OKC Dodgers Game Notes - September 2, 2021
Published on September 2, 2021 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release
Albuquerque Isotopes (44-57) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (50-51)
Game #102 of 130/Home #48 of 65
Pitching Probables: ABQ-LHP Ryan Rolison (1-1, 5.71) vs. OKC-RHP Andre Jackson (2-0, 3.38)
Thursday, September 2, 2021 | Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark | Oklahoma City, Okla. | 7:05 p.m. CT
Radio: KREF FM-94.7 The Ref, 947theref.com, iHeartRadio; Video: MiLB.tv
Today's Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers remain at home and open a six-game series against the Albuquerque Isotopes at 7:05 p.m. at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The Dodgers look to get back on the winning track, having lost 10 of their last 12 games, including seven of the last eight games overall and five of the last six games in OKC. OKC has also lost back-to-back series for the first time since opening the 2021 season with losses in three straight series.
Last Game: The Las Vegas Aviators hit three home runs, accounting for all five of their runs, as they sent the Oklahoma City Dodgers to a 5-1 defeat Tuesday night in the series finale between the teams at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Las Vegas took a 2-0 lead on a homer by Khris Davis in the first inning. The Dodgers' lone run of the night was scored by Drew Avans on a wild pitch in the third inning to trim Las Vegas' lead to one run. Las Vegas' Carlos Pérez hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning and added a solo homer in the seventh inning for a 5-1 lead as he took over the Triple-A West lead with his 24th and 25th homers of the season. The Dodgers loaded the bases in the eighth inning on a single, fielder's choice and a hit by pitch, but Las Vegas pitcher Aaron Brown struck out the next two OKC batters to snuff the threat.
Today's Probable Pitcher: Andre Jackson (2-0) returns to pitch for OKC for the first time since Aug. 10 after making the first two appearances of his Major League career...Jackson most recently pitched Aug. 27 against the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles, entering the game in the second inning and pitching 4.2 innings, allowing one run and four hits with two walks and two strikeouts. The only run he allowed was on a solo homer, but he was charged with the loss in the Dodgers' eventual 4-2 defeat...Jackson made his ML debut Aug. 16 with LAD against Pittsburgh, pitching 4.0 scoreless innings of relief, allowing two walks and four walks with five strikeouts at Dodger Stadium. Per STATS Perform, the became the first pitcher in MLB's modern era to record 4.0 scoreless innings with at least four walks and at least five strikeouts while making a relief appearance in his ML debut...Between outings with LAD, he made one start with Low-A Rancho Cucamonga Aug. 21 against San Jose, allowing one run and four hits over a season-high 5.2 innings with one walk and five K's and did not factor into the decision...In his two games (one start) with OKC, Jackson has allowed three runs and five hits, with two walks and six strikeouts over 8.0 innings, earning wins in both outings...Jackson was promoted to OKC from Double-A Tulsa July 31. Prior to his promotion, Jackson pitched a team-leading 63.1 innings for the Drillers, making 15 appearances (13 starts). He posted 75 strikeouts (second-most on the team) against 20 walks - fewest among Drillers starting pitchers. He went 3-2 with a 3.27 ERA - third-lowest in Double-A Central, while his .201 opponent average and 1.04 WHIP both led the league...Jackson was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 12th round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of the University of Utah, where he primarily played as an outfielder...His last outing with OKC was also against Albuquerque. In that game, he threw 3.0 innings out of the bullpen and allowed one run and two hits.
Against the Isotopes: 2021: 5-7 2019: 3-0 All-time: 112-97 At OKC: 62-36 The Dodgers and Isotopes are meeting for their third and final series of 2021, but first of the season at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, as the first 12 games of 2021 between the teams all were played in Albuquerque...The teams most recently matched up Aug. 5-10. The Isotopes built a 2-0 lead in the series before OKC won the next two games and the teams split the final two meetings. OKC scored 15 runs in a 15-10 win Aug. 8, tying their total for second-most runs scored in a game by the team this season. The Isotopes tallied at least 10 runs in each of the final three meetings of the series. The Dodgers racked up 12 homers during the previous set as well as 33 total extra-base hits...The Isotopes took four of six games, May 20-25, including three of the final four. The Dodgers scored 10 or more runs three times during the series as they outscored the Isotopes, 47-38, and outhit them, 62-50. OKC also shut out the Isotopes 12-0 in the series finale...The teams last met in OKC in 2018 when the Dodgers swept the series, 3-0.
Cold Spell in the August Heat: The Dodgers closed out August losing seven of their last eight games and 10 of their last 12 games of the month, dropping their overall record below .500 (50-51) for the first time since June 21 when they were 20-21. The Dodgers opened August with a 10-4 record, but the team finished the month 12-14...Following a win Aug. 17 vs. Round Rock, the Dodgers sat a season-best seven games above .500 at 48-41 and were just 1.0 game out of first place. But since then, the team has fallen 8.5 games out of first place. It matches the furthest the Dodgers have been out of first place this season and furthest since they fell to 9-15 June 1 and were 8.5 games back. The Dodgers were also 8.5 games back after a May 27 loss (5-14)...The team has a -23 run differential over the last 12 games after posting a +54 run differential for the season leading up to Aug. 19.
The Winning Formula: In the Dodgers' last 13 wins, they have allowed a total of 51 runs (3.9 rpg), with four or fewer runs allowed in 11 of the 13 games. In the team's last 15 losses, they've allowed 114 runs (7.6 rpg), with at least seven runs allowed in eight of the 15 games.
Kings of K's: OKC's pitching staff recorded 12 strikeouts Tuesday for the team's fourth double-digit strikeout game in the last five outings and 52nd double-digit strikeout game this season. The 12 K game came one night after OKC's pitching staff recorded only five strikeouts Monday night, marking just the team's third nine-inning game this season with five or fewer strikeouts...The Dodgers rank second in Triple-A West with 977 strikeouts, trailing league-leading Sugar Land by five strikeouts, but the Skeeters have played one more game than the Dodgers. OKC is aiming to lead the league in strikeouts for the fourth time in the last five seasons (2016, 2017, 2019).
Nearly Immaculate...Again!: In his first outing since pitching an immaculate inning Sunday night, reliever Neftalí Feliz struck out the side in the sixth inning Tuesday on 10 pitches. After striking out the first two batters on six pitches, he started the third batter of the inning with a ball before throwing three straight strikes. He finished the night with 1.1 scoreless and hitless innings with three K's...On Sunday, Feliz struck out all three Las Vegas batters in the sixth inning on a total of nine pitches for the first immaculate inning by an OKC pitcher since José De León accomplished the feat in the first inning Aug. 17, 2016 against Albuquerque in OKC...In his two games since returning to OKC, Felíz has retired all nine batters he has faced on a total of 29 pitches (26 strikes), with six strikeouts.
Mound Maladies: The Dodgers have now allowed at least five runs in each of their last 10 losses, and over the last 12 games, the pitching staff has allowed a total of 87 runs (7.25 rpg) and posted a 6.73 ERA (77 ER/103.0 IP). Opponents have batted .292 (125x428) with a total of 54 extra-base hits, including 24 home runs over the last 12 games and have homered at least once in 10 of the games...Since this spell began Aug. 19, the Dodgers are tied with two others teams - including current opponent Albuquerque - for the most runs allowed across the Minors. The 24 homers allowed are tied for the most across the Minors or Majors along with the Texas Rangers and High-A Spokane Indians, but the Rangers have played one more game and Spokane has played two more games than OKC.
Omar Comin': Omar Estévez collected the team's only extra-base hit Tuesday with a ninth-inning double. Estévez has now hit safely in five straight games, going 7-for-18 (.389), including 6-for-14 (.429) over his last four games. This is the third time all season he has hit safely in five or more consecutive games.
That's Offensive: The Dodgers were held to one run Tuesday night for the third time in the last seven games. Prior to Aug. 24, the Dodgers had been held to one run or less just six times over their first 94 games of the season...OKC has scored a total of 25 runs over the last seven games combined, immediately following a stretch of seven games in which they scored a combined 50 runs. During the last seven games, the team has batted .226 (53x234).
RISPy Business: The Dodgers went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position Tuesday night, marking the second time in the last three games the team was hitless with runners in scoring position. Prior to Sunday when the team went 0-for-12 with RISP, the last time OKC was held without a hit with a runner in scoring position was July 2, and it had only happened four times all season...Even after closing out the month 4-for-30 with RISP over the final three games, the Dodgers batted .317 (73x230) with runners in scoring position overall in August...The Dodgers have left 28 runners on base over the last three games.
Dinger Details: The Dodgers were held without a home run Tuesday to close out the month of August with 33 homers - their second-lowest monthly total after hitting 31 homers in May, 35 homers in June and 43 homers in July. Of OKC's 33 homers in August, 21 of them came in the first 14 games of the month (through Aug. 17). The team has hit 12 homers in the last 12 games...The Dodgers allowed three homers Tuesday and have allowed at least one home run in 13 of the last 15 games (27 HR), as well as in seven of the last eight games (15 HR). The team has allowed 24 home runs in the last 12 games, with two or more dingers in the eight of 12 games...Before the spike began Aug. 19, Dodgers pitchers paced Triple-A West with 105 homers allowed overall this season...In the previous series, eight of Las Vegas' 12 home runs were hit with at least one runner on base, including four two-run homers over the final two games.
Around the Horn: Gavin Lux went 2-for-4 Tuesday, and over his last three games with OKC, he is 5-for-13 with a double, walk, two RBI and a run scored... Drew Avans reached base twice and scored the team's only run Tuesday. He's reached base in six of his last 10 plate appearances. Over 15 games in August, Avans finished with a .295/.380/.568 slash line and had more walks than strikeouts...Entering tonight, the Dodgers have lost five of the last six series openers. They are 0-2 in series openers against Albuquerque...The Dodgers are 13-20 over their last 33 home games and have lost or split five of their last six home series (1-3-2).
Pacific Coast League Stories from September 2, 2021
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