RedHawks at Cubs Tonight
Published on July 2, 2009 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release
TONIGHT: The RedHawks and Iowa Cubs meet in the second of a 3-game series at Principal Park. OKC won the first game last night 1-0 in 14 innings in the longest game for either team this year in terms of innings. The season series is even at 2-2. OKC has reached .500 for the first time since April 23 at 39-39 and is a half-game back of Albuquerque in the American South Division. Iowa is 4.5 games behind Nashville in the American North. Righthander Elizardo Ramirez gets the start for OKC, his first against Iowa in 2009. Lefty J.R. Mathes gets the call for the I-Cubs. Mathes did not face OKC during the previous series June 15-17 at The Brick.
SOMEBODY FINALLY SCORED: Kevin Richardson's RBI single in the 14th last night broke a scoreless deadlock in OKC's 1-0 win in the series opener. It was OKC's sixth shutout of the season and second 1-0 win, the other in a 7-inning game May 30 vs. Albuquerque in a doubleheader. Seven pitchers combined to 7-hit Iowa, with Mike Hinckley (1-1) getting his first win and Warner Madrigal completing his eighth save. John Gaub (0-1) took the loss. OKC had 9 singles in the four-hour, three-minute struggle, OKC's longest game in terms of innings, but five minute shorter than an 11-inning, 8-7 win over Nashville June 18.
JOSH HAMILTON, PART 2: Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton served as last night's DH and went 1-for-7 on a rehab assignment as he recovers from June 9 surgery to repair an abdominal tear. Hamilton made a 2-game rehab appearance with the RedHawks May 10-11 in Round Rock while recovering from a strained intercostal muscle in his left rib cage. In 35 games for Texas this season, Hamilton is batting .240 with 6 homers and 24 RBIs.
Information on Hamilton is on the back page of the notes.
BULLPEN STELLAR: In the last 11 games, the RedHawks' bullpen has combined to pitch 46 innings while allowing 5 runs on 27 hits, a 0.98 ERA. The bullpen's ERA has dropped or stayed the same following each of the last 11 games. After a three-inning start by Willie Eyre to lengthen his stamina for future long relief work, the OKC pen totaled 11 scoreless innings last night.
LONG GAME RUNNIN': Last night's marathon was the OKC's longest game since a 19-inning affair in Memphis Aug. 26, 2002, which was won by the RedHawks 4-3 when Hank Blalock scored the winning run. That 19-inning game remains the longest in team history since the franchise became known as the RedHawks in 1998. Last night matched the fourth-longest game in RedHawks history, joining 14-inning games Aug. 13, 2001 and May 9, 2002. The RedHawks have played five 15-inning games and one 17-inning game in their history.
RAMIREZ SCRATCHED: Catcher Max Ramirez was scratched from Wednesday's starting lineup with soreness in his left wrist. Ramirez was on the DL May 31-June 8 with soreness in his right wrist.
BACK TO SQUARE ONE: OKC enters tonight's game with a .500 record for the first time since being 7-7 after a win April 23. The RedHawks have not been above .500 this season.
GERMAN AN ALL-STAR: Esteban German has been selected as OKC's representative in the July 15 Triple-A All-Star Game in Portland. German played in the game the last time he was in Triple-A, 2005, when he was also a RedHawk. German has an 18 game on-base streak dating to June 12. In that span, he has hits in 14 games, has extended the streak by walk 3 times and by a hit-by-pitch once. German leads the team with a .312 batting average, 41 RBIs and 24 stolen bases. He's third in the PCL in on-base percentage at .425 and fourth in walks with 49.
Pacific Coast League Stories from July 2, 2009
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- Aces Offense Silenced - Reno Aces
- Bellhorn Leads the Sky Sox to Vicotory Over the Bees - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
- Last At-Bat Express Homer Sinks Sounds, 7-5 - Nashville Sounds
- Last At-Bat Express Homer Sinks Sounds, 7-5 - Nashville Sounds
- Express Edge Sounds - Round Rock Express
- Z's Fall at the Blatt - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Iowa Edges the RedHawks - Iowa Cubs
- July 3rd Game at Raley Field Sold Out - Sacramento River Cats
- Aces Roll Back to Reno - Reno Aces
- RedHawks at Cubs Tonight - Oklahoma City Comets
- International League Announces All-Star Team - Portland Beavers
- Fireworks, Faith Nights, & Ryan Braun Bobblehead Highlight Sounds Nine-Game Homestand - Nashville Sounds
- Limited Tickets Remain for July 3 Game at Raley Field - Sacramento River Cats
- Huge Independence Day Weekend Kicks Off Homestand - Fresno Grizzlies
- Sutton Recalled to Salt Lake, Gutierrez Reassigned to Arkansas - Salt Lake Bees
- 51s Quell Aces Winning Streak - Reno Aces
- Sky Sox Make a Push Late but Fall Short to the Bees 7-6 - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
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