PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - May 13, 2023

Published on May 13, 2023 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (26-11) at Round Rock Express (21-15)

Game #38 of 150/First Half #38 of 75/Road #23 of 75

Pitching Probables: OKC-LHP Robbie Erlin (1-1, 8.63) vs. RR-RHP James Marvel (0-0, 6.00)

Saturday, May 13, 2023 | Dell Diamond | Round Rock, Texas | 7:05 p.m. CT

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

Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers are 4-0 in their current road series, which continues at 7:05 p.m. Saturday against the Round Rock Express at Dell Diamond. The Dodgers have won four straight games, as well as five of the last six games, and are in the midst of their longest winning stretch since a season-high seven-game streak April 22-30...The Dodgers own the best record in the PCL and have a 4.5-game lead ahead of second-place Round Rock.

Last Game: Led by starting pitcher Matt Andriese, the Oklahoma City Dodgers pitched a two-hit shutout and scored six runs over the final four innings of the game to win, 6-0, over the Round Rock Express Friday night at Dell Diamond. Andriese completed the first six innings and combined with relievers Mark Washington and Alex Vesia on the team's first nine-inning shutout of the season, as the trio faced two batters over the minimum. For most of the night, Round Rock starting pitcher Robert Dugger matched zeroes with Andriese, and the game was scoreless through five innings. The Dodgers scored four runs in the sixth inning, including RBI singles by Steven Duggar, Devin Mann and Patrick Mazeika. Mann added another RBI single in the eighth inning, and Luke Williams provided a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to finish the scoring. The Express was limited to a season-low two hits and were shut out for the third time this season.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Robbie Erlin (1-1) is set to make his eighth start of the season, tying him with Matt Andriese for the team lead...Tonight is his third appearance of the road trip after he last pitched May 7 in the series finale in El Paso, allowing a season-high nine runs on a season-high 11 hits over a season-low 3.1 innings, including three home runs. It marked his highest hit total since May 19, 2015 with El Paso against Fresno when he allowed 13 hits and most runs since July 7, 2013 with San Diego at Washington when he allowed nine runs...Erlin has allowed 14 home runs through his first seven outings of the season - most in the Minors - and has allowed three or more homers in three games...His loss May 7 was his first of the season and marked the first time OKC lost a game he started this season (6-1)...Erlin spent the majority of the 2022 season with OKC, making 21 appearances (14 starts). He went 5-4 with a 7.01 ERA, tied for fourth on the team in starts and ranked fourth in strikeouts. The team went 8-6 in his starts...He originally signed with the Dodgers as a free agent Feb. 21, 2022, and the lefty re-signed with the organization during this past offseason...Erlin was originally selected by Texas in the third round of the 2009 MLB Draft and traded to San Diego July 31, 2011. He has appeared in 117 games (43 starts) in the Majors, primarily with San Diego, but has also logged time with Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Los Angeles (NL)...Erlin made four starts against the Express in 2022, going 0-0 with a 5.63 ERA over 16.0 innings pitched. He allowed a combined 10 runs and 16 hits, including three homers, and issued eight walks against 12 strikeouts. OKC defeated Round Rock in each of Erlin's starts last season.

Against the Express: 2023: 4-0 2022: 16-14 All-time: 166-135 At RR: 91-68

After playing one another 30 times during the 2022 season and 29 times during the 2021 season, the Dodgers and Express meet for just three six-game series in 2023 and this is the lone series between the teams during the first half of the season as well as the only series in Round Rock. The teams next meet in August and September at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark...The Dodgers have won back-to-back season series between the teams, going 16-14 against the Express in 2022. After OKC went 12-6 through the first 18 games, the Express went 8-4 over the final 12 games, with half of those wins in games they trailed in the seventh inning or later. The Dodgers went 10-8 at Dell Diamond and started 9-4 before losing four of their final five games...The teams had a wild first series in Round Rock May 10-15, 2022, which OKC won, 4-2. OKC recorded its largest shutout win in the team's Bricktown era (since 1998) with a 19-0 victory May 12 and Yefry Ramírez became the first OKC Dodger and first pitcher throughout the entire PCL to throw a nine-inning shutout since 2018. In the series finale May 15, OKC lost a game when scoring at least 13 runs for the first time since 2007, as Round Rock won, 14-13...On Aug. 14, 2022 against the Express in OKC, the Dodgers won, 20-3, scoring 20 runs for the sixth time in team's Bricktown era (since 1998), and it was the most runs scored by the team at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark since 2013...The Dodgers outscored the Express, 193-144, last season, while the Express had a 35-34 edge in home runs.

Trending Up: The Dodgers lead the PCL with a 26-11 record and their 26 wins are second-most in all of Triple-A, trailing only Norfolk's 27 wins (27-9). Their 26 wins through 37 games are tied for the most by an OKC team through 37 games in the Bricktown era (since 1998). The 2015 Dodgers also started 26-11 and then fell to 26-12 through 38 games. No OKC team has had fewer than 12 losses through 38 games since 1998...After a 20-6 start, the Dodgers then lost four of their next five games, including their longest losing streak of the season at three games and their first series loss of the season in El Paso. However, the Dodgers have since rebounded with wins in five of the last six games and in four consecutive contests. OKC is now a season-best 15 games above .500.

Series Starters: The Dodgers have won the first four games of a series for the third time this season as they are in the midst of their sixth six-game series. In addition to the current series, the Dodgers won the first four games in Las Vegas April 4-7, and against Sacramento April 25-30 in OKC, the Dodgers won the first five games of their six-game series against the River Cats before losing the finale, which was Game 2 of a doubleheader. The 5-0 series start was the first for the Dodgers since PCL teams started playing primarily six-game series in 2021 and the Dodgers are currently in their 50th six-game series in the last three seasons. It was the first time the Dodgers won five consecutive games at any point during the same series under the new format and just the fifth time they have won five total games in a series since 2021...Prior to this season, the only other time the Dodgers started a six-game series by going 4-0 was June 17-20, 2021 in Round Rock.

Absolute Zero: The Dodgers pitched their first nine-inning shutout of 2023 and second overall shutout of the season last night. Matt Andriese, Mark Washington and Alex Vesia combined to face two batters over the minimum and retire 26 of 29 total batters faced with two hits and one hit batter, including one ground ball double play. The Dodgers did not allow a walk for the third time this season and for the first time since April 7 at Las Vegas. The two hits allowed set a season low for a nine-inning game and no Round Rock runner advanced past second base. Coincidentally, this is the second straight season the Dodgers pitched a shutout in Round Rock on May 12, as they won, 19-0, one year ago...Andriese tossed six scoreless innings, allowing two hits. He matched his longest start of the season and tied a season high with six strikeouts. Andriese retired 18 of 20 batters faced overall, 17 of the first 18 batters faced, and each of the first 10 batters of the game. He did not allow a walk for a fourth consecutive start (20.1 IP)...With Washington and Vesia combining for three scoreless and hitless innings, the OKC bullpen has now allowed two runs and 14 hits over 32.1 innings across the last seven games, holding opponents 14-for-104 (.135) with 36 strikeouts...Overall, the OKC pitching staff's 154 walks and 286 hits allowed so far in 2023 are fewest in the PCL and the team's .237 opponent average is lowest in the league. OKC's 184 runs allowed and 4.65 ERA are second-lowest in the PCL behind league-leading Round Rock.

What a Mighty Good Mann: Devin Mann went 2-for-4 Friday with two RBI, extending his hitting streak to seven games - the longest active streak for an OKC player and two games shy of his season-high hitting streak of nine games April 15-27. During the current streak, Mann is 9-for-24 with five extra-base hits and seven RBI. He has also reached base safely in eight consecutive games...Mann paces the Minors with 19 doubles and he has 16 doubles in his last 21 games, while hitting safely in 18 of the 21 games, going 25-for-72 (.347) with 16 RBI and 14 runs scored...Mann and Matt Chapman (17) of the Toronto Blue Jays are the only two players to have more than 14 doubles in the Minors or Majors and Mann's doubles total leads the Minors by five. Mann's 20 extra-base hits are tied for fourth in the PCL...Last season, Mann finished with 21 total doubles (118 games) in Double-A (16) and Triple-A (5) and his career-high mark for doubles in a season is 27 (110 games) with Tulsa in 2021.

Power Switch: The Dodgers did not record an extra-base hit last night for the first time in a nine-inning game this season as they hit nine singles Friday...The Dodgers have now been held without a home run in 12 of their last 19 games and have hit just nine homers since April 21 - fewest in Triple-A during the span. However, the Dodgers have hit four home runs during the current series in Round Rock, two of which were the team's first grand slams of the season - Tuesday by David Freitas and Thursday by Luke Williams...On the other hand, the OKC pitching staff snapped a season-high streak of 11 consecutive games allowing a home run Friday (18 HR). During the current road trip, the Dodgers have allowed 16 home runs over 10 games, with two or more homers in five of the last nine games...OKC has given up 56 home runs through 37 games, which are tied with Syracuse for the most in the Minors...Last season, the team did not allow its 56th home run until its 58th game of the season June 10 against Salt Lake, and even during the year of the home run in 2019, the team did not surrender its 56th home run until May 19 in its 42nd game...Over the last 31 games (46 HR), 76 of the 145 total runs allowed (52.4 percent) have scored via home runs, including seven of Round Rock's 10 runs so far this series...Including last night, the Dodgers are now 6-0 when not allowing a homer.

Steadfast: In his first game back with OKC after making his Major League debut and playing in seven games with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Michael Busch drew two walks Friday. He has now reached base in each of his first 22 games with the OKC Dodgers this season and his on-base streak is tied for the second-longest active streak in the league and the third-longest streak overall this season. Going back to the end of last season, he is now on a 28-game on-base streak in Triple-A games...He has hit safely in 18 of 22 games with OKC this season.

RISPy Business: After going 4-for-11 last night, the Dodgers have batted .354 (17x48) with runners in scoring position over the last five games. Prior to that, they were mired in a 5-for-50 slump with RISP over the previous six games...The Express has totaled just four at-bats with runners in scoring position the last two nights, going 0-for-4, and the Dodgers have now held them 2-for-20 with RISP during the series. The team's .210 opponent batting average with RISP this season is best in the league by 41 points.

Around the Horn: Steven Duggar tied his season high with three hits Friday, going 3-for-5 with a RBI and a run scored. He broke the scoreless tie in the sixth inning with a RBI single and snapped his own 0-for-10 streak over his first three games of the current series...Bradley Zimmer hit safely in a third straight game against the Express last night and is 5-for-10 with a double, home run, five RBI and three runs scored this series while reaching base in seven of 12 plate appearances...OKC has not been charged with an error in a season-high three consecutive games and has six errors through 10 May games after totaling 28 errors through the team's first 27 games...The Dodgers lost both of their ball-strike challenges last night after being successful in eight of their first 10 challenges this season.

Check out the Oklahoma City Comets Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Pacific Coast League Stories from May 13, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central