PCL Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Game Notes - September 17, 2023

September 17, 2023 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Tacoma Rainiers (37-31/73-69) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (37-31/87-54)

Game #142 of 148/Second Half #69 of 75/Home #73 of 73

Pitching Probables: TAC-LHP Logan Allen (5-1, 5.23) vs. OKC-LHP Robbie Erlin (4-2, 6.07)

Sunday, September 17, 2023 | Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark | Oklahoma City, Okla. | 2:05 p.m. CT

Radio: 1340 AM The Game, 1340thegame.com, iHeartRadio; Video: Bally Live, MiLB.tv

Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers will try and win their current series against the Tacoma Rainiers at 2:05 p.m. in the final regular-season home game at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark...¡Celebración Cielo Azul! continues as the Dodgers will take the field as Cielo Azul de Oklahoma City. Kids can run the bases following the game.

Last Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers put together a late rally and scored three runs in the ninth inning but were unable to complete a comeback in an 11-10 loss against the Tacoma Rainiers Saturday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The Dodgers had a 6-3 lead entering the fifth inning before the Rainiers scored eight straight runs, including five runs in the seventh inning, to take an 11-6 lead. The Dodgers built a 3-0 lead in the first inning on a RBI single by Jorbit Vivas and two-run single by Óscar Mercado. Tacoma tied the score, 3-3, in the fourth inning before the Dodgers added three more runs in the bottom of the inning on a bases-loaded walk, sacrifice fly and fielder's choice. A two-run homer by Tacoma's Taylor Trammell in the fifth inning and solo homer by Tacoma's Robbie Tenerowicz tied the score, 6-6, in the sixth inning. The Rainiers added five more runs on five hits in the seventh inning to take an 11-6 lead. The Dodgers then closed the game with four straight runs, including one in the seventh inning on a fielding error and three in the ninth inning on a two-run double by Vivas and a RBI single by Jake Marisnick, but they ultimately left the tying run at third base.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Robbie Erlin (4-2) is set to start today's series finale as he makes his second start of the series...He pitched Tuesday, allowing two runs (one earned) and five hits over 6.0 innings with one walk and six strikeouts. The six innings tied a season high and were his most since May 25 in Sacramento...Erlin was placed on the Injured List June 3-Aug. 25, and since his return, he has allowed five runs (four earned) and 14 hits over 17.0 innings between four games (three starts)...Erlin made 11 starts during the first two months of the season, going 4-2 with a 7.35 ERA...He has allowed 17 home runs over 69.2 innings, accounting for 28 of 56 runs allowed (50 percent)...Erlin spent the majority of the 2022 season with OKC, making 21 appearances (14 starts). He went 5-4 with a 7.01 ERA, 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's only other meeting with Tacoma this year besides his last start was during his season debut April 2 in OKC, allowing seven runs and seven hits, including a season-high four homers, with three walks and a strikeout over four innings (ND).

Against the Rainiers: 2023: 6-8 2022: 5-7 All-time: 62-65 At OKC: 39-26

The Dodgers and Rainiers are playing their final series of the season and their second of 2023 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark...The teams last played a six-game series in Tacoma Aug. 8-13, which the Rainiers won, 5-1. It was the first time the Dodgers lost five games within a series since Aug. 26-31, 2021 at home against Las Vegas, going 40 six-game series between 1-5 results. Additionally, prior to that road series at Cheney Stadium, OKC had not opened a series with three straight losses since losing four in a row to begin a home series against Round Rock Aug. 9-12, 2022, going 26 series between 0-3 starts...The teams last played in OKC March 31-April 2 to open the 2023 season. The Dodgers took two of the three games at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in a series with tons of offense. The Rainiers won the season opener, 14-8, before the Dodgers posted back-to-back walk-off wins in the final two games - 6-5, in 10 innings and, 10-9, in nine innings with Jahmai Jones providing walk-off hits in both wins...Tacoma won the 2022 series between the teams, 7-5, marking the first time the Dodgers lost a season series to the Rainiers since 2014 when OKC went 0-4 in Tacoma and entered last season 2-0-3 over the previous five season series...Going back to last season, the Dodgers are now 9-15 in their last 24 games against the Rainiers...Five of the last six games between the teams have been decided by one or two runs...Regardless of today's result, Tacoma will win the season series, marking the first time since 2006 and 2007 OKC has lost back-to-back season series to the Rainiers.

Down the Stretch: Last night's loss was just the second in the last seven games for Oklahoma City and third loss in the last 10 games. OKC has not lost consecutive games since a six-game skid Aug. 20-26 and has won following each of the last five losses...The Dodgers have won nine of the last 13 games, 11 of the last 16 games and 12 of the last 18 games...Oklahoma City's 12 wins in the last 18 games are the most in the PCL since Aug. 27...The recent boost follows a 4-15 run from Aug. 5-26 as the Dodgers finished August with 10 wins (10-17), tied for second fewest in the league last month. OKC had not won fewer than 12 games in a month since May 2021 (9-14). It was the team's lowest monthly winning percentage since going 9-19 in August 2019.

The Big Picture: The Dodgers are 87-54 overall and have set a new Bricktown-era (since 1998) record for wins in a season. The previous Bricktown-era team record was held by the 2015 Dodgers who finished the season 86-58. Going back further, the 87 wins by the 2023 Dodgers are the third-most in Oklahoma City's Triple-A history and most by any team since 1965 when the Oklahoma City 89ers went 91-54...The Dodgers are tied for the most wins in the Minors and are one of only two teams this season to surpass 85 wins along with Triple-A Norfolk (87-55). Including OKC and Norfolk, only eight teams in the Minors have 80 or more wins this season...The Dodgers have had at least a share of first place in the PCL overall standings for all but seven days this season, holding first place from April 1-Aug. 25 and again since Sept. 2. They currently lead the overall Pacific Coast League standings by 3.5 games ahead of second-place Round Rock...The Dodgers own a 37-31 record in the PCL second half standings and are in a tie with Albuquerque and Tacoma for fourth place and trail first-place Las Vegas and Round Rock (40-28) by 3.0 games...This season's OKC squad became the fastest PCL team to reach 50, 60 and 70 wins since at least 2005, as data from 2004 and earlier is not available. They also became the second-fastest PCL team to reach 75 wins (117 games) since at least 2005, with the 2017 Memphis Redbirds doing it two games earlier (115 games). The fastest PCL team to reach 80 and 85 wins was also the 2017 Memphis Redbirds, who reached the 80-win milestone in 121 games (80-41) and the 85-win mark in 133 games (85-48)...During the Bricktown era (since 1998), OKC's best previous record through 141 games was in 2015 when the Dodgers went 85-56...OKC won the PCL's first-half title (50-23) and will host a best-of-three PCL Championship Series Sept. 26-28 against the winner of the second half.

Home Going: Today is the Dodgers' final home game of the regular season. The team has gone 42-30 at home so far this year, marking the 17th time in 25 seasons at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark the team has won at least 40 home games and 11th time with at least 42 home victories. Nine of the 42 wins have been in walk-off fashion...However, after beginning the season the season 20-7 at home, the Dodgers are 22-23 since. With yesterday's defeat, the team has still only won three straight home games within the same series just once since May 19 (Aug. 2-4 vs. Round Rock).

Mound Turnaround: The Rainiers scored 11 runs Saturday night after the Dodgers had held them to a combined four runs over the previous two games and kept opponents to two runs or less in five of the previous eight games (25 R) and nine times in the previous 17 games (58 R)...The 11 runs were the most allowed by the Dodgers since a 12-9 loss in Tacoma Aug. 8 and the most runs allowed by OKC in a home game since a 12-6 loss against El Paso July 20...The five runs scored by the Rainiers in the seventh inning last night marked the most runs allowed by the Dodgers in an inning since Aug. 26 against Albuquerque when the Isotopes scored five runs in the second inning of an 8-2 win in OKC...After scoring in two of the previous 23 innings with a total of four runs, the Rainiers scored in five straight innings last night between third and seventh innings with all 11 runs. Tacoma also went 6-for-9 with runners in scoring position Saturday after opponents went 7-for-48 over the previous six games combined...The bullpen allowed six runs and six hits over 4.0 innings Saturday after giving up just eight runs (six ER) and 20 hits over the previous 41.1 innings, holding the opposition 20-for-137 (.146)...Even with last night's bump, the 69 runs allowed by the Dodgers over the last 18 games are fewest in the PCL and the team has posted a 3.50 ERA over that time frame. For comparison, El Paso has allowed a league-high 142 runs over the same span and no other PCL team has allowed fewer than 76 runs...Over the last 23 games, the Dodgers are 12-11. They have allowed 25 runs total over the 12 wins, but have allowed 84 runs in the 11 losses, with at least eight runs in seven of the 11 defeats.

Imperfect 10: The Dodgers' offense finished with double-digit runs last night for the first time since a 14-0 victory against Albuquerque at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark Aug. 27. However, Saturday was the third time this season the Dodgers scored 10 runs and lost, joining an 11-10 loss in 10 innings July 19 against El Paso in OKC and a 13-10 loss in Albuquerque April 18.

Better Call Dahl: David Dahl is on a season-best hitting streak of 11 games, going 13-for-43 (.302) with seven extra-base hits and eight RBI. It is the longest active streak by an OKC player, the fourth-longest hitting streak by an OKC player this season overall and is the third-longest active streak in the PCL...Dahl's 21 doubles since joining OKC June 20 lead the league and his 26 doubles overall this season are his most in a season since 2019 with the Colorado Rockies (28)...Following a 3-for-40 start after joining the Dodgers, Dahl has batted .335 (56x167).

Dinger Details: The Dodgers have not hit a home run in four straight games for the first time since a six-game drought April 25-30 against Sacramento in OKC. The Dodgers have hit only one home run over the last six games, two home runs in the last eight games and have recorded 11 straight games with one or no home runs, for a total of four dingers in that span...On the other hand, the Dodgers gave up two homers last night and have now allowed six homers over the last four games after giving up just three homers over the previous 14 games combined. This is the first time in the last 18 games the Dodgers have allowed a home run in back-to-back games.

Around the Horn: When entering a series finale with a chance to win the series this season, the Dodgers have gone 8-1, including 7-0 in the finale of a six-game series...Michael Busch went 2-for-4 with a double, RBI and two runs scored Saturday. He has hit safely in four straight games, going 6-for-13 with two doubles, two RBI and four runs scored. He has reached base safely in 46 of his last 48 games with OKC and currently leads PCL qualified hitters with a .606 SLG and 1.035 OPS...John Rooney retired all seven batters he faced last night. Over his last 10 games, Rooney has allowed one run and four hits across 16.2 IP, holding opponents 4-for-53 (.075)...Last night marked the 10th time this season the Dodgers led by at least three runs and lost, including the fifth time it's happened in the last 29 games. They have also had 12 such wins when trailing by at least three runs this season.

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