PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - May 17, 2021

Published on May 17, 2021 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Sacramento River Cats (5-5) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (2-8)

Game #11 of 120/Home #5 of 60

Pitching Probables: SAC-LHP Anthony Banda (1-0, 6.75) vs. OKC-RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx (1-0, 1.50)

Monday, May 17, 2021 | Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark | Oklahoma City, Okla. | 7:05 p.m. CT

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

Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers seek their first back-to-back wins this season when they continue their six-game series against the Sacramento River Cats at 7:05 p.m. at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark...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 Oklahoma City Dodgers hit two home runs as they snapped a four-game losing skid with a 7-5 win against the Sacramento River Cats Sunday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Dodgers pitchers retired 16 straight Sacramento batters after allowing a two-run double in the first inning, as OKC scored five straight runs to take the lead. The Dodgers tied the game in the bottom of the first inning with a RBI double by Rangel Ravelo, followed by Drew Avans' RBI groundout. OKC went ahead, 4-2, in the third inning on a two-run single by Tim Federowicz. Zach Reks then connected on a solo homer in the fourth inning. Sacramento cut OKC's lead to one run before Steven Souza Jr.'s two-run homer extended the Dodgers to a 7-4 advantage in the sixth inning. After Sacramento made it a two-run game in the eighth inning, Kevin Quackenbush retired the side in order in the ninth inning to earn his second save.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Austin Bibens-Dirkx (1-0) makes his second start of the season for the OKC Dodgers and first at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark...He made his 2021 season debut May 10 at Round Rock, holding the Express to one run and six hits over 5.0 innings in OKC's first win of the season. He did not issue a walk and recorded four strikeouts. Bibens-Dirkx retired nine of the final 11 batters he faced and held the Express 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position...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 and was eventually 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. With the Sounds, he posted a 2-3 record in eight starts with a 7.98 ERA and 33 strikeouts against 15 walks...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 River Cats: 2021: 1-3 2019: 1-2 All-time: 41-48 At OKC: 20-26 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 12-9 edge in the Triple-A version of the Dodgers-Giants rivalry. Going back to 2019, Sacramento has won five of the last six meetings, all taking place at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

Raging Ravelo: Rangel Ravelo extended his hitting streak to seven games Sunday night (10x23), going 2-for-3 with a RBI double, run scored and a walk. He paces the Dodgers with 13 hits, five doubles and eight walks. His five doubles rank tied for third-most in Triple-A West, while his eight walks are tied for fourth-most and his seven extra-base hits are fifth-most in the league. His .511 OBP is seventh-best in the league, while his 13 hits and 1.217 OPS both rank eighth. Overall, he has hit safely in nine of his 10 games with OKC this season, batting .382 (13x34).

Reks in Effect: Zach Reks hit his team-leading third homer of the season Sunday night. He also drew two walks and scored three times, tying his career high (fourth time overall, second with OKC). He also leads the Dodgers with nine RBI and has reached base in each of the team's first 10 games. Since going 0-for-3 in the season opener, Reks is 12-for-35 (.343) with three homers and two doubles. He has also notched at least one RBI in five of the last six games (eight RBI total).

Don't Dare Darien: Dodgers pitcher Darien Núñez (1-0) fired four perfect innings with seven strikeouts in Sunday's win, as OKC pitchers combined to retire 16 straight River Cats batters during one stretch between the first and sixth innings. Through his first three appearances of the season, Núñez has allowed just one hit over 8.1 scoreless innings of work while racking up 12 strikeouts. Opponents are 1-for-24 with two walks...For his recent efforts, Núñez was named MiLB.com Triple-A West Pitcher of the Week earlier today.

Ways of the K's: The OKC pitching staff racked up 11 more strikeouts last night, marking already the seventh time this season they've struck out at least 10 batters this season. The staff's 107 total strikeouts this season rank second-most in Triple-A West. 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 10 more times last night and has gone down on strikes at least 10 times in eight of 10 games overall this season. The team's 114 strikeouts are the second-most in Triple-A West.

Stuck in the Starting Gate: The Dodgers are seeking their first consecutive wins of the season today after opening with a 2-8 record for their slowest start to a season in the Bricktown era (since 1998). The team had only once registered as few as three wins through 10 games, going 3-7 in 2002, and has only once registered as few as three wins through 11 games, going 3-8 in 2002...OKC began the 2021 season 0-4 for the first time in team history...The Dodgers picked up their first home win of 2021 yesterday after starting 0-3 at home for just the third time in the ballpark's history (2013, 2017).

The Run Around: OKC allowed five runs Sunday and has allowed at least five runs in each of its first 10 games of the season. The Dodgers have allowed the second-most runs in Triple-A West through 10 games (77 R/74 ER) and are second in the league in homers allowed with 18...The 77 runs allowed by the Dodgers are the most given up by an OKC team through 10 games in the Bricktown era. OKC's previous high for runs allowed through the first 10 games of a season was 61 allowed in 2006.

Around the Horn: Sunday marked OKC's second-highest run total of the season behind an 8-6 win at Round Rock May 10 and matched their run total from the previous four games combined...Leadoff batters reached base three times yesterday after reaching base a three times in the previous 33 innings. Through the first 10 games, when the Dodgers' leadoff man has reached base, he's scored in 14 of 19 instances. However, OKC leadoff hitters are batting just .146 with a .213 OBP thus far...Over his first two games, reliever Logan Salow has retired all nine batters faced, with seven via strikeout...Clocking in at 2:53, yesterday's game was the team's quickest this season. Seven of 10 have lasted at least three hours - with all three exceptions at least 2:53 - and six of 10 have lasted at least 3:20.

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