PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

RedHawks Game Notes: April 23, 2013

April 23, 2013 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City RedHawks (10-8) vs. Albuquerque Isotopes (9-9)

Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Game #19 of 144/Road #11 of 72 (7-3)

Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Jordan Lyles (1-1, 4.08) vs. ALB-RHP Angel Castro (1-1, 4.50)

Tuesday, April 23, 2013 | Isotopes Park | Albuquerque, N.M. | 1:05 p.m. CT

Radio: KGHM AM-1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, IHeartRadio - Alex Freedman

Today's Game: The RedHawks look to finish their time in Albuquerque with a series win when they face the Isotopes in a 1:05 p.m. matinee this afternoon.

Last Game: The Isotopes scored five times in the fourth inning to take command of the game and eventually win, 8-1. Trailing 1-0, Albuquerque sent 10 batters to the plate during the rally and collected five hits. Scott Van Slyke went 3-for-5 with a league-leading seventh home run of the season as well as a pair of doubles. The RedHawks lone run came on a solo homer by Cody Clark in the third inning. Throughout the rest of the game, the RedHawks couldn't generate a rally, going 2-for-19 with runners on base, and both hits came from Jonathan Villar. Pitcher Rudy Owens (0-3) started off well, but was done in by the big fourth inning. Owens had allowed just three runs through 16 innings on the season before the Isotopes broke through.

Today's Probable Pitchers: Jordan Lyles makes his team-leading fourth start of the season...Lyles is coming off a no decision Friday against Round Rock...He allowed one run and six hits before reaching his pitch limit after 4.2 innings and did not figure in the decision...Lyles induced nine groundouts, including a pair of double plays...For the season, Lyles has garnered 31 groundouts over his first 17.2 IP and averages over three groundouts for every flyout...The right-hander has also been excellent at throwing strikes, and he has not issued a walk in three-straight outings (13.1 IP)...Lyles has faced Albuquerque three times in his career, going 1-2 with a 6.38 ERA...Today will be his first time ever pitching at Isotopes Park.

There is no designated "second starter" following Lyles today.

Against the Isotopes: 2013: 2-1 2012: 7-9 All-time: 83-78 In ALB: 37-46

Albuquerque won three of four in each of the first three series last year...Needing a sweep to keep their playoff hopes alive, the RedHawks took all four from the Isotopes in the second-to-last series of the regular season...The Albuquerque offense was hard to stop last year, as the Isotopes hit .320, bashed 19 home runs, and averaged 5.8 runs per game...The RedHawks have lost the season series with Albuquerque in three of the last four seasons.

Topping the 'Topes: The RedHawks will try and win a series at Isotopes Park for just the second time in their last eight trips to Albuquerque. The one series win during that stretch occurred June 21-24, 2011.

Closing Time: The RedHawks are 4-0 in series finales this season.

Road Warriors: Despite yesterday's loss, the RedHawks still lead the PCL with seven road wins this season (7-3). The last time they won their first two road series was 2008, and today they'll attempt to win their first three road series since at least 2003. (Due to incomplete records, it's hard to tell exactly the last time it's happened, if ever.)

It Was a Good Run: Trevor Crowe went 0-for-4 yesterday, snapping a 15-game hitting streak (.362, 21x58). With Colorado Springs idle yesterday, he is still tied with Corey Dickerson of the Sky Sox for the longest streak in the PCL this season. It was the longest hit streak of his career since an 18-game streak May 25-July 16, 2009 with the Columbus Clippers. Not only did the hit streak come to an end, but so did his 38-game consecutive on-base streak dating back to last season while playing with Salt Lake. The streak started against the RedHawks on Aug. 7.

Best Week Ever: Yesterday Marc Krauss was named PCL Player of the Week, after hitting .455 with six extra-base hits and 10 RBI. He has hit safely in each of his last 11 games (.405, 15x37), tying the second-longest hit streak of his career. Even more impressively, Krauss has racked up 16 RBI during the streak, driving in at least one run in eight times. In five of the 11 games he's had at least two RBI. He has catapulted to the team lead with 18 RBI, which is also seventh in the PCL.

Perfect Ten: The RedHawks already have had three players with hitting streaks of 10 games of longer (Crowe, Elmore, Krauss). No other team in the PCL has even had two players with a hitting streak of at least 10 games.

Valiant Villar: After getting off to a 2-for-34 start, Jonathan Villar is 14-for-32 (.438) over his last eight games, with six multi-hit efforts. During this stretch he has collected all four of his RBI and all six of his extra-base hits for the season.

Long Time Coming: Yesterday Cody Clark hit his first home run since May 6, 2012--a walk-off homer he hit against the RedHawks while playing for the Omaha Storm Chasers.

Yard Work: After going seven-straight games without hitting a home run, the RedHawks have hit four homers over the last two contests. Impressively, they have only allowed one home run through the first three games at hitter-friendly Isotopes Park. The 23 total home runs in RedHawks games this season (OKC-12; Opp-11) are the lowest in the PCL.

Not Such a Lucky Number: The RedHawks have allowed seven or more runs in a game 10 times through their first 18 games. Last season opponents scored at least seven just twice through the first 18 games, and the RedHawks did not have an opponent score at least seven for the 10th time until May 19--the 42nd game of the year.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE AND PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)

DATE TIME OPPONENT OKC PITCHER(S) OPP. PITCHER

Wednesday, April 24 OFF DAY

Thursday, April 25 7:05 p.m. New Orleans LHP Wes Musick (1-0, 3.55)/RHP Jarred Cosart (2-0, 1.02) LHP Brad Hand (2-1, 2.57)

Friday, April 26 7:05 p.m. New Orleans TBA/RHP Ross Seaton (0-1, 8.03) RHP Doug Mathis (0-2, 4.86)

Saturday, April 27 7:05 p.m. New Orleans TBA/LHP Rudy Owens (0-3, 3.71) RHP Jacob Turner (1-2, 7.27)

Check out the Oklahoma City Comets Statistics



Pacific Coast League Stories from April 23, 2013


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