PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - May 7, 2023

Published on May 7, 2023 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (22-10) at El Paso Chihuahuas (14-18)

Game #33 of 150/First Half #33 of 75/Road #18 of 75

Pitching Probables: OKC-LHP Robbie Erlin (1-0, 6.93) vs. ELP-LHP Jay Groome (1-2, 7.28)

Sunday, May 7, 2023 | Southwest University Park | El Paso, Texas | 1:05 p.m. CT

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

Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers wrap up their six-game road series against the El Paso Chihuahuas at 1:05 p.m. CT at Southwest University Park seeking a series split after winning each of their first five series of the season...The Dodgers own the best record in the PCL and have the second-most wins in all of Triple-A after snapping a three-game losing streak last night.

Last Game: Hunter Feduccia hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Oklahoma City Dodgers pitching staff had another strong game during a 3-2 win over the El Paso Chihuahuas Saturday night at Southwest University Park. The Dodgers trailed, 2-1, entering the eighth inning and had been limited to five hits while going 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position through seven innings. After Yonny Hernández reached base on an infield single to lead off the inning, Feduccia stepped up next and drilled a line drive home run off the right field foul pole to put the Dodgers in front. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, El Paso's José Iglesias hit a ball to the right-center field gap, but a perfectly executed relay from Drew Avans to Hernández to third baseman Devin Mann to tag out Iglesias ended the inning. Nick Robertson then retired the side in order in the ninth inning to seal the win. El Paso took the game's first lead in the second inning on a solo homer by Preston Tucker. The Dodgers evened the score with a RBI double by Jahmai Jones in the fourth inning before the Chihuahuas regained the lead in the sixth inning on a Brandon Dixon home run.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Robbie Erlin (1-0) is set to make his second start of the series and seventh start of the season, tying him with Matt Andriese for the team lead...In Tuesday's series opener, Erlin pitched a season-high 6.0 innings and allowed two runs and seven hits, with one walk and four strikeouts. After giving up two runs and four hits over the first two innings, Erlin held the Chihuahuas to no runs and three hits over his final four frames and did not factor into the decision of OKC's 5-2 win. It marked his longest outing since Aug. 15, 2018 with the San Diego Padres against the Los Angeles Angels...The Dodgers are now 6-0 through his first six starts of the season and have scored at least 10 runs in four of the six games...Erlin has allowed a total of 11 home runs through his first six appearances of the season (29.0 IP) - and at least one home run per outing - accounting for 17 of the 28 total runs against him. He's allowed the second-most home runs so far this season in the Minors...Erlin spent the majority of the 2022 season with the OKC Dodgers, making 21 appearances, including 14 starts. He went 5-4 with a 7.01 ERA, allowing 63 runs (60 earned) and 95 hits in 77.0 innings. He had 69 strikeouts against 35 walks. Erlin tied for fourth on the team in starts and ranked fourth in strikeouts. The team went 8-6 in his starts...He originally signed with the Dodgers as a free agent Feb. 21, 2022, and the lefty re-signed with the organization during this past offseason...Erlin was originally selected by Texas in the third round of the 2009 MLB Draft and traded to San Diego July 31, 2011. He has appeared in 117 games (43 starts) in the Majors, primarily with San Diego, but has also logged time with Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Los Angeles (NL)...Erlin made five appearances (four starts) against the Chihuahuas last season, going 1-2 with a 9.78 ERA over 19.1 innings with 13 strikeouts against seven walks.

Against the Chihuahuas: 2023: 2-3 2022: 13-14 All-time: 43-36 At ELP: 24-23

This marks the first series between the Dodgers and Chihuahuas after the teams competed down the stretch for the 2022 PCL East Division title Sept. 20-25, 2022 in El Paso. The Chihuahuas won four of the final six games between the teams and won the division title by one game ahead of OKC. The Chihuahuas went on to lose in the PCL Championship game to Reno, 6-2, in Las Vegas...The Chihuahuas also won the season series against the Dodgers, 14-13, clinching just their second season series win against OKC since Tucson's franchise relocated to El Paso for the 2014 season and their first against OKC since 2018. The scheduled was unbalanced with 18 games in El Paso compared to only nine in OKC. The Dodgers went 6-3 at home, but 7-11 at Southwest University Park, including losses in seven of their last nine games...Jason Martin led the Dodgers with 28 hits, including 10 home runs, against the Chihuahuas last season and finished with 20 RBI and 22 runs scored. James Outman finished with a team-best 24 RBI in 16 games, including hitting for the cycle Aug. 26 in OKC...Pitcher Ryan Pepiot finished with 20 strikeouts in 13.0 IP...The Dodgers outscored El Paso, 185-168, and hit 46 homers...After the teams played five series in 2022, the teams meet for just three series in 2023, including two in El Paso, and their season series wraps up July 23...Entering today, the Dodgers have lost seven of their last 10 games and 10 of their last 14 games in El Paso. Including the current series, they have lost at least three straight games within each of their last four series at Southwest University Park.

Thirty Something: The Dodgers continue to lead the PCL with a 22-10 record. The team's 22 wins are second-most in all of Triple-A, trailing only Norfolk's 23 wins (23-8)...OKC's 22 wins through 32 games are tied for second-most by an OKC team through 32 games in the Bricktown era (since 1998). Only the 2018 team had more wins, going 23-9, while the 2015 Dodgers also started 22-10. The only OKC team to have fewer than 11 losses through the first 33 games of a season was the 2018 Dodgers, who improved to 24-9.

Close Calls: Four of the first five games of the current series were decided in the eighth inning or later, including last night via Hunter Feduccia's two-run home run in the eighth inning for OKC. The Dodgers went on to post their seventh victory of the season after trailing in the eighth inning or later...On Thursday, El Paso trailed, 2-1, before erupting for seven runs in the eighth inning during an 8-2 win. On Wednesday, El Paso scored two runs in the eighth inning to break a 3-3 tie and win, 5-3. On Tuesday, the Dodgers trailed, 2-0, before they scored five runs in the ninth inning to come back to beat the Chihuahuas, 5-2...On Tuesday, the Dodgers captured their seventh last at-bat win of the season, while El Paso has notched the second and third last at-bat wins by an OKC opponent this season...With Saturday night's victory, the Dodgers improved to 10-1 in one-run games this season.

Power Switch: Hunter Feduccia's team-leading fifth home run in the eighth inning was the difference in Saturday's game. The homer was only the team's fourth in the last 14 games, but OKC's first with a runner on base during that span. Since April 21, the team's four home runs are fewest among all Triple-A teams and tied for the third-fewest in all of the Minors. Prior to April 21, the Dodgers hit 25 home runs through their first 18 games of the season...On the other hand, OKC allowed two home runs last night and has allowed a home run in seven straight games - one game shy of the team's longest streak of the season (8 games, April 6-14; 17 HR). El Paso has now hit nine homers through the first five games of the series. Only Las Vegas and Albuquerque hit more home runs in their series against the Dodgers so far this season, as both hit 10 homers over their six-game series...OKC has given up 49 home runs through 32 games, which are the most in the PCL and are second-most in the Minors. Last season, the team did not allow its 49th home run until Game 50 in Round Rock June 1...Opponents have bopped 11 home runs over the last seven games after the Dodgers allowed three homers over the preceding six games...Over the last 26 games (39 HR), 64 of the 124 total runs allowed (52.6 percent) have scored via home runs, including both runs allowed last night.

What a Mighty Good Mann: Devin Mann doubled in a third straight game last night as he connected on his 18th double of the season. Mann leads all of the Minors in doubles by seven and has 15 doubles in his last 17 games while hitting safely in 14 of the 17 games, going 19-for-59 (.322) with 10 RBI and nine runs scored...Mann and Matt Chapman (17) of the Toronto Blue Jays are the only two players to have more than 14 doubles in the Minors or Majors. Mann's 18 extra-base hits are tied for third in the PCL...Last season, Mann finished with 21 total doubles over 118 games in Double-A (16) and Triple-A (5) and his career-high mark for doubles in a season is 27 over 110 games with Tulsa in 2021.

Pitching Prowess: The OKC pitching staff retired 26 of 32 batters Saturday night, allowing three hits and two walks, plus one error. The three hits tied the team's season-low in a nine-inning game this season, and the Dodgers allowed two or fewer runs for the 10th time this season and for the second time in five games at hitter-friendly Southwest University Park...Starting pitcher Matt Andriese had to exit the game in the bottom of the fourth inning after taking a comebacker off his lower body. Andriese had allowed just one hit (a solo home run) while retiring 10 of 12 batters faced before sustaining the injury...For the second straight game, the bullpen had an outstanding effort, allowing one run over the final 5.2 innings. Bryan Hudson, Tyler Cyr, Justin Bruihl and Nick Robertson combined to allow one run and two hits, with two walks and six strikeouts...Over the last two games, OKC relievers have allowed just one run and four hits across 12.0 innings.

More Than Lukewarm: Luke Williams had Saturday night off, but on Friday went 2-for-5 and in his four games since returning to the team after being optioned by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Williams has hit safely in each game and is 5-for-15 with two extra-base hits and four walks. He now has eight multi-hit games in his 18 total games with OKC this season. His 26 hits are tied for second on the team, including 14 extra-base hits...By not playing yesterday, Williams fell off the official league leaderboard due to not enough plate appearances, but he entered Saturday ranked third in the league in slugging (.676) and fourth in both OPS (1.135) and batting average (.366).

Oh No, It's a Lefty!: Today the Dodgers will match up with El Paso left-handed starting pitcher Jay Groome for the second time this series. During the series opener Tuesday, Groome completed 6.0 scoreless and hitless innings with nine strikeouts - the most by an opposing pitcher this season. He retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced, with one walk allowed in that span. The last four times the Dodgers have faced a lefty starting pitcher, those southpaws have combined to throw 16.2 innings while allowing just two runs and three hits, holding OKC 3-for-50 with 27 strikeouts.

Around the Horn: The Dodgers are facing their first series split or defeat of the season based on today's outcome, but either way will not win a series for the first time in 2023. OKC's last series loss came Sept. 20-25, 2022 in El Paso, when the Chihuahuas won the series, 4-2. Last season when playing for a split in the finale, they went just 1-3...The Dodgers have won three of their first five series finales of 2023, including each of their first two road series finales...Steven Duggar and Justin Yurchak led the Dodgers with two hits apiece last night. Duggar has hit safely in three straight games (4-for-12), while Yurchak is batting .429 (6-for-14) in his six games with OKC this season...The Dodgers have the second-most walks (183) and strikeouts (327) in the PCL this season. The 510 combined walks and strikeouts are most in the league, and an astonishing 40.8 percent of plate appearances this season are resulting in one of those outcomes. Last night, the Dodgers struck out 14 times and have struck out at least 10 times in five straight games (60 K), which is one game shy of their longest double-digit strikeout streak of the season (April 1-7)...Although the Dodgers have drawn 21 walks over the last four games, they have converted just one of those walks into a run.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 7, 2023


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