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PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - May 17, 2022

May 17, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


El Paso Chihuahuas (20-16) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (22-14)

Game #37 of 150/Home #19 of 75

Pitching Probables: ELP-LHP Ryan Weathers (1-1, 6.52) vs. OKC-RHP Mike Wright Jr. (1-2, 4.43)

Tuesday, May 17, 2022 | 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 return home to open a three-game home series against the El Paso Chihuahuas at 7:05 p.m. on a $2 Tuesday featuring $2 select beer, soda and bottled water from a line of Budweiser and Pepsi products. COOP Ale Works draft beer will also be available for $3...The Dodgers look to avoid back-to-back losses after losing their road series finale in Round Rock Sunday and have won four of the last five games, as well as seven of the last 10 games.

Last Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers grabbed an early 3-0 lead and later scored nine straight runs to take a 13-9 advantage before the Round Rock Express scored five runs over the final three innings to send the Dodgers to a 14-13 loss Sunday afternoon at Dell Diamond. After the Dodgers scored three runs in their first at-bat of the afternoon, the Express responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning and built a 9-4 lead through two innings. OKC chipped away and scored two runs in the third inning before taking the lead with four runs in the sixth inning. A single by Andy Burns coupled with a Round Rock fielding error plated the first three runs for the Dodgers, and Burns then scored on a single by Tomás Telis for a 10-9 lead. In the seventh inning, Miguel Vargas tripled and scored on a Ryan Noda single. A two-run homer by Eddy Alvarez boosted OKC's lead to 13-9. Round Rock scored two runs in the seventh inning and add three more runs in the bottom of the ninth for a walk-off win.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Mike Wright Jr. (1-2) makes his fifth start and eighth appearance of the season with OKC...During his last game May 11 in Round Rock, Wright started and tied his season-high mark with 4.0 innings, allowing three runs and four hits, including a home run. He tied his career high with five walks, had two strikeouts and did not factor into the decision of OKC's 13-4 victory...Wright has primarily worked in a tandem with other starting pitchers. In his four starts, the team is 2-2 and he has allowed eight runs and 17 hits over 14.0 innings. When pitching out of the bullpen, Wright has allowed two earned runs and five hits over 6.1 innings...Wright signed with the Dodgers as a free agent March 16 after splitting last season between the Chicago White Sox and Triple-A Charlotte. He spent the first half of 2021 with Charlotte, posting a 7-5 record and 3.40 ERA with 90 strikeouts over 16 starts. He posted a 1.05 WHIP and .202 BAA with Charlotte and lasted at least 6.0 innings in 10 of his 16 outings...Wright was promoted to Chicago in August and appeared in 13 games out of the bullpen, posting a 5.50 ERA with 11 walks and 11 strikeouts...Wright was selected by Baltimore in the third round of the 2011 MLB Draft out of East Carolina University and was the organization's Jim Palmer Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2013. He made his ML debut with the Orioles May 17, 2015 against the Angels...He pitched in two games against the Chihuahuas in April in El Paso, allowing a combined two runs and six hits over 4.0 innings with two walks and six strikeouts.

Against the Chihuahuas: 2022: 3-3 2021: 14-9 All-time: 31-22 At OKC: 13-10

The Dodgers and Chihuahuas meet for their second series of 2022 and first in OKC...The teams split their first series of the 2022 season at Southwest University Park in El Paso, 3-3, as the Chihuahuas won the first three games before the Dodgers responded and closed out the series with three straight wins...Ryan Noda compiled a team-best 10 RBI and 10 hits in the series, including two homers. Jason Martin also homered twice in the initial series as the Dodgers outscored El Paso, 42-30...The Dodgers won the 2021 series between the teams, 14-9, including 6-5 at home. OKC outscored the Chihuahuas, 143-115, and had 37 homers while holding El Paso to 21 home runs over the 23-game season series. Starting pitcher Yefry Ramírez went 4-0 in five starts, recording a team-leading 32 strikeouts against 10 walks while posting a 3.96 ERA over 25.0 IP...Outside of 2018, OKC has won or split each season series against the Chihuahuas since Tucson's franchise relocated to El Paso for the 2014 season...Until the first series this season, OKC had not lost three straight games at Southwest University Park Dodgers started playing at the venue in 2015.

We Salute Our New Robot Overlords: The Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system is scheduled to officially be implemented in OKC and throughout the Pacific Coast League starting tonight. Since Opening Day, the system has been going through testing and calibration at all PCL ballparks, but starting today it will be officially used to determine balls and strikes. The system is also being used this season by the International League's Charlotte Knights and throughout the Single-A Florida State League. The independent Atlantic League was the first pro league to use the ABS system in 2019. It was also used in select games in the Low-A Southeast and Arizona Fall League in 2021.

Off the Rails in Round Rock: Last series in Round Rock was certainly notable, as each of the following happened over the six-game set:

OKC recorded its largest shutout win in the team's Bricktown era with a 19-0 victory May 12. It also tied for the second-largest overall margin of victory in the team's Bricktown era. Yefry Ramírez became the first OKC Dodger and first pitcher throughout the entire PCL to throw a nine-inning shutout since 2018. Six different players homered in that same game. Research is still being performed to see if that has ever happened in the team's history, but it did not occur between 2005-21.

For the first time in the team's Bricktown era, the Dodgers allowed 10 walks in back-to-back games May 10-11. The OKC offense also drew 10-plus walks in back-to-back games May 12-13.

OKC lost a game when scoring at least 13 runs for just the fifth time during the team's Bricktown era and for the first time since 2007. The previous instance was a 17-16 loss in 10 innings on the road at Las Vegas May 10, 2007.

Getting Offensive: The 13 runs scored by the Dodgers Sunday marked the fourth time this season Oklahoma City has scored at least 13 runs in a game and it was the third time over the final five games of the Round Rock series. It was the 10th consecutive game the team scored at least five runs in a game (97 R) and was the fourth time during the stretch they scored 12 or more runs. Over the six games at Dell Diamond, the Dodgers batted .335 (77x230) with 63 runs, 11 homers, 31 extra-base hits and hit .333 (27x81) with runners in scoring position...The Dodgers are currently the top-scoring team among all 120 clubs in the Minors with 254 runs scored. They also lead the Minors with 184 walks and a .384 OBP while ranking second overall in hits (354), SLG (.479) and OPS (.863) and third in AVG (.286)...OKC's offense compiled at least 16 hits for the fifth time this season Sunday afternoon, but the Dodgers also struck out a season-high 18 times. When they made contact, they went an incredible 16-for-25 (.640).

More Than Steady Eddy: Eddy Alvarez finished a double shy of the cycle Sunday as he went 3-for-5 with a single, triple, homer, a walk, three RBI and scored four runs. It's the second time this season he collected a home run, triple and single in one game (April 10 vs. Albuquerque). It was also his second straight three-hit game, and over his last three games, Alvarez has reached base in 12 of his 15 plate appearances, reaching base four times in each contest (7x10, 4 BB, HBP). He has hit safely in four straight games, going 9-for-17 with six extra-base hits, nine RBI, nine runs scored and four walks. His four runs scored Sunday were a season high and his highest run total since June 21, 2015 with Single-A Kannapolis when he also tallied four runs...His ranks second in the league with a .443 OBP and his eight HBP's this season pace the PCL.

Mighty Miguel: Miguel Vargas picked up a fourth straight multi-hit game Sunday as he went 2-for-5 with a triple, walk and scored three runs. He extended his current on-base streak to 18 games and has hit safely in 15 of his last 16 games, going 26-for-64 (.407) with 14 RBI, 13 walks and 24 runs scored. He's also scored at least one run in 15 of his last 16 games...Vargas leads the PCL with 43 hits and 36 runs scored this season. His run total ranks second overall in the Minors.

Zach Attack: Zach McKinstry extended his hitting streak to a season-best nine games, going 2-for-4 with two walks, a RBI and run scored Sunday. During the streak, he is 16-for-36 (.444) with 10 runs, five RBI and five multi-hit games. He now has 38 hits in 26 games (25 starts) with OKC, recording a multi-hit game 12 times, and ranks second on the team in hits despite playing in just 26 of the team's 36 games...He leads the PCL with a .376 batting average, a .458 on-base percentage and four triples.

Pillar of Strength: Kevin Pillar did not play Sunday but picked up his third multi-hit game of the series Saturday night, going 2-for-3 with a walk, RBI and scored a run. In five games against Round Rock, he went 7-for-20 with two homers, a double, seven RBI and six runs scored...Over his last eight games, Pillar is 14-for-32 (.414) with 14 RBI and nine runs scored...Overall this season, his 31 RBI (3rd, PCL) and nine homers (T-3rd, PCL) pace the Dodgers, while his 32 runs scored are second on the team in the league.

Ups and Downs on the Mound: After allowing a total of 10 runs over the previous four games combined, the 14 runs allowed by the Dodgers Sunday afternoon set a new season high and were the most runs allowed by the team since a 15-8 loss July 8, 2021 in El Paso. The 16 hits by the Express tied for the most hits allowed by the Dodgers this season, previously set April 12 in El Paso...Over the last 10 games, the Dodgers are 7-3. In the seven wins, they've allowed 20 runs total. In the three losses, they've allowed 38 runs total, with at least 11 runs in each game.

Around the Horn: Tomás Telis had another multi-hit outing Sunday and has now hit safely in a season-high seven straight games, going 11-for-27 with eight RBI. He has collected at least one hit in 12 of his last 13 games with a plate appearance, batting .408 (20x49) during the stretch...Eddy Alvarez and Miguel Vargas each hit triples Sunday as the Dodgers extended their Triple-A best total to 19 triples this season. In 2021, they didn't collect their 19th triple until Sept. 21 in the 119th game of the season...The team's 18 strikeouts were the most since May 22, 2019 at New Orleans (19 K). Stefen Romero became the first player with five strikeouts since Drew Jackson May 6, 2019 at New Orleans...Sunday marked the first time this season the Dodgers lost a game when leading by more than two runs and the first time they've lost a game when leading by at least four runs since Aug. 28, 2021 vs. Las Vegas. It was also the second time this year they've led heading into an opponent's final at-bat but ended up losing, and also the first time this season the Dodgers lost when scoring in the first inning (12-1)...Entering tonight the Dodgers have lost three straight series openers as well as four of the last five.

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