RedHawks Game Notes
April 9, 2010 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release
Oklahoma City RedHawks (0-1) vs. Albuquerque Isotopes (1-0)
Game 2 | April 9, 2010, 7:05 pm CDT | AT&T Bricktown Ballpark | Oklahoma City, OK
News Radio 1000 KTOK, RedHawks Radio Network | Play-by-Play: Jim Byers & Judson Richards
RH Brandon McCarthy vs. LH Scott Elbert
TONIGHT: The Oklahoma City RedHawks will try to even the series in Game 2 of the season against the Albuquerque Isotopes (Los Angeles Dodgers) at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark. Righthander Brandon McCarthy will make his first career appearance against Albuquerque. Including rehab assignments, McCarthy has spent small pieces of each of the previous three seasons with OKC when not with the Texas Rangers. Lefthander Scott Elbert will get the start for the Isotopes, his first career outing against the RedHawks.
SEASON OPENERS REVISITED: Last night's 13-inning, 6-3 win by Albuquerque matched the longest opener in RedHawks history dating to the re-naming of the team in 1998. OKC also played a 13-inning season opener April 6, 2006 at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark in a 5-4 win over Memphis. The RedHawks are now 6-7 in season openers since moving to The Brick in 1998. OKC is also 6-7 in home openers. Each of the past five season openers has been decided in the winning team's last at bat, with three of those being walk-offs and two being last-inning wins by the visitors. Last night's opener was OKC's first against a team other than Memphis since 2004, when the Hawks began the season in Omaha.
PULL UP A CHAIR: Thursday's game time of four hours, 11 minutes was three minutes shy of OKC's longest game for all of 2009. Last year, the longest game, time-wise, was July 16 at Round Rock, a 14-inning affair lasting four hours, 14 minutes.
"WHIFF"LE-BALL: OKC pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts last night, matching the team high for the entire 2009 campaign. Last year's 14-strikeout game, June 21 vs. Nashville, lasted nine innings.
PROSPECTING: OKC opens the season with two members of the Rangers' Top 10 prospects in the annual Baseball America rankings. Justin Smoak moves up from No. 3 last season to No. 2 this year. Rangers 2009 Minor League Player of the Year Mitch Moreland is pegged at No. 8 entering this season after not being among the top 30 in the 2009 listing.
FIELD STAFF FAMILIARITY: RedHawks skipper Bobby Jones is back for his 10th season in Oklahoma City, the fourth during his current stint. Jones, the winningest manager in Oklahoma City's Triple-A history, previously managed the RedHawks from 2002-05 and the 89ers in 1993-94. With 1,354 career managerial wins, Jones leads all minor league managers in Rangers franchise history. Pitching coach Terry Clark, coach Scott Coolbaugh and trainer Jason Roberts all return for the second seasons in Oklahoma City. Strength coach Ric Mabie is back for his fourth local season.
DIVISION TOPPERS: Albuquerque and OKC finished 1-2 in the American South Division in 2009, with the Isotopes drawing off to win by 11 games. OKC was as close as 1.5 games back on July 29. The Isotopes, 45-45 at the All-Star break, went 35-19 thereafter to claim their first division crown since 2003 and gain a playoff berth in their first season as a Dodgers affiliate. The Isotopes were swept in the American Conference Finals by eventual league champion Memphis.
ON THE AIR: RedHawks broadcasts return to flagship KTOK AM 1000 and RedHawks Radio Network affiliates in 2010. KTOK will air all games starting at 6 pm CDT or later (except for May 3, 4,6,and 7). Those four games, and all action starting prior to 6 pm CDT, will air on 1340 AM Fox Sports.
UPCOMING PROBABLES:
Date Opponent Oklahoma City Pitcher Opposing Pitcher Radio
Saturday April 10 Albuquerque LH Michael Kirkman RH Josh Lindblom KTOK AM 1000
Sunday April 11 Albuquerque RH Guillermo Moscoso RH John Ely KEBC AM 1340
Monday April 12 Round Rock LH Michael Ballard LH Wesley Wright KTOK AM 1000
Tuesday April 13 Round Rock LH Derek Holland 0-0, 1.50 RH Josh Banks 0-0, 1.50 KTOK AM 1000
Pacific Coast League Stories from April 9, 2010
- Zephyrs stymie Express again in 2-0 win - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Round Rock Express blanked at New Orleans - Round Rock Express
- Sounds Beat Iowa, 5-3, On Three Homers - Nashville Sounds
- Cubs lose to Sounds - Iowa Cubs
- Angels Recall Cassevah, Option Quinlan to Salt Lake - Salt Lake Bees
- RedHawks Game Notes - Oklahoma City Comets
- Rainiers Blanked In Season Opener - Tacoma Rainiers
- Aces Pull Off Extra-Inning Victory Over Fresno, 5-4 - Reno Aces
- River Cats Take 2010 Season Opener from Beavers, 6-2 - Portland Beavers
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