PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - May 31, 2021

Published on May 31, 2021 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (8-14) at El Paso Chihuahuas (9-12)

Game #23 of 120/Road #17 of 60

Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Aaron Wilkerson (1-3, 5.50) vs. ELP-RHP Evan Miller (1-0, 1.84)

Monday, May 31, 2021 | Southwest University Park | El Paso, Texas | 7:35 p.m. CT

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

Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers try for a fourth straight win tonight in El Paso when they continue their road series against the Chihuahuas at 7:35 p.m. at Southwest University Park. The Dodgers have won three consecutive games for the first time this season and lead the current series, 3-1, as they have scored 43 runs through the first four games combined. OKC has also won four of the last five games during the current road trip.

Last Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers hit seven homers and piled up 11 extra-base hits, featuring three homer games by both Luke Raley and Steven Souza Jr. in a 20-9 win over the El Paso Chihuahuas Sunday night at Southwest University Park. Raley and Souza Jr. combined for six homers and 16 RBI, with Raley driving in nine runs. The Dodgers scored four runs in the first inning when Souza Jr. hit a three-run homer, and Matt Davidson followed with a solo blast. Souza hit his second three-run homer in the third inning. Raley hit a three-run homer in the fourth and a grand slam in the sixth to put OKC ahead, 14-3. Souza hit his third homer in the eighth inning and Raley followed suit in the ninth inning. Each of the team's first 17 runs scored on home runs in the rout.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Aaron Wilkerson (1-3) seeks back-to-back wins for the first time this season when he takes the mound in El Paso...He was named Triple-A West Pitcher of the Week earlier today after picking up his first win of 2021 in his last start May 25 in Albuquerque. He held the Isotopes to one hit over 6.2 scoreless innings did not allow a hit until Ryan Vilade led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a single. Wilkerson walked two and recorded seven strikeouts while throwing 95 pitches, including 57 strikes. The outing was the longest by a Dodgers pitcher this season and Wilkerson's longest outing since pitching 7.0 scoreless innings May 31, 2019 for San Antonio against Omaha...This latest weekly honor is the seventh of Wilkerson's career and second at Triple-A...He currently ranks second in the Triple-A West with a 1.17 WHIP and his .246 BAA ranks seventh...Wilkerson signed with the Dodgers as a free agent May 1 shortly before the season began. He originally signed with Rakuten of the Chinese Professional Baseball League during the 2020-21 offseason, but opted out of his contract due to family reasons...Wilkerson was under contract with the Milwaukee Brewers during the 2020 season, but was not part of the team's player pool and did not play due to the canceled Minor League season...In 2019, Wilkerson spent most of the year with Triple-A San Antonio but also made eight relief appearances over three stints with the Milwaukee Brewers. While with San Antonio, he made 17 starts and went 8-2 with a 3.42 ERA over 76.1 IP with 81 strikeouts...Wilkerson made his ML debut in September 2017 with the Brewers against Miami and has pitched in 14 ML games (three starts) with Milwaukee...Today is his third career start against the Chihuahuas. He last started in El Paso Aug. 12, 2019 while with San Antonio and was charged with the loss (3.0 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, BB, K).

Against the Chihuahuas: 2021: 3-1 2019: 2-2 All-time: 17-11 At ELP: 10-6

The Dodgers and Chihuahuas meet for the first of three series in 2021 and their first of two series at Southwest University Park...The teams split their 2019 series in Texas, 2-2, as the Chihuahuas outscored OKC, 34-30, but OKC outhit El Paso, 47-46...Zach Reks went 6-for-18 with two homers, four RBI and scored three runs in the series...Outside of the 2018 series, OKC has won or split each series against El Paso since Tucson's franchise relocated to El Paso for the 2014 season, including all three previous series at Southwest University Park (2015, 2017, 2019)...Current OKC Dodgers Carlos Asuaje (2016-18), Kevin Quackenbush (2014-17) have played for El Paso during their careers.

Getting Offensive: The OKC offense scored 20 runs last night, reaching the single-game milestone for the fifth time in its Bricktown era (since 1998) and for the first time since a 24-5 win over Colorado Springs Aug. 3, 2013. It was the team's first road game with 20 runs since a 20-6 win Sept. 1, 2007 in Albuquerque...The 20 hits tallied by OKC last night were also the most in a game by the Dodgers since an 18-5 win at Iowa July 18, 2019 in which they outhit the Cubs, 20-6. The hit total is tied for the most during the team's Dodgers affiliation (since 2015)...OKC's 11 extra-base hits Sunday, including seven homers and four doubles, were a season high and the most by the team since their July 18, 2019 win at Iowa in which they also had 11 extra-base hits...Through the first four games of the current series, the Dodgers have scored a combined 43 runs and over their last nine games on the current road trip, the Dodgers have scored 10 or more runs five times...OKC's 86 runs and 105 hits since May 21 are the most in Triple-A and the second-most in all of the Minors behind the Low-A Carolina Mudcats (91 R, 106 H)...Through the first 13 games of the season, the Dodgers scored 48 runs (3.7 rpg). But over the last nine games, the team has scored 86 runs (9.6 rpg)...Since May 21, the team is slashing .309/.398/.556 after starting the season with a .216/.306/.345 line through 13 games...The team has gone 43-for-112 (.384) with runners in scoring position during the last nine games - including 7-for-15 last night - after starting the season 25-for-110 (.227) with RISP...The Dodgers have drawn 45 walks in the last nine games, which are the most in Triple-A West.

Cool Hand Luke: Newly minted Triple-A West Player of the Week Luke Raley homered three times last night for the first time in his career and set an OKC team record and new career high with nine RBI. He hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning and a grand slam in his next at-bat in the sixth inning for the team's first grand slam of 2021. He hit the team's final homer of the night with a two-run blast in the ninth. Raley reached base five times and scored five runs, becoming the first OKC player to cross the plate five times since Kiké Hernandez on June 20, 2014 at Reno. Raley has reached base in nine of his last 10 plate appearance, collecting seven hits, three homers, a triple, a walk, a hit by pitch and 13 RBI. He now has 19 RBI in his past four starts, including games of four RBI, five RBI and nine RBI...Over his first 10 games with OKC, Raley has 22 RBI - tied for second in Triple-A West. Since being optioned by the Los Angeles Dodgers May 21, Raley is batting .406 (13x32) with five homers, a double, triple, 11 runs scored and 21 RBI over the eight-game stretch...Prior to Raley's outburst last night, the team record for most RBI in one game was eight, achieved by Victor Diaz Sept. 1, 2007 at Albuquerque and Gregorio Petit June 22, 2010 at New Orleans.

Home Run Derby: Steven Souza Jr. and Luke Raley completed the ninth and 10th three-homer games in OKC's Bricktown era, respectively, last night as they became the first ever OKC teammates to hit three home runs in the same game. Souza hit three-run homers in the first and third innings and added a solo homer in the eighth inning. The three-homer game was the first of Souza's career, coming in his 1,228th career game between the Minors and Majors. He finished the game with seven RBI, marking the second game of his career with seven or more RBI, only surpassed by a nine RBI game April 25, 2012 with Low-A Hagerstown. His four runs scored last night also tied a career high...Prior to yesterday, the shortest time between three-homer games in team history was nine days, when Nelson Cruz hit three homers July 19, 2008 vs. Memphis and Nate Gold completed the trifecta July 28, 2008 at Colorado Springs...Per MiLB.com, the last teammates in the Minors to hit three home runs in the same game were Reno's Kevin Cron and Tim Locastro on April 26, 2019.

Raging Ravelo: The Dodgers had a monster day at the plate Sunday even without Rangel Ravelo in the lineup. He continued his recent tear Saturday as he reached base five times, collecting three hits and two walks. He finished 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and three runs scored. Over his last six games combined, Ravelo is 14-for-21 with six extra-base hits (three homers), nine RBI and four walks...Since May 22, Ravelo leads all players in the Minors with a .667 AVG, .720 OBP, 1.238 SLG and 1.958 OPS, while his 14 hits are tied for third and his 26 total bases are tied for fourth...Ravelo leads all Triple-A players overall this season with a .418 AVG and 1.279 OPS and ranks second with a .518 OBP and a .761 SLG. His eight doubles are tied for second, his 13 extra-base hits are tied for fourth while his 51 total bases and 28 hits are both tied for eighth...He leads the Dodgers' offense with 28 hits, eight doubles, 51 total bases, 13 walks and nine multi-hit games. He ranks second with 19 RBI and is tied for second on the team with five homers.

Reks in Effect: Zach Reks went 4-for-6 with two doubles and scored a career-high four runs for a second straight game last night. His 17 total runs scored this season pace the Dodgers and rank tied for sixth among Triple-A West leaders, while his .443 OBP this season ranks eighth in the league. Sunday marked Reks' third career four-hit game and second during his OKC career (June 30, 2019 at Nashville)...Overall this season, Reks has reached base in 16 of his 17 games while hitting safely in 14 of 17 games. He's slashing .333/.443/.530 with four doubles, three homers, 11 RBI and 17 runs.

Matt the Bat: Matt Davidson finished 4-for-6 Sunday for his first multi-hit game of the season with OKC. He homered in the first inning, added singles in the sixth and ninth innings, and doubled in the eighth inning. It was Davidson's fifth career four-hit game and first since June 21, 2015 with Triple-A Charlotte against Indianapolis.

Around the Horn: The Dodgers have a +33 run differential over the last nine games after posting a -49 run differential over the first 13 games...OKC catcher Tim Federowicz made the 26-man Olympic qualifying roster for USA Baseball and the team begins play in the WSBC Baseball Americas Qualifier today against Nicaragua in Port St. Lucie, Fla...Yesterday Stevie Berman became the team's 13th player to make his Triple-A debut this season (without appearing previously the in Majors)...OKC pitchers are a combined 0-for-40 with 29 strikeouts at the plate this season...Last night's game clocked in at 3 hours, 23 minutes. Eighteen of the team's 22 games have lasted at least three hours, with 13 games going at least 3:20 and six lasting at least 3:30.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 31, 2021


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