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OKC Dodgers Game Notes - September 15, 2022

September 15, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City Dodgers (75-62) at Albuquerque Isotopes (59-76)

Game #138 of 150/Road #66 of 75

Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Ryan Pepiot (8-1, 2.74) vs. ABQ-RHP Zach Neal (5-5, 7.28)

Thursday, September 15, 2022 | Rio Grande Credit Union Field | Albuquerque, N.M. | 7:35 p.m. CT

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

Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers continue their road series against the Albuquerque Isotopes at 7:35 p.m. CT at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park...The Dodgers enter tonight's game in second place and 2.0 games behind first-place El Paso in the PCL East Division, while third-place Round Rock trails El Paso by 3.0 games. The Dodgers have 13 games remaining on their 2022 schedule.

Yesterday's Games: The Albuquerque Isotopes hit a pair of solo home runs and four pitchers combined to shut out the Oklahoma City Dodgers, 2-0, in the first game of a doubleheader Wednesday. Two batters into the bottom of the first inning, the game entered a rain delay of 1 hour, 20 minutes. The contest was scoreless in the third inning when Jimmy Herron connected on a solo home run off the left field foul pole. Albuquerque's Tim Lopes added another homer in the fifth inning to make it 2-0. The Dodgers' offense was stuck in neutral all game, collecting four hits with one walk. They put just two runners in scoring position and did not have a runner reach third base, as OKC was shut out for the sixth time this season. The OKC pitching staff allowed just two runs and three hits, with two walks and eight strikeouts in the loss.

In the second game, Michael Busch hit a game-tying home run in the top of the seventh inning, but Coco Montes hit a walk-off RBI double in the bottom of the inning to send Albuquerque to a 4-3 win. Trailing, 3-2, Busch hit a home run to right field to tie the score. In the home half of the inning, each of the first two batters reached base before Montes hit a double to the left field corner, giving the Isotopes a walk-off win. The Dodgers went in front, 1-0, in the second inning on a bunt RBI single by Tony Wolters. The Isotopes took the lead in the third inning, hitting two homers within the span of three batters. Wynton Bernard tied the game with a solo homer before Sam Hilliard hit a go-ahead two-run blast. A RBI single by Ryan Noda in the fifth inning cut Albuquerque's lead to 3-2.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Ryan Pepiot (8-1) is scheduled to make his 16th start with OKC after being charged with his first loss of the season in his last outing...Pepiot last pitched Sept. 10 against Tacoma in OKC, allowing three runs and six hits over 5.0 innings. He did not allow a walk, struck out six and was charged with his first loss in almost one year - since Sept. 21, 2021 with OKC at Salt Lake - as OKC fell to Tacoma, 4-3. The Dodgers had been 16-0 in games Pepiot had appeared in this season prior to the defeat...Four of his last six appearances have all been in the Majors and he was most recently optioned to OKC Sept. 5. Overall with LAD this season, Pepiot is 2-0 with a 3.78 ERA in eight appearances (seven starts) over 33.1 IP with 26 walks against 38 strikeouts...The OKC Dodgers are 16-1 in games he's pitched as a starter or primary pitcher and he owns a 2.74 ERA in 17 games (15 starts). Among PCL pitchers with at least 80.0 innings, he ranks second with a 2.74 ERA and .193 BAA and third with a 1.09 WHIP. He also ranks fifth with 10.97 strikeouts per 9.0 IP....He was named PCL Pitcher of the Month for April and also received weekly PCL honors after making two starts during OKC's first series of the season versus Albuquerque...Pepiot was selected in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Butler University, becoming the program's highest-ever draft pick...Tonight is his fourth start of the season against the Isotopes. In his three previous starts, Pepiot posted a 1.46 ERA over 12.1 innings, allowing two runs and five hits with six walks and 14 K's.

Against the Isotopes: 2022: 8-6 2021: 9-9 All-time: 124-105 At ABQ: 50-63 The Dodgers and Isotopes meet for their third and final series of the season but the first since May 3-8. The teams played two series within the first five weeks of the season but have not faced each other since...The teams split their last series in Oklahoma City, 3-3, with the Dodgers winning three of the final four games...The teams opened the season against one another April 5-10, with the Dodgers winning the series, 5-1, including closing the series with four consecutive wins. Through the first two series, the Dodgers outscored the Isotopes, 85-55, and outhit them, 123-88, while hitting 16 home runs through the first 12 meetings...The teams split their 2021 season series, 9-9. The Isotopes won seven of the first 12 games before OKC won the final series, 4-2. The Dodgers went 5-7 at Isotopes Park...The Dodgers have not lost a season series to Albuquerque since 2017, going a combined 6-0 against the Isotopes in 2018 and 2019 prior to last season's split...During the previous series, Albuquerque secured its first back-to-back wins in OKC since 2016...Six of this season's 14 games have been decided by one run, and going back to last season, 14 of the 32 games between the teams have been settled by one run.

Stumbling Down the Stretch: With losses in both games of yesterday's doubleheader, the Dodgers are now 3-10 over the last 13 games, including 2-6 in the last eight games and 1-4 in the last five games, with 13 games remaining in the season. The Dodgers had a 5.0-game lead ahead of Round Rock and 5.5-game lead ahead of El Paso in the East Division standings entering Aug. 31 but have seen that advantage evaporate after going 3-10 while El Paso has gone 11-3 during the same period, leading to a 7.5-game swing. The Dodgers' three wins in September are the fewest in the league and tied for fewest in Triple-A...Following a loss Friday night, the Dodgers dropped into for first place, marking the first time since July 17 they did not have sole possession of first place. After a loss Saturday night, the Dodgers dropped out of first place - the first time since June 1 the Dodgers had not held at least a share of first place. Currently, the Dodgers are 2.0 games back, marking the furthest they have been out of first place since May 10 and tied for the most games they've been out of first place this season...El Paso and Round Rock are meeting head-to-head for six games this week in El Paso and the Chihuahuas have won the first two meetings as well as 10 of their last 11 games overall.

Inoffensive Remarks: After scoring 20 runs on 18 hits, including five home runs, in their previous game Sunday afternoon in OKC, the Dodgers were shut out in Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader and held to three total runs in yesterday's two games combined (14 innings). The Dodgers were shut out for the sixth time overall this season and for the second time in 11 games. It's the first time OKC was blanked in hitter-friendly Albuquerque since April 30, 2012, when the then-RedHawks lost, 5-0. For the Isotopes, it was just their second shutout pitched this season and first since June 18 versus Salt Lake, also as part of a doubleheader...Between the two games yesterday, the Dodgers scored a total of three runs on nine hits, going 9-for-50 (.180) with two extra-base hits. Over their first 12 games of September, the Dodgers have been held to three or fewer runs eight times. They have also been held without a home run in seven of the last nine games and their eight home runs so far in September are fewest in the league and tied for fewest in all of Triple-A. The stretch included six consecutive games without a homer - the team's longest stretch without a home run during the Dodgers affiliation (since 2015) and longest since a six-game stretch in 2014...Outside of Sunday's offensive barrage, the Dodgers have scored 32 runs total over their other 11 games in September and have batted .239 (83x347) with 19 extra-base hits, including three home runs - all solo homers.

The Take on Jake: Jake Amaya posted the only multi-hit effort in either game for the Dodgers yesterday, going 2-for-3 in Game 1. However, he was held 0-for-3 in Game 2, snapping a six-game hitting streak during which he went 10-for-20. Amaya has now hit safely 13 of his last 15 games, going 21-for-52 (.404) with four doubles, a triple, three homers, 11 RBI and 16 runs scored. He leads the Dodgers with 15 hits and nine runs scored in September...On Sunday, Amaya became the first OKC player this season to hit multiple grand slams, finishing the game against Tacoma 3-for-4 with a career-high four runs scored, a double, homer, four RBI and a walk.

Phys. Ed: Edwin Ríos was the lone Dodgers player to hit safely in both games Wednesday, going a combined 2-for-5 with a double and two walks...He has hit safely in four straight games (6x15) and in seven of his last nine games, going 10-for-34 with three doubles, two homers, eight RBI and four runs scored...Ríos hit the 56th home run of his Oklahoma City career Sunday, moving him into third place on the team's career home run list during the Bricktown era (since 1998). He now trails just Jason Hart's 60 home runs (2002-03; 2006) and Scott Sheldon's 57 homers (1998-99)...Ríos now lays claim to the most home runs by an OKC player during the Dodgers affiliation (since 2015), breaking a tie with O'Koyea Dickson.

Buschwacked: Michael Busch socked a game-tying home run in the seventh inning of Game 2 for OKC, marking the second time in the Dodgers' last five road games Busch hit a game-tying homer during the team's final at-bat. It was his 18th home run with Oklahoma City and 29th home run overall this season...He has hit safely in nine of his 12 games in September, going 13-for-43 (.302)...Between OKC and Double-A Tulsa, Busch ranks second overall in the Minors this season with 107 runs scored and tied for seventh with 257 total bases. He leads the Dodgers farm system with 138 total hits, while he's tied for second with 29 homers and 98 RBI.

The Runaround: The Dodgers have held opponents to four runs or less in seven of their 12 games so far this month and to three or fewer runs four times. Game 1 yesterday marked the fourth time this season the Dodgers lost a game when allowing two or fewer runs (30-4), with two of the instances occurring within 11 games. The Dodgers have allowed four or fewer runs in three of their last four games, but they have lost all three contests. The team was 25-4 over the previous 29 games allowing four or fewer runs...OKC's .225 opponent batting average so far in September ranks second in the league.

Road Woes: Over their last 16 road games, the Dodgers are 5-11 with six walk-off losses and eight last at-bat losses, including Game 2 of yesterday's doubleheader. The Dodgers have lost six of their last seven road games as well as seven of their last nine road games, with all seven losses by one or two runs. Of those seven defeats, five have been by one run...The Dodgers were 28-21 on the road until this recent rough patch...This is just the second time all season the Dodgers have dropped the first two games of a road series and the first instance since their very first road series of the season when they lost their first three games in El Paso April 12-14.

Rainmakers: Tuesday's series opener in Albuquerque was postponed due to rain. Then Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader entered a rain delay two batters into the bottom of the first inning, resulting in a delay of 1 hour, 20 minutes before play resumed. During Albuquerque's 2-0 win, the time of the actual game was 1 hour, 29 minutes. Game 2 was unable to start on time due to rain and did not begin until 1 hour, 50 minutes following the conclusion of Game 1...Since Aug. 28 (15 games), the Dodgers have had six games include a weather delay, including both games Wednesday and four straight games Aug. 28-Sept. 1, and one game postponed.

Around the Horn: Tony Wolters reached base in all three of his plate appearances in Game 2 Wednesday, collecting a RBI bunt single and two walks. He has hit safely in five of his last six games, going 8-for-21. And in his last six plate appearances, Wolters has collected four hits and two walks with four RBI...Reliever Nick Robertson pitched 2.1 scoreless innings during Game 2 with two hits and three strikeouts. Over his first four Triple-A appearances with OKC, Robertson has not allowed a run over 6.1 innings, with three hits, three walks and eight strikeouts...Andy Burns went 0-for-1 with a walk during Game 1, ending a five-game hitting streak (8x20, 3 RBI)...Devin Mann picked up a hit in Game 2 and is 4-for-7 over his last two games after going 3-for-3 Sunday and reaching base in all five of his plate appearances with a homer, triple, single, walk and hit by pitch. He recorded four RBI and scored a career-high four runs Sunday... Following yesterday's doubleheader sweep, the Dodgers are now 7-14 in games that are longer or shorter than nine innings. In nine-inning games, they are 68-48. The Dodgers are 2-6 in doubleheader games this season with a series record of 0-2-2...At 75-62, this is the fewest games above .500 OKC has been since June 14 at 37-24.

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