PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - May 4, 2015

Published on May 4, 2015 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (18-6) vs. New Orleans Zephyrs (11-11)

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Miami Marlins

Game #25 of 144/Home #13 of 72 (9-3)

Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Ramon Troncoso (1-0, 3.38) vs. NEW-LHP Pat Misch (1-1, 1.93)

Monday, May 4, 2015 | Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark | Oklahoma City, Okla. | 7:05 p.m. CT

Radio: KGHM AM-1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, iHeartRadio - Alex Freedman

Today's Game: The league-leading Oklahoma City Dodgers open a four-game series against the New Orleans Zephyrs with a 7:05 p.m. game at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Tonight marks the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

Last Game: Iowa erupted for seven runs through five innings and received a solid start from pitcher Donn Roach to defeat Oklahoma City, 7-3, Sunday afternoon at Principal Park. Roach (3-0) held OKC scoreless and to one hit over his first seven innings. He faced one over the minimum through seven frames. He also coaxed 17 groundouts, struck out two and did not allow a walk. Iowa's Mike Baxter hit a RBI single in the first inning to give Iowa a 1-0 lead. Iowa scored twice in the third, including a solo homer by Arismendy Alcantara. The Dodgers committed two errors in the fourth, aiding the I-Cubs in scoring three runs to make it 6-0. In the fifth, Javy Baez led off the inning and connected on his first homer of the season, pushing Iowa to a 7-0 advantage. The Dodgers got their offense going in the eighth. With two outs, Elliot Johnson and Brian Ward hit back-to-back doubles. Darnell Sweeney followed with a pinch-hit, two-run homer to pull the Dodgers within 7-3. OKC starting pitcher Zach Lee ended up with the loss. Lee (3-2) left the game after a season-low 4.0 innings. He allowed six runs (four earned) and eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Ramon Troncoso (1-0) will make a spot start...Troncoso has appeared in three games since joining OKC on April 25, pitching 2.2 innings of relief. He has allowed three hits, two runs (one earned), and one walk with three strikeouts...He joined the Dodgers from Double-A Tulsa on April 23 where he appeared in one game for the Drillers, throwing one scoreless inning...Last season he appeared in 24 games for Triple-A Omaha, making one start. Overall, he went 1-6 with a 4.30 ERA in 44.0 innings with 33 strikeouts, but did not appear in a game after July 9...He originally was signed by the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent on June 20, 2002 and spent 11 seasons in the organization, making 175 career appearances with the big league club. He returned to the Dodgers after signing as a free agent Feb. 5, 2015...Tonight will only be Troncoso's second start since May 16, 2005. His last start came almost exactly one year ago when he faced the RedHawks in Omaha on May 5, 2014...In his career is 0-2 with one save a 4.26 ERA against New Orleans (12 G).

Against the Zephyrs: 2015: 0-0 2014: 9-7 All-time: 141-128 In OKC: 75-60

Tonight opens the first series of the season between the two teams...Oklahoma City won the 2014 series between the teams, 9-7, but went just 3-5 at home...The Zephyrs won the most recent series between the squads July 7-10, 2014 in Oklahoma City and has won four of the last five games against OKC...Since 2011, New Orleans owns a 19-14 record in Bricktown, going .500 or better in each of the past four seasons...OKC's Kyle Jensen played in 193 games for the Zephyrs the past two seasons. He spent all of 2014 with the Z's and paced the club with 27 homers and 92 RBI. On the other side, Austin Wates spent most of last season with the RedHawks prior to getting traded from Houston to Miami. Wates batted .299 with two homers, 30 RBI, and swiped 31 bases over 74 games.

Winning Ways: With an 18-6 record, OKC paces the PCL and owns the team's best record through 24 games since joining the league in 1998...The Dodgers have won three of four games in each of their first six series and own matching home and road records at 9-3...OKC is tied with High-A Visalia and Low-A Quad Cities for the most wins in the Minors...Tonight the Dodgers will look to avoid losing consecutive games for the first time this season.

Top of the Charts: The OKC Dodgers pitching staff leads the league in ERA (2.62), WHIP (1.11), strikeouts (232), and opponent average (.224). In addition, they have allowed the fewest walks (58) and rank second in fewest home runs allowed (14).

Whiff City: The OKC Dodgers pitching staff ranks second in the Minors with 232 strikeouts, although it is the highest total among all Double-A and Triple-A teams. The team's 9.96 strikeouts per nine innings are also second overall in the Minors...Through 24 games, the pitching staff has struck out at least 10 batters 12 times...The pitching staff owns a 4.0 K/BB ratio this season.

What a Relief: Over the last eight games, the bullpen has allowed four earned runs (five runs total) over 34.0 IP (1.06 ERA), while holding opponents to a .183 average (22x120).

Moving Parts: Today the Los Angeles Dodgers recalled OKC Dodgers reliever Danny Coulombe. Coulombe had been lights out of late, retiring 23 of the last 25 batters he'd faced, while allowing no hits and racking up 14 strikeouts. In a corresponding move, Juan Gonzalez joined the OKC Dodgers from Double-A Tulsa. Over six appearances with the Drillers, Gonzalez fired 7.0 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits (.091 BAA) with two walks and seven strikeouts.

Hits Are Overrated: The Dodgers are 4-1 over their last five games despite batting .169 (27x160), including 8-for-43 (.186) with runners in scoring position. In three of the four wins, they've collected just five hits. Yesterday they collected four extra-base hits after notching just three extra-base hits over the previous four games combined.

In a Pinch: Darnell Sweeney's pinch-hit home run yesterday was the team's first since Marc Krauss hit a three-run blast against Salt Lake on June 11, 2014. OKC pinch hitters have gone 6-for-9 with six RBI this season.

Batting Ninth...: Tonight will be the first game played between two National League affiliates at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark since Aug. 28, 2012 when the RedHawks faced Albuquerque, meaning National League rules will be in effect. Although the team was briefly a NL affiliate in 2011-2012 when the Houston Astros were still in the Senior Circuit, it has been an AL affiliate for 30 of the past 32 years.

Monday Miscellany: Yesterday marked the first time this season the Dodgers failed to draw at least one walk in a game this season...Darnell Sweeney's homer was the first hit one by a Dodger besides Chris Heisey or Scott Schebler since April 20 (12 games)...Iowa scored three runs in the fourth inning yesterday. Prior to that, OKC had allowed one run in the fourth inning for the entire season.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE AND PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)

DATE TIME OPPONENT OKC PITCHERS OPP. PITCHER

Tuesday, May 5 7:05 p.m. New Orleans RHP Mike Bolsinger (2-0, 0.64) RHP Andre Rienzo (0-3, 4.35)

Wednesday, May 6 11:05 a.m. New Orleans LHP David Huff (1-0, 2.87) LHP Justin Nicolino (2-0, 0.63)

Thursday, May 7 7:05 p.m. New Orleans RHP Joe Wieland (3-0, 3.60) RHP Jose Urena (1-0, 1.13)

Friday, May 8 7:05 p.m. @ Omaha RHP Zach Lee (3-2, 2.79) TBA

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