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OKC Dodgers Game Notes - May 22, 2021

May 22, 2021 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (4-10) at Albuquerque Isotopes (3-11)

Game #15 of 120/Road #9 of 60

Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Edward Cuello (0-0, 7.04) vs. ABQ-LHP Ryan Rolison (NR, -.--)

Saturday, May 22, 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 build on their best all-around game of the season and seek back-to-back wins when they continue their road series against the Albuquerque Isotopes at 7:35 p.m. Central time at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park. The series is tied, 1-1...OKC is now 2-6 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 continue Major League Rehab Assignments with OKC tonight.

Last Game: Keibert Ruiz belted two home runs within the first three innings, and Cody Bellinger and Zach McKinstry both began their Major League Rehab Assignments with solid games in a 13-3 win for Oklahoma City over Albuquerque Friday night. The OKC offense set season highs with 13 runs and 12 hits while also drawing 11 walks. The pitching staff also had its finest night of the young season, limiting the Isotopes to three runs and five hits with 11 strikeouts. The Dodgers scored in five different innings, plating at least two runs each time.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Edward Cuello (0-0) makes his first start of the season and first start since 2017 to open today's bullpen game for the OKC...He is currently tied with James Pazos for the team lead with six appearances after being named to OKC's Opening Day roster despite not appearing above Low-A previously in his career...Cuello most recently pitched one inning of scoreless relief May 18 against Sacramento in OKC, allowing a leadoff single with one strikeout and no walks...Cuello made his Triple-A debut May 7 at Round Rock with 2.0 scoreless innings with three K's and has held opponents scoreless in four of his first six outings in 2021...He did not see formal game action in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Minor League season...He split the 2019 season between Rookie-level Ogden and Low-A Great Lakes after beginning the season in Extended Spring Training. He went a combined 5-1 with four saves in 20 relief appearances with 38 K's against 10 walks. He was assigned to Great Lakes in August 2019 and allowed just one unearned run and eight hits over 16.0 IP, going 1-0 and was 3-for-3 in save opportunities...Cuello signed with the Dodgers as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic July 2, 2016 at the age of 17.

Against the Isotopes: 2021: 1-1 2019: 3-0 All-time: 108-91 At ABQ: 46-55

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, 11-9...Entering tonight, the Dodgers have won seven of the last eight meetings overall and four of the last five in Albuquerque. Due to the nature of scheduling in the former PCL, Thursday marked Albuquerque's first win against OKC since May 26, 2017.

Rehab Recap: Los Angeles Dodgers Cody Bellinger and Zach McKinstry are scheduled to continue Major League Rehab Assignments tonight in Albuquerque. Last night, Bellinger went 1-for-4 with a RBI and played five innings in center field. He flied out to the wall in right field his first at-bat, lined out to right field in his second at-bat, flied out to left field in his third at-bat, and lined a RBI single in his final plate appearance. McKinstry drew walks in each of his first two plate appearances, scoring both times. He also popped out and grounded out and played five innings in left field.

On the Mend: Cody 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 later determined to be 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 OKC, the outfielder was named 2017 NL Rookie of the Year...Zach 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 most of the season with Double-A Tulsa before closing out 2019 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 to the end of the season.

Rolling with Ruiz: Catcher Keibert Ruiz homered in each of his first two at-bats Friday night, blasting a three-run homer in the first inning and a two-run shot in the third inning to give the Dodgers a 5-0 lead. It was the fourth multi-homer game of his career, and first since Aug. 14, 2018 with Double-A Tulsa. The five RBI also tied a career high, previously set June 26, 2016 while playing in rookie ball with the AZL Dodgers. It was the first multi-homer game by a OKC Dodger this year, as well as Ruiz's first two home runs of the season with OKC...In seven games with OKC this season, Ruiz has nine hits, including six for extra bases - four doubles and two homers - six RBI and five runs scored...He has also played in six games for the Los Angeles Dodgers so far this season and his one hit was a home run on the first pitch he saw in the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs on May 4.

A Breakthrough Moment: The OKC Dodgers' offense set a season high with 13 runs Friday night, smashing their previous high of eight. The team also set a season high with 12 hits, surpassing the previous high of 11. OKC went 7-for-14 with runners in scoring position after entering Friday with a team average of .227 with RISP for the season. The Dodgers' offense also picked up a season-high 11 walks - the team's highest single-game mark since July 21, 2019 against San Antonio in OKC. The offensive outburst raised the team's overall batting average from .216 to .225...The OKC pitching staff also set season-low marks in runs and hits allowed Friday, holding Albuquerque to three runs and five hits. The Dodgers had allowed at least five runs in each of their first 13 games of the season. One night after a season-low four strikeouts, four pitchers combined for 11 K's Friday, marking he 10th time through 14 games this season Dodgers pitchers have struck out at least 10 batters in a game, including in eight of the last nine games.

Reks in Effect: Last night Zach Reks batted in the top spot of the order for the first time this season and reached base five times in six plate appearances, collecting a single, two walks and two HBP. He also picked up two RBI and scored once. He has now hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games, including four straight. Over the 12-game stretch he is 16-for-45 (.356) with three homers, two doubles and 11 RBI...Reks has reached base in each of his first 13 games and leads the Dodgers with 16 hits, three homers and 11 RBI. He also leads qualified players with a .333 AVG and .448 OBP.

Around the Horn: After starting the season 1-8, the Dodgers are 3-2 over their last five games...The leadoff batter reached base in six of nine innings last night, including five walks. The runner scored in four of six chances, and for the season, when the leadoff batter has reached he has scored 64 percent of the time (23/36)...Drew Avans hit the team's first triple of 2021 in the ninth inning Friday. Entering the game, the Dodgers were one of two teams in Triple-A that had not hit a triple all season (Rochester)...Over his last four games, Andy Burns is 6-for-15 with four extra-base hits and four RBI...Carlos Asuaje is currently riding a five-game hitting streak, going 6-for-17 with two RBI....The Dodgers offense struck out a season-low six times last night, but their 152 total strikeouts are the second-most in Triple-A West...OKC has allowed 100 runs through the first 14 games - third-most in Triple-A West and the most allowed by the team through 14 games in the Bricktown era (since 1998).

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