PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - May 9, 2023

Published on May 9, 2023 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (22-11) at Round Rock Express (21-11)

Game #34 of 150/First Half #34 of 75/Road #19 of 75

Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Gavin Stone (2-2, 4.74) vs. RR-LHP Cody Bradford (5-1, 1.07)

Tuesday, May 9, 2023 | Dell Diamond | Round Rock, Texas | 7:05 p.m. CT

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

Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers continue their 12-game road trip and open a six-game series against the Round Rock Express at 7:05 p.m. at Dell Diamond...Despite losing four of the last five games and five of the last seven games, the Dodgers continue to own the best record in the PCL. However, Round Rock trails the Dodgers by just one win, currently sitting in second place.

Last Game: Devin Mann finished with four RBI as he doubled and homered Sunday afternoon, but the Oklahoma City Dodgers lost to the El Paso Chihuahuas, 11-7, in the series finale between the teams at Southwest University Park. The Dodgers jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning. With two outs, Ryan Ward lined a RBI single, and Mann followed with a three-run home run out to left field for a 4-0 advantage. The Chihuahuas then scored five runs over their first two at-bats to take a 5-4 lead. Tim Lopes hit a two-run homer in the first inning before Matthew Batten tied the game in the second inning with a two-run double and Brandon Dixon's sacrifice fly gave El Paso the lead. OKC tied the game in the third inning, adding a run when Ben DeLuzio hit into a fielder's choice with the bases loaded. El Paso went on to score four more runs in the fourth inning, including a solo home run by Jantzen Witte, RBI single by Lopes and two-run homer by Dixon. Mann connected on a RBI double in the fifth inning and Patrick Mazeika followed with a RBI single to cut El Paso's lead to 9-7, but the Chihuahuas added back-to-back sacrifice flies in the fifth inning for a four-run lead.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Gavin Stone (2-2) returns for his first appearance back with OKC after making his Major League debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers May 3. Tonight will be his seventh start of the season with OKC, tying Matt Andriese and Robbie Erlin for the team lead...Stone made a spot start last Wednesday at Dodger Stadium against Philadelphia, joining Michael Busch as the second OKC player this season to make his ML debut. He allowed five runs (four earned) over 4.0 innings with eight hits, two walks and one strikeout and did not factor into the decision of LA's 10-6 win. The Phillies scored four runs and notched six of their hits in the third inning alone. Stone was subsequently optioned to OKC May 5...He last started for OKC April 27 in Game 1 of a doubleheader against Sacramento in OKC and earned the win. He allowed one run and three hits over 5.0 innings - tying his season-long outing - with two walks and a season-high eight strikeouts...After allowing six runs and five hits in his season debut, Stone has allowed seven runs and 14 hits over his last five starts (22.0 IP) while holding opponents to a .173 average...Last season, Stone was named the Los Angeles Dodgers Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He compiled a 1.48 ERA and 9-6 record across 26 games (25 starts) at three levels, starting the season with High-A Great Lakes (six games) before moving up to Double-A Tulsa (14 games) and making his Triple-A debut with OKC Aug. 18...Stone led all pitchers in the Minors in ERA and tied for ninth overall in strikeouts. He also ranked second among Dodgers minor leaguers in strikeouts, WHIP and BAA...With OKC last season, Stone went 2-1 with a 1.16 ERA in six starts with 33 K's...Entering this season, Stone was tabbed as the Los Angeles Dodgers' No. 5 prospect by MLB Pipeline and No. 6 prospect by Baseball America...The Dodgers selected Stone in the fifth round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of the University of Central Arkansas...Tonight is his second career appearance against the Express. He pitched 3.1 scoreless innings in a start in Round Rock Aug. 31, 2022, allowing two hits and three walks with seven K's.

Against the Express: 2023: 0-0 2022: 16-14 All-time: 162-135 At RR: 87-68

After playing one another 30 times during the 2022 season and 29 times during the 2021 season, the Dodgers and Express meet for just three six-game series in 2023 and this is the lone series between the teams during the first half of the season as well as the only series in Round Rock. The teams next meet in August and September at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark...The Dodgers have won back-to-back seasons series between the teams, going 16-14 against the Express last season. After OKC went 12-6 through the first 18 games last season, the Express went 8-4 over the final 12 games, with half of those wins in games they trailed in the seventh inning or later...The teams had a wild first series in Round Rock May 10-15, 2022, which OKC won, 4-2. OKC recorded its largest shutout win in the team's Bricktown era (since 1998) with a 19-0 victory May 12 and Yefry Ramírez became the first OKC Dodger and first pitcher throughout the entire PCL to throw a nine-inning shutout since 2018. In the series finale May 15, OKC lost a game when scoring at least 13 runs for the first time since 2007, as Round Rock won, 14-13...On Aug. 14, 2022 against the Express in OKC, the Dodgers won, 20-3, scoring 20 runs for the sixth time in team's Bricktown era (since 1998) and for the first time since a 20-9 win at El Paso May 30, 2021. It was the most runs scored by the team at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark since tying the team record with 24 runs Aug. 3, 2013 against Colorado Springs...The Dodgers outscored the Express, 193-144 last season, while the Express had a 35-24 edge in home runs.

Slowing Down: After a 20-6 start, the Dodgers have lost five of their last seven games as well as four of their last five games. However, they continue to lead the PCL with a 22-11 record. The team's 22 wins are second-most in all of Triple-A, trailing only Norfolk's 24 wins (24-8)...OKC's 22 wins through 33 games are tied for second-most by an OKC team through 33 games in the Bricktown era (since 1998). Only the 2018 team had more wins, going 24-9, while OKC's 2015 and 1999 teams also started 22-11. The only OKC teams to have fewer than 12 losses through the first 34 games of a season were the 2018 Dodgers (24-10) and 2015 Dodgers (23-11). The 2013 and 1999 OKC teams started 22-12...With Sunday's defeat in El Paso, the Dodgers lost their first series of 2023. OKC entered the El Paso series having won each of their first five series of the season, but Dodgers lost four of the final five games in El Paso to give the Chihuahuas the series victory.

What a Mighty Good Mann: Devin Mann went 2-for-3 with a homer, double, walk and season-high four RBI Sunday in El Paso. He doubled in a fourth straight game and continues to pace the Minors with 19 doubles this season. He has 16 doubles in his last 18 games, while hitting safely in 15 of the 18 games, going 21-for-62 (.339) with 14 RBI and 11 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, and Mann leads the Minors in doubles by seven. Mann's 20 extra-base hits are tied for second in the PCL and tied for third overall in the Minors...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.

Breaking Out: Ryan Ward finished with a game-high three hits Sunday as he went 3-for-4 with a RBI, walk and two runs scored. It was his third game of the season with three or more hits and first since April 23 in Albuquerque. It was also Ward's sixth multi-hit game of the season. Ward entered Sunday's game 3-for-26 over his previous eight games...He leads the Dodgers with 29 hits and 28 RBI in a team-leading 31 games played. His RBI total is tied for fifth-most in the PCL.

Power Switch: The Dodgers have homered in three straight games (3 HR) after being held without a home run in eight of their previous nine games. It is the team's longest stretch of consecutive games with a homer since a three-game span April 18-20 in Albuquerque (6 HR) and ties its season-long stretch, as OKC has yet to homer in four consecutive games in 2023. OKC's five home runs since April 21 are the fewest in Triple-A, and they have not hit more than one home run in a game since April 20 (15 games). Prior to April 21, the Dodgers hit 25 home runs through their first 18 games...On the other hand, the Dodgers allowed three more home runs Sunday and have now allowed a homer in eight straight games (14 HR), tying their longest streak of the season allowing a home run (April 6-14; 17 HR). The last time OKC allowed a home run in more than eight straight games was during a 14-game span Sept. 9-24, 2022 (20 HR). El Paso hit 12 home runs during the six-game series - the most homers allowed by the Dodgers in a series this season...OKC has given up 52 home runs through 33 games, which are tied with Syracuse for most in the Minors. Last season, the team did not allow its 52nd home run until its 54th game of the season June 5 in Round Rock...Opponents have bopped 14 home runs over the last eight games after the Dodgers allowed three homers over the preceding six games...Over the last 27 games (42 HR), 69 of the 135 total runs allowed (51.1 percent) have scored via home runs, including five of El Paso's 11 runs Sunday...Sunday's game marked the seventh time already this season the Dodgers have allowed three or more homers in a game. Their seventh game allowing three-plus homers in 2022 didn't occur until July 3 in Game 78.

'Pen Bullies: The bullpen has had to shoulder a large load the last three games, with no starting pitcher lasting longer than 3.1 innings. Over the three-game span, the relief corps has allowed just two runs and six hits across 16.2 innings, holding opponents 6-for-52 (.115) with 19 strikeouts...For the season, the bullpen is 14-4 with a 3.83 ERA, .216 BAA and has converted 10 of 12 save chances.

Close Calls: Four of OKC's six games in El Paso were decided in the eighth inning or later, including Saturday night when Hunter Feduccia roped a two-run homer in the eighth inning to send OKC to a 3-2 win. That was the Dodgers' 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...Ten total games this season have been decided in a final at-bat (OKC - 7; Opp. - 3), and with Saturday night's victory, the Dodgers improved to 10-1 in one-run games this season.

Two True Outcomes: Nineteen of the Dodgers' 41 plate appearances Sunday ended in a walk (7) or strikeout (12). They rank second in the PCL in both categories (190 walks, 339 strikeouts) and an astounding 40.9 percent of their plate appearances this season have ended in one of those outcomes...The Dodgers have struck out at least 10 times in six straight games (72 K), tying their longest double-digit strikeout streak of the season (April 1-7). The Dodgers last struck out 10 or more times in more than six straight games as part of an eight-game stretch May 26-June 3, 2022 (106 K)...On the other hand, the Dodgers have drawn at least five walks in eight of their last nine games (58 BB), including four games with seven or more walks. Although they have drawn 28 walks over the last five games, they have converted only three of those walks into a run.

Around the Horn: OKC is 4-2 in series openers this season and have won two in a row, as well as four of the last five openers...The Dodgers allowed seven or more runs in three of the final four games of the El Paso series and have allowed five or more runs in five of the last seven games after allowing four runs or less in the eight games prior. OKC's 174 runs allowed and 264 hits allowed so far this season are both second-fewest in the PCL, while the team's .243 opponent average is tied for lowest in the PCL to start the season...OKC has eight or more hits in three straight games after being held to six hits or less in the previous seven games. The Dodgers' 274 hits so far this season are fewest in the PCL.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 9, 2023


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