OKC Dodgers Game Notes - May 24, 2023
May 24, 2023 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release
Oklahoma City Dodgers (34-12) at Sacramento River Cats (21-25)
Game #47 of 150/First Half #47 of 75/Road #26 of 75
Pitching Probables: OKC-Matt Andriese (4-2, 5.40) vs. SAC-RHP Keaton Winn (0-3, 5.83)
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 | Sutter Health Park | West Sacramento, Calif. | 8:45 p.m. CT
Radio: KGHM-AM 1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, iHeartRadio; Video: Bally Live, MiLB.tv
Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers have won back-to-back games, as well as 12 of the last 13 games as they continue their road series against the Sacramento River Cats at 8:45 p.m. CT at Sutter Health Park. The Dodgers own the best record in the PCL with five more wins than second-place Reno...The Dodgers have won seven straight road games and own the league's best road record at 18-7. It is the longest road winning streak since a team-record nine-game streak May 29-June 15, 2019.
Last Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers scored six runs between the eighth and ninth innings to nab yet another comeback victory, defeating the Sacramento River Cats, 7-4, Tuesday night at Sutter Health Park. Sacramento led, 3-1, after seven innings, as the OKC offense had mustered only one run and three hits. But in the eighth inning, the Dodgers plated four runs on four hits, to go along with a walk and a hit batter. Ryan Ward drove in the first run with a double, and two batters later, Hunter Feduccia evened the score with a RBI single. Justin Yurchak followed and hit a double to deep center field to score two runs and give OKC its first lead. Luke Williams provided the Dodgers with some extra breathing room with a two-run homer in the ninth inning to make it 7-3. The River Cats drew consecutive walks to open the bottom of the ninth inning and scored after a wild pitch and a RBI groundout but did not bring the potential tying run to the plate.
Today's Probable Pitcher: Matt Andriese (4-2) makes his team-leading 10th start of the season tonight...He last pitched May 18 against Sugar Land in OKC, allowing four runs (three earned) and eight hits over 5.2 innings. He did not issue a walk for a fifth consecutive outing and had three strikeouts. He was credited with the win in the Dodgers' 6-4 home win...He was named the PCL Pitcher of the Week for May 8-14 by Minor League Baseball Monday after combining with two relievers to throw the Dodgers' first nine-inning shutout of 2023 in a 6-0 win May 12 in Round Rock. Andriese pitched six scoreless innings, allowing two hits. He matched his longest start of the season and tied a season high with six strikeouts, retiring 18 of the 20 batters he faced. He retired the first 10 batters of the game as well as 17 of the first 18...He has allowed one or no walks in seven of his nine appearances this season, with three walks in his last eight starts combined (39.0 IP), and no walks in five straight outings (26.0 IP)...He currently ranks second in the PCL with a 1.34 WHIP, fifth with a 5.40 ERA and sixth with 43.1 IP...Andriese is in his 13th professional season and signed with the Dodgers Jan. 30 after spending the 2022 season with the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, going 5-2 with a 2.86 ERA over 15 games. He notched 56 strikeouts against 14 walks in 63.0 IP...Andriese was selected in the third round of the 2011 MLB Draft by San Diego from UC Riverside and he made his ML debut with Tampa Bay April 10, 2015 at Miami. He's made a total of 217 appearances in the Majors with five different teams throughout his career...Tonight is his second appearance of the season against Sacramento. He started Game 1 of an April 30 doubleheader in OKC, allowing three runs and six hits over 5.0 innings. He did not issue a walk and had two strikeouts during a 9-4 win.
Against the River Cats: 2023: 6-1 2022: 6-3 All-time: 54-53 At SAC: 25-25
The Dodgers and River Cats are meeting for their second of three series this season and first of two at Sutter Health Park...The teams met for a six-game series at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark April 25-30 that included two doubleheaders due to weather-related postponements. The Dodgers won the series, 5-1, winning the first five games before losing the finale, which was Game 2 of a doubleheader. That also snapped an eight-game winning streak against the River Cats going back to 2022...The Dodgers outscored the River Cats, 26-16 in the series, while Sacramento hit four home runs and held OKC without a homer...Yonny Hernández led OKC with eight hits, including two triples, while Ben DeLuzio had six RBI...Following this series, the teams meet for a three-game set July 14-16 in Sacramento...Last season, the Dodgers won their first season series against the River Cats since the 2018 season, going 6-3, including a 3-0 series sweep July 22-24 in OKC during which the Dodgers outscored Sacramento, 30-11. The teams split their first series of the season April 19-24 in Sacramento, 3-3, with the River Cats winning three of the last four games in the set...Since OKC became affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the River Cats with the San Francisco Giants in 2015, the Dodgers have a 22-17 advantage in the Triple-A version of the Dodgers-Giants rivalry, including a 9-1 mark over the last 10 games.
Trend Setters: The Dodgers lead the PCL with a 34-12 record, and their 34 wins are the most among all teams in the Minors. Only the 35-15 Tampa Bay Rays have more wins in all of affiliated professional baseball, but have played four more games than OKC...OKC's 34 wins are the most by an OKC team through 46 games in the Bricktown era (since 1998) and no other OKC team since 1998 has had fewer than 14 losses through 46 or 47 games...The Dodgers reached 30 wins faster than any PCL team since Las Vegas in 2014, which also started 30-11. In each of the last seven seasons, a PCL team needed at least 43 games to reach 30 wins - including OKC in 2015 - and at least 45 games in each of the last six seasons. In 2022, Round Rock was the first PCL team to reach 30 wins and did so in 50 games...The fastest PCL team to 35 wins since 2005 was the 2012 Fresno Grizzlies, which picked up their 35th win in Game 51. The fastest OKC team to 35 wins was the 2015 Dodgers, who reached the win total in 55 games...After a 20-6 start, the Dodgers then lost four of their next five games, including their longest losing streak of the season at three games and their lone series loss of the season in El Paso. However, the Dodgers have since rebounded with wins in 13 of the last 15 games and in 10 consecutive contests from May 9-19. The 10-game winning streak was the team's second-longest winning streak during the Bricktown era (since 1998) and the 10 consecutive wins were the team's most since a team-record 12-game winning streak July 26-Aug. 6, 2013...After not recording a win streak of at least six games since July 2019, the Dodgers have now put together three such streaks this season, as well as two winning streaks of at least seven games since April 22...The Dodgers are a season-best 22 games above .500 and last were 22 or more games above .500 when they wrapped up the 2015 season with an 86-58 record.
Never Say Die Dodgers: OKC won for a second straight game after trailing by two runs in the eighth inning. Tuesday's win marked the team's 11th victory of the season after trailing in the eighth inning or later....OKC has now trailed at some point in 24 of the team's 34 total victories this season, as well as in each of the last seven wins and in 14 of the last 16 wins. They have now won 14 times this season after trailing by at least two runs, seven times after trailing by at least three runs and four times after trailing by five runs...Through the first seven innings Tuesday, the Dodgers went 3-for-26 and scored their only run on a wild pitch. Between the eighth and ninth innings, the team went 5-for-11 with three extra-base hits and six runs scored. In their last 14 wins combined, the Dodgers have scored a total of 34 runs through six innings, but 41 runs between the seventh and ninth innings...Opponents have outscored the Dodgers, 150-145, in the first through fifth innings this season, while the Dodgers have outscored their opponents, 113-62, in the sixth through extra innings.
Fever Pitch: The OKC pitching staff has allowed four runs in three straight games, four runs or less in six of the last seven games, in 10 of the last 13 games, as well as in 11 of the last 15 games....OKC leads the PCL with a 4.23 ERA, while their 216 runs, 341 hits and 190 walks allowed are all fewest in the league and their .227 opponent average is lowest in the PCL. Their 438 strikeouts are second-most in the league...Dodgers pitchers recorded nine strikeouts last night and have recorded at least nine K's in four consecutive games for their longest stretch with at least nine strikeouts a game since an 11-game stretch April 12-23...Over the last 13 games during which the team is 12-1, OKC pitchers have allowed a total of 42 runs (3.2 rpg) and 77 hits (5.9 hpg), while producing a 2.57 ERA (34 ER/119.0 IP), .185 BAA (77x416) and 1.08 WHIP (128 H+BB). They are holding opponents to a .129 (11x85) clip with runners in scoring position during that time.
'Pen Pals:The Dodgers bullpen has allowed eight total runs (5 ER) and 28 hits in 70.2 innings over the last 16 games, holding opponents 28-for-227 (.123) with 79 strikeouts...Bryan Hudson was used as an opener and started Tuesday's game by retiring all four batters he faced, including one strikeout. It was Hudson's eighth consecutive scoreless appearance, and during the stretch, he's thrown 9.2 innings with three hits, five walks and 15 strikeouts...Alex Vesia pitched 1.1 scoreless innings Sunday, allowing one hit with four strikeouts. He has now posted seven straight scoreless outings, allowing four hits and four walks with 16 strikeouts over 7.1 innings.
Off on Offense: The Dodgers struck out 17 times Tuesday night for their second-highest strikeout total in a game this season and one shy of their season high set April 25 also against Sacramento. They were held to eight hits or less for the fifth time in the last seven games...OKC's .247 batting average this season is the lowest in the league, as are the team's 373 total hits (8.1 per game). The Dodgers' 449 strikeouts are second-most in the league...OKC totaled four extra-base hits last night for their highest total in seven games...Since April 27, the Dodgers are batting a Triple-A-low .218 with 161 hits in 24 games (6.7 hpg). However, they have compiled an 18-6 record during the 24-game stretch...OKC has homered in back-to-back games following a three-game drought. OKC's 15 homers since April 21 (27 G) are fewest in Triple-A by six.
Getting Warm: Ryan Ward and Jahmai Jones each had two hits last night, including a double. Jones reached base in all four plate appearances with a single, double, walk and hit by pitch. He has now reached base in 11 straight games for his longest on-base streak of the season and second of at least 10 games. Over his last five games, Jones is 4-for-11 with five walks and two HBP, reaching base in 11 of 19 plate appearances ...Ward has now hit safely in four straight games, going 6-for-18 with four RBI. He leads the Dodgers with 40 hits and 32 RBI in 43 games.
Close Calls: Seven of the Dodgers' last nine games have been decided by one or two runs, including four of the last five. For the season, 23 of 46 games have been decided by two runs or less, with OKC going 20-3 in those games...Including last night, nine of the last 19 games have been decided in the eighth inning or later.
Around the Horn: OKC won a fifth consecutive series opener last night, and the Dodgers have trailed in the seventh inning or later in each of those wins. The Dodgers have also gone on to win Game 2 of a series in three of the last four series...The eight walks by the pitching staff Tuesday were the team's most since a season-high 11 walks April 19 at Albuquerque...Devin Mann drew a walk and scored a run Tuesday and has reached base in 14 straight games - the longest current on-base streak by an OKC player. His 19 doubles lead the PCL, while his 22 extra-base hits are tied for fifth...Yonny Hernández did not play Tuesday but owns OKC's longest current hitting streak at five games (7x19)...The Dodgers have turned 11 double plays over the last seven games, including two last night.
Pacific Coast League Stories from May 24, 2023
- Bees Even Series with 13-6 Victory - Salt Lake Bees
- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. Las Vegas (6:05 PT) - Tacoma Rainiers
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - May 24, 2023 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Bees Players Visit Utah Miracle League - Salt Lake Bees
- Witte Leads Offensive Barrage in 15-3 Chihuahuas Win - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Aces Bit Ferociously by Chihuahuas, Lose 15-3 in Matinee - Reno Aces
- Round Rock Drops Series Opener in Albuquerque - Round Rock Express
- Dodgers Down River Cats, 7-4 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Rainiers' Bullpen Shines on Tuesday Brian O'Keefe: On Base 3x, Double, RBI, 2 BB, 2 Runs - Tacoma Rainiers
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