PCL1 Pacific Coast League

RedHawks Game Notes

Published on April 15, 2009 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1) News Release


Oklahoma City RedHawks (2-3) at Nashville Sounds (2-4)

Game 6 | April 15, 2009, 11:00 am | Greer Stadium | Nashville, TN

Fox Sports Radio AM 1340, RedHawks Radio Network | Play-by-Play: Jim Byers

Today's scheduled starting pitchers:

RH Doug Mathis vs. RH Mike Burns

TODAY: The RedHawks play their first matinee of the season in an 11 a.m. field trip game at Greer Stadium in Nashville. The series is even at 1-1 with the finale tomorrow at 7 p.m. CDT, before the RedHawks return for the home opener on Friday night. After a 12-2 win last night, Oklahoma City will send opening-night starter Doug Mathis to the mound this morning to face Nashville's Mike Burns as OKC tries for its first back-to-back wins of the season.

BATS HEAT UP IN 12-2 WIN: Oklahoma City broke open a close game last night with 8 runs in the ninth inning in a 12-2 win. OKC had totaled 10 runs in its first 4 games, but surpassed that on Tuesday with a 17-hit effort that saw hits from everyone in the lineup except Joaquin Arias, who contributed a season-high 3 RBIs. Royce Huffman had two doubles for the Hawks' first multiple extra-base hit game of the year as the team set a season mark with five doubles. Brandon Boggs drove in 2 runs for the second straight game and flirted with the team's first homer of the year on a first-inning double to right. Although he didn't figure in the decision, Sounds reliever Lindsay Gulin absorbed the late damage, allowing 9 runs in the final two innings (OKC also scored once in the eighth). Seven of Gulin's runs were earned. Ex-RedHawk Sam Narron had a seven-inning quality start, but took the loss with Luis Mendoza getting the win with 5 scoreless innings in his first start of the season.

NOT TO BE OVERLOOKED: RedHawks reliever Brian Gordon entered the game in last night's sixth inning with one out, a 3-2 OKC lead and two runners aboard, but retired the first two Sounds he faced to preserve the lead. Gordon has stranded all 4 runners he's interited this year and the relief corps has stranded all 6 inherited runners.

MATHIS VS. BURNS: RedHawks starter Doug Mathis faced Nashville once last year, picking up a win at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark April 10 by tossing 6 innings, allowing three runs on 7 hits including solo homers by Brad Nelson and Russell Branyan in an 11-4 final. Mathis faced the Sounds twice in 2007, going 0-2 with a 12.91 ERA in one start and one relief outing in his first experience at Triple-A. None of the current Sounds faced Mathis in 2007. Brendan Katin was the only Sound to face him last year, going 0-for-2 with a walk. Mike Burns faced the RedHawks 4 times last year (2 starts) as an Iowa Cub, going 0-2 with a 7.47 ERA. RedHawks vs. Burns in 2008: Brandon Boggs 0-for-3, 2 Ks; Casey Benjamin, 2-for-5, 2B; Joaquin Arias 0-for-2; Ben Harrison 0-for-2, 2 Ks.

"I LOVE THE SMELL OF BASEBALL IN THE MORNING:" Today's pre-noon start is the first of 8 such early games for the RedHawks this season, with 5 to be played at home sporting 11:05 a.m. starts. The only remaining uber day games on the road are in Reno on May 27 and 28 at 11:35 a.m. PDT. OKC has 11:05 games at home on May 6, 13, 18 and June 17 and 24.

ONE TIME THROUGH THE ROTATION: Each member of the RedHawks' rotation has started once and through the first go-round the starters are a combined 1-2 with a 2.42 ERA (26 IP, 24 H, 7 ER). The starters have struck out 22 while walking 12.

STILL MAKING THEM EARN IT: Through 5 games the RedHawks' pitching staff has allowed just 13 runs, good for the league's third-best ERA at 2.70 (Memphis, 2.15 and Portland, 2.60). The RedHawks have not allowed an unearned run, joining Colorado Springs as the only PCL teams to have not surrendered an unearned run. The Sky Sox have allowed 26 runs, all earned.

STREAKING: OKC's Julio Borbon has hit safely in all 5 games this season, the only RedHawk with a season-long hitting streak. Borbon is familiar with streaks, having compiled a 21-game hitting streak for Frisco and a 17-gamer for Bakersfield last year. Borbon, who stole 53 bases last year at two levels of the system, swiped his first of the year last night. Brandon Boggs has reached base in all 5 games this year.

ON THE AIR: KTOK AM 1000 is the RedHawks' new flagship radio station, airing nearly 100 games. Day games will primarily air on sister station Fox Sports Radio 1340 AM. Between the two outlets all 144 games will be broadcast live. Affiliates around Oklahoma will again offer fans outside the OKC metro area the chance to listen to the RedHawks.

UPCOMING PITCHING PROBALES:

Date Opponent Oklahoma City Pitcher Opposing Pitcher Radio

Thursday April 16 @ Nashville RH Neftali Feliz 0-0, 0.00 LH Chase Wright 0-0, 2.25 KTOK AM 1000

Friday April 17 Memphis RH Elizardo Ramirez 0-1, 1.29 RH P.J. Walters 1-0, 0.00 KTOK AM 1000

Saturday April 18 Memphis LH Derek Holland 0-1, 9.00 RH Blake Hawksworth 1-0, 3.60 KTOK AM 1000

Sunday April 19 Memphis RH Luis Mendoza 1-0, 0.00 RH Clayton Mortensen 1-0, 1.80 FOX AM 1340

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 15, 2009


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