PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - May 21, 2021

Published on May 21, 2021 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (3-10) at Albuquerque Isotopes (3-10)

Game #14 of 120/Road #8 of 60

Pitching Probables: OKC-LHP Mike Kickham (0-1, 7.71) vs. ABQ-RHP Ryan Castellani (1-1, 6.00)

Friday, May 21, 2021 | Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park | Albuquerque, N.M. | 7:35 p.m. CT

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

Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers look to even their series against the Albuquerque Isotopes at 7:35 p.m. Central time at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park...OKC is 1-6 on the road to start the season and this is the first of three 12-game road trips for OKC in 2021...2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger and Zach McKinstry are both expected to begin Major League Rehab Assignments with OKC tonight.

Last Game: Rehabbing Colorado Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland allowed one run and two hits over six innings, and the Albuquerque offense scored seven runs between the fifth and seventh innings to take an 8-1 lead before winning, 8-4, Thursday night at Isotopes Park. After being held to one run through seven innings, the Dodgers scored three times in the eighth inning, including a two-run homer by Andy Burns, but could get no closer.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Mike Kickham (0-1) makes his third start for the Dodgers...Kickham last pitched May 13 in OKC's home debut at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark against Sacramento. He was charged with the loss, allowing three runs on two hits, with three walks and six strikeouts in the Dodgers' 5-2 defeat. The lefty retired nine of 11 batters through three scoreless innings before the River Cats scored three times in the fourth inning...Kickham had his contract selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers May 2 and threw the final two innings of the team's 16-4 win Milwaukee. He allowed three runs and five hits during his outing and struck out the final two batters of the ballgame. He was subsequently designated for assignment May 3 and outrighted to OKC May 5...Kickham signed with the Dodgers as a minor league free agent Jan. 8 and made four appearances for the team during Spring Training as a non-roster invitee...Kickham spent the 2020 season in the Boston Red Sox organization and made six appearances (two starts) for the Red Sox after having his contract selected from the Alternate Training Site Aug. 31. It was his first ML action since 2014. He picked up his first ML win after throwing 2.0 scoreless innings Sept. 5 against Toronto and recorded a career high eight K's against Tampa Bay Sept. 10...He is in his 12th pro season after he was selected by San Francisco in the sixth round of the 2010 MLB Draft from Missouri State University...Tonight is his ninth career appearance against the Isotopes after facing them previously with Fresno (2013-14), Round Rock (2015), Tacoma (2015) and New Orleans (2019).

Against the Isotopes: 2021: 0-1 2019: 3-0 All-time: 107-91 At ABQ: 45-55

The Dodgers and Isotopes are meeting for their first of three series in 2021...The Dodgers swept a three-game set between the teams June 12-14, 2019 by a combined score of 27-13 at Isotopes Park, including a 10-0 victory June 13, 2019. Zach Reks batted .571 (8x14) with two doubles, a home run and a team-leading eight hits and seven RBI. The sweep also marked the first time OKC had won three straight games in one series at Isotopes Park since June 22-24, 2011...OKC also swept the 2018 series between the teams, 3-0, at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, outscoring the Isotopes, 12-2. OKC outhit Albuquerque, 28-17, in the three-game set, batting .315 while holding the Isotopes to a .175 average...Since the teams each began new affiliations in 2015, the Dodgers lead the series, 10-9...Entering tonight, the Dodgers have won six of the last seven meetings. Due to the nature of scheduling in the former PCL, last night was Albuquerque's first win against OKC since May 26, 2017.

LAD in ABQ: Los Angeles Dodgers Cody Bellinger and Zach McKinstry are scheduled to begin Major League Rehab Assignments with the OKC Dodgers tonight in Albuquerque. Bellinger played in four games in early April before being placed on the IL April 6. Following a collision at first base in Oakland, the injury was initially diagnosed as a left calf contusion before further examination determined he had sustained a hairline fracture in his left fibula. Bellinger won the 2020 World Series Championship with LAD, and in 2019 he was named National League MVP and won the NL Gold Glove in right field, as well as a NL Silver Slugger Award. After playing parts of the 2016 and 2017 seasons with the OKC Dodgers, the outfielder was named 2017 NL Rookie of the Year...McKinstry, an infielder/outfielder, played in 17 games with LAD this season before being placed on the IL April 22 with a right oblique strain. At the time of his injury, McKinstry was batting .296 (16x54) with three homers and 14 RBI. He made his MLB debut Sept. 16, 2020 and spent the majority of last season as a member of the Alternate Training Site and as a member of the Dodgers' taxi squad throughout all rounds of the postseason. In 2019, McKinstry spent the most of the season with Double-A Tulsa before closing out the season with 26 games with OKC, where he ranked among the PCL top 10 in hits (33), batting average (.379), slugging percentage (.724) and OPS (1.137) from Aug. 4 through the end of the season.

Today is a New Day: The 3-10 Dodgers try to avoid a third straight loss tonight in Albuquerque...OKC's three wins through 13 games mark the slowest start to a season in the Bricktown era (since 1998). The team had previously only registered as few as four wins through the first 13 games twice (2011, 2002). Both the 2011 and 2002 teams ended up with 4-10 records through 14 games.

Reks in Effect: Zach Reks had Thursday night off but singled, walked and scored the team's only run Tuesday in OKC against Sacramento. He has now hit safely in 10 of the last 11 games, including three straight...Reks has reached base in each of his first 12 games and leads the Dodgers with 15 hits, three homers and is tied for the team lead with nine RBI...Since going 0-for-3 in the season opener, Reks is 15-for-43 (.349) with three homers and two doubles.

Burn Notice: Last night Andy Burns played in his 1,000th career regular season game between his time in the Majors, Minors and KBO (Korea). He finished 1-for-4 and connected on a two-run homer in the seventh inning for his second homer of the season. He has four hits and four RBI over his last three games, hitting safely in all three games (4x12, HR, 2B).

Raging Ravelo: Rangel Ravelo picked up his fourth RBI in five games last night and is now tied for the team lead with nine RBI this season. However, his 12-game on-base streak to start the season came to an end by going 0-for-4. Ravelo leads the Dodgers with nine walks - tied for fifth-most in Triple-A West - and is second on the team with 14 total hits, including five doubles - tied for sixth-most in Triple-A West.

Ways of the K's: The OKC pitching staff's four strikeouts Thursday marked a season low, as well as just the fourth time this season they've struck out fewer than 10 batters in a game. Thursday also snapped a stretch of six straight games with at least 10 K's for OKC pitchers. The staff's 137 strikeouts this season rank fourth 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 eight times Thursday, marking just the third time this season the Dodgers' offense recorded fewer than 10 K's in a game. The team's 146 total strikeouts are the second-most in Triple-A West so far in 2021.

The Run Around: OKC allowed eight more runs Thursday and has allowed at least five runs in each of its first 13 games of the season. The Dodgers have allowed the second-most runs in Triple-A West through 13 games (97 R/94 ER). They allowed three homers last night and are now tied for most in the league in homers allowed with 23...The 97 runs allowed by the Dodgers are the most given up by an OKC team through 13 games in the Bricktown era. OKC's previous high for runs allowed through the first 13 games of a season was 79 allowed in 2006.

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