OKC Dodgers Game Notes - May 16, 2021
May 16, 2021 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release
Sacramento River Cats (5-4) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (1-8)
Game #10 of 120/Home #4 of 60
Pitching Probables: SAC-RHP Shun Yamaguchi (0-1, 9.00) vs. OKC-LHP James Pazos (0-0, 6.00)
Sunday, May 16, 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 and Sacramento River Cats meet for the fourth time in their six-game series at 6:05 p.m. at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. First pitch for the game was originally scheduled for 2:05 p.m., but due to forecasted inclement weather and in order to make every effort to play without a significant weather delay, first pitch was pushed back by four hours...This series marks the Dodgers' first action in Oklahoma City following the conclusion of the 2019 season Sept. 2, 2019 and the cancellation of the 2020 Minor League Baseball season.
Last Game: The Sacramento River Cats sent the Oklahoma City Dodgers to a 13-1 loss Saturday night to take a 3-0 lead in the series between the teams at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The River Cats scored 13 runs and held the Dodgers to two hits before OKC's Rangel Ravelo connected on his second home run of the season in the seventh inning to end the shutout. The River Cats went on to outhit the Dodgers, 16-3, as five Sacramento pitchers combined to hold OKC to a season-low hit total.
Today's Probable Pitcher: James Pazos (0-0) will open today's bullpen game and make his fourth appearance of the season for the Dodgers. Today's originally schedule starter, Edwin Uceta, was recalled by the Los Angeles Dodgers yesterday...Pazos has not allowed a run over his last two appearances (2.0 IP) and overall has allowed five hits and two runs over a combined 3.0 innings to begin the season. He has struck out seven of the 14 batters he's faced...Pazos signed as a free agent with the Dodgers Dec. 11, 2020 after making six relief appearances for the Colorado Rockies in 2020. He was named to the Rockies' Opening Day roster and went on to allow 10 runs and 10 hits over 5.1 IP last season...Pazos owns a career 9-6 record and 3.95 ERA in 155 ML games and 127.2 innings with 127 strikeouts over parts of six seasons with the Yankees (2015-16), Mariners (2017-18) and Rockies (2019-20)...He made his ML debut Sept. 5, 2015 with the New York Yankees against Tampa Bay (0.2 IP) and picked up his first MLB win Sept. 28, 2016 with the Yankees against Boston, securing the final out in the top of the ninth before Mark Teixeira hit a walk-off grand slam...He was drafted by the Yankees in the 13th round of the 2012 MLB Draft out of the University of San Diego...Pazos most recently pitched against Sacramento Thursday, allowing one hit with three K's over one scoreless frame...This will be just the second start of his career and first since starting Game 2 of a doubleheader for High-A Tampa on June 1, 2014 at Fort Myers.
Against the River Cats: 2021: 0-3 2019: 1-2 All-time: 40-48 At OKC: 19-26 The Dodgers and River Cats are meeting for their lone series of the season...Sacramento won a three-game set between the teams in their last meeting in June 2019, as OKC won the series opener before Sacramento clinched back-to-back wins at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark for their first series win against OKC since 2015...The River Cats went on to win the 2019 Pacific Coast League Championship, sweeping Round Rock, 3-0, in the Finals, then won the Triple-A National Championship Game against Columbus, 4-0...Since OKC became affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the River Cats with the San Francisco Giants in 2015, Sacramento has a 12-8 edge in the Triple-A version of the Dodgers-Giants rivalry. Going back to 2019, Sacramento has won five straight meetings, all taking place at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
Stuck in the Starting Gate: The Dodgers have opened the season with a 1-8 record, marking their slowest start to a season in the Bricktown era (since 1998). The team had only once registered as few as three wins through nine games, going 3-6 in 2002, and has only once registered as few as three wins through 10 games, going 3-7 in 2002...OKC began the 2021 season 0-4 for the first time in team history...The Dodgers have started 0-3 at home for just the third time in the ballpark's history (2013, 2017) and has not lost the first four home games of a season since the stadium opened in 1998...Entering today, OKC is one of seven teams across the Minors (120 teams) that have tallied only one or no wins this season. Their -43 run differential ranks fourth-worst among all teams in the Minors.
Raging Ravelo: Rangel Ravelo picked up two of the team's three hits last night, including his second homer of 2021, as well as his fourth double. He paces the Dodgers with six extra-base hits, seven walks, 21 total bases and a .488 OBP. His seven walks are tied for fourth-most in Triple-A West, while his on-base percentage ranks ninth, his four doubles are tied for seventh and his 1.165 OPS ranks 10th in the league. He is tied for the team lead with 11 total hits and has hit safely in eight of his nine games with OKC this season, batting .355 (11-for-31).
Ways of the K's: The OKC pitching staff racked up 10 strikeouts last night, marking already the sixth time this season they've struck out at least 10 batters this season. In 2019, the Dodgers set a team record with 1,287 K's and led the league in strikeouts for the third time in four years...On the flipside, the Dodgers offense struck out eight more times last night, although it did end a stretch of six straight games with double-digit strikeouts. The team's 104 strikeouts are the most in Triple-A West.
The Run Around: The 13 runs allowed by the Dodgers Saturday were the second-most given up by the team this season (15 R - May 7 @ RR) and the most allowed in a game at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark since a 13-8 loss against Nashville Aug. 20, 2019...OKC has allowed the second-most runs in Triple-A West through nine games (72 R/69 ER) and is second in the league in homers allowed with 17. The Dodgers have allowed at least five runs in each game, including three games with 10 or more runs allowed...The 72 runs allowed by the Dodgers are the most given up by an OKC team through nine games in the Bricktown era. OKC's previous high for runs allowed through the first nine games of a season was 53 allowed in 1999...Going back to the season opener May 6 after starting pitcher Josiah Gray left the game, the pitching staff has retired the side in order just 17 times over the past 71 innings, allowing 98 hits and 37 walks during that span (1.90 WHIP), including 16 HR. Opponents have scored 70 runs while batting .328 (98x299)...During the team's current four-game losing skid, the offense has scored two or fewer runs each game (7 R). Over the first three games of the current series, the team is batting .167 (16x96), including 3-for-22 with runners in scoring position.
Reks in Effect: Zach Reks had his seven-game hit streak end last night, but he has now reached base in each of the team's first nine games. Since going 0-for-3 in the season opener, Reks is 11-for-32 (.344) with two homers, two doubles and owns a team-high eight RBI. He has also notched at least one RBI in four of the last five games (seven RBI total).
Double Down: Top Dodgers prospect Keibert Ruiz did not play Saturday, but he has four doubles in his first four games with OKC, leading the Triple-A West in doubles since joining OKC May 10. Ruiz is a combined 6-for-20 with one RBI since being optioned by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Around the Horn: Reliever Logan Salow retired all six batters he faced last night, with each of the final five via strikeout. Over his first two games, he's struck out seven of nine batters faced...Through the first nine games, when the Dodgers' leadoff man has reached base, he's scored in 12 of 16 instances. However, leadoff hitters have only reached base in three of the last 33 innings and just once in the last 16 innings. For the season, leadoff hitters are batting just .156 with a .198 OBP thus far...Through the first nine games, the Dodgers' shortest time of game is 2:57. Seven of nine have lasted at least three hours - with the two exceptions being 2:57 and 2:58 - and six of nine have lasted at least 3:20.
Pacific Coast League Stories from May 16, 2021
- Bart drives in 3 in win-streak ending defeat - Sacramento River Cats
- OKC Dodgers End Skid - Oklahoma City Comets
- Aces Fall to Aviators, 4-1 - Reno Aces
- Rainiers Rally from Seven-Run Deficit, Cannot Complete Comeback against Salt Lake - Tacoma Rainiers
- Bemboom, Wong Slug Bees to Victory - Salt Lake Bees
- Bees Take Third Straight - Salt Lake Bees
- El Paso Pitching Stymies Albuquerque Bats Again - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Three Homers Propel Chihuahuas over Albuquerque - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Sunday's Express vs Skeeters Contest Postponed Due to Rain - Round Rock Express
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - May 16, 2021 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Trammell Stays Hot with 4 RBI, Rainiers Drop Second Straight Road Game against Salt Lake - Tacoma Rainiers
- Late Surge Leads Round Rock to 6-5 Win over Sugar Land - Round Rock Express
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