home run in a season-long five straight games, totaling eight dingers. Prior to Sunday, the Dodgers had allowed just one home run over the previous six games and six homers in the first 14 home games.

Around the Horn: The Dodgers connected on a season-high nine extra-base hits Thursday night for their highest extra-base hit total since June 22, 2017 when they collected 11 against Nashville...Kyle Garlick has compiled three straight multi-hit games, going 6-for-12 with three homers after going 2-for-21 in his first seven games with OKC...Switch-handed pitcher Pat Venditte has put together nine straight scoreless relief outings totaling 12.1 innings, allowing four hits and one walk with 15 strikeouts. Opponents have gone 4-for-44 (.091) during the stretch.

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