OKC Dodgers Game Notes - May 23, 2016
May 23, 2016 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Baseball Club News Release
Oklahoma City Dodgers (24-17) vs. Fresno Grizzlies (17-25)
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Houston Astros
Game #42 of 144/Road #23 of 71 (15-7)
Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Jharel Cotton (3-3, 6.67) vs. FRE-LHP Tommy Shirley (3-3, 3.03)
Monday, May 23, 2016 | Chukchansi Park | Fresno, Calif. | 8:35 p.m. CT
Radio: KGHM AM-1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, iHeartRadio - Alex Freedman
Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers open up an eight-game road trip out west in California and start a four-game series against the defending PCL Champion Fresno Grizzlies at 8:35 p.m. Central time at Chukchansi Park.
Last Game: The Salt Lake Bees avoided a sweep by winning the series finale against the Dodgers, 6-4, Sunday afternoon at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a solo homer by Micah Johnson, but the Bees responded with three runs in the top of the third. Rey Navarro's two-run triple put Salt Lake in the lead for good. The Bees loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the fifth inning for Quintin Berry, who drew a walk to push the Bees ahead, 5-1. Salt Lake scored its final run on a RBI single by Ryan Jackson in the eighth inning. Rico Noel led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a triple for the Dodgers, then scored on a RBI single by Austin Barnes to cut the Bees' lead to 6-2. Rob Segedin later drilled a two-run homer down the left field line to cut the Salt Lake lead to 6-4. Johnson led off the ninth with a single to bring the tying run to the plate, but Javy Guerra retired each of the final three batters to finish the game and earn his fifth save. Corey Brown pinch hit with two outs in the ninth inning and flied out to the left field wall to end the game. Salt Lake reliever David Carpenter (1-1) got the win for the Bees, pitching a scoreless fourth inning. Dodgers starting pitcher Carlos Frias (0-1) was charged with the loss in his first outing of the season with Oklahoma City. He allowed four runs and seven hits, with two walks and two strikeouts over three innings.
Today's Probable Pitcher: Jharel Cotton (3-3) is set to make his first since April 24...Cotton began the season in the starting rotation and made four starts before shifting to the bullpen in late April. Since then, he has made six relief appearances for the Dodgers...He most recently pitched May 15 against Las Vegas, allowing six runs on five hits over two innings, and was charged with the loss...Cotton has struggled in his relief role, allowing 10 runs and 13 hits over 10.0 IP. During that time he's also surrendered four home runs...Cotton won his last two starts, most recently April 24 in Iowa. He allowed four runs on five hits, issued three walks and struck out six I-Cubs batters. He also hit a two-run single to give Oklahoma City an 8-4 edge in the fifth inning...He earned a shutout in OKC's rain-shortened, 4-0 win April 19 against Memphis in OKC. He allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out six Redbirds batters. It was his third career shutout, and first since firing a two-hitter on July 29, 2014 for High-A Rancho Cucamonga against Lake Elsinore...Cotton has 36 strikeouts and 10 walks over 29.2 innings. He ranks second on the team in strikeouts and averages 10.92 strikeouts per nine innings...Tonight marks his first career appearance against the Grizzlies.
Against the Grizzlies: 2016: 0-0 2015: 2-2 All-time: 56-33 In FRE: 26-18
This is the lone series between the teams this season...OKC and Fresno split their 2015 series, 2-2, in Bricktown. The teams swapped 2-1 wins in the first two games of the series before the Dodgers won the third game, 4-1, and Fresno handed OKC a 14-1 loss June 1. The 13-run loss was the most lopsided of the season for the Dodgers...The Dodgers hit just .179 and were held without a home run in the four-game set last season and were outscored by Fresno, 18-8, in the series...Oklahoma City is 2-0-3 in the last five series overall between the squads and is 5-0-3 in the last eight road series against the Grizzlies, not having lost a single series in Fresno since 2001...OKC last played in Fresno Aug. 12-15, 2014, winning that series, 3-1...In fact, Oklahoma City has only lost one season series against the Grizzles (2010) since the teams first started playing each other in 1998 and is 12-1-5 all-time.
RedHawks Reunion Tour: Fresno is in its second year of affiliation with the Houston Astros, after Oklahoma City served as Houston's Triple-A affiliate 2011-14. Eleven current Grizzlies suited up for the Oklahoma City RedHawks at some point during their careers. Fresno manager Tony DeFrancesco was the OKC skipper during all four seasons...The RedHawks went 302-272 during the four-year affiliation and won the 2013 American Southern Division title...On the other hand, current OKC Dodgers Charlie Culberson, Brandon Hicks, and Joe Thatcher are all former Grizzlies.
Road Warriors: The Dodgers have the PCL's best road record at 15-7 and have notched the second-most road wins in the league (Round Rock - 16). The Dodgers have won six of their last seven road games, including the last four straight...Last season, OKC went 10-6 in road games against Pacific Conference opponents out west.
Robert's Rules of Order: Rob Segedin has hit safely in his last three games and in six of his last seven games (8-for-24). His six triples pace the PCL, while 48 total hits this season rank tied for ninth in the PCL. His 30 runs scored are tied for fifth and his 86 total bases rank sixth in the league...Segedin collected his team-leading seventh home run of the season Sunday, sending a two-run shot of the stadium down the left field line. Segedin also leads the Dodgers with 18 extra-base hits and 25 RBI. He went 5-for-9 with three RBI and three runs scored in OKC's four-game series against Salt Lake.
King James: James Ramsey did not play Sunday, but he has hit safely in a season-best five straight games, going 7-for-18 (.389), and over his last four games, he is 6-for-13 with two homers and seven RBI...Ramsey has hit four of the team's last eight home runs, and since May 11, he's tied for third in the league with four dingers and tied for fifth with 11 RBI.
Solid as For-Micah: Micah Johnson is 5-for-11 over his last three games with a home run, two RBI, and two runs scored...Through 19 games in May, he is tied with Austin Barnes for the team lead with 21 hits. He also has six RBI, scored six runs, and has six stolen bases.
Barnes Burner: Austin Barnes paces the Dodgers with 10 stolen bases this season, including seven in the month of May. He is a perfect 10-for-10 in stolen base attempts, and is only one of two players in the PCL to have at least 10 steals without being caught stealing (Arismendy Alcantara, Iowa - 13/13).
Rhame of the Game: Reliever Jacob Rhame notched another scoreless inning with a pair of strikeouts yesterday. Over his last nine appearances, Rhame has allowed just one run and six hits over 10.0 IP. During that time he's racked up 15 strikeouts and held opponents to a .171 batting average (6x35).
UPCOMING SCHEDULE AND PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)
DATE TIME OPPONENT OKC PITCHERS OPP. PITCHER
Tuesday, May 24 8:35 p.m. at Fresno RHP Sam LeCure (2-1, 4.10) RHP Joe Musgrove (1-0, 2.45)
Wednesday, May 25 1:05 p.m. at Fresno LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (NR, -.--) RHP Brad Peacock (0-1, 5.67)
Thursday, May 26 9:05 p.m. at Fresno LHP Julio Urias (4-1, 1.10) RHP Brady Rodgers (2-3, 4.30)
Friday, May 27 9:05 p.m. at Sacramento RHP Zach Lee (6-1, 4.21) TBA
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