PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

RedHawks Game Notes

Published on July 21, 2010 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City RedHawks (52-43) at Iowa Cubs (53-44)

Game 96 | July 21, 2010, 7:05 pm CDT | Principal Park | Des Moines, IA

News Radio 1000 KTOK, RedHawks Radio Network | Play-by-Play: Jim Byers

RH Rich Harden (0-1, 5.68) vs. RH Jeff Samardzija (6-1, 2.85)

TONIGHT: Oklahoma City and Iowa play the fourth of a 5-game set at Principal Park and their eighth straight against each other as this stretch of back-to-back series continues. Iowa leads this series 2-1. The Cubs own a 4-3 lead in the combined "super series" and a 6-4 edge in the season series after sweeping a doubleheader last night 9-2 and 4-3. OKC has now won 2 doubleheaders and been swept twice. OKC's division lead is 2 games over Albuquerque. Iowa is 1.5 games ahead of Nashville in the American North. Rich Harden, rehabbing a strained left gluteal muscle, makes his third rehab start of the season against Iowa's Jeff Samardzija.

DOUBLEHEADER RECAP: Iowa's Casey Coleman tossed a 7-inning complete game in the first of yesterday's doubleheader as Micah Hoffpauir and Bryan LaHair each homered twice in the Cubs' 9-2 win. Mitch Moreland chipped in a solo shot in the sixth for OKC as Elizardo Ramirez took the loss in a spot start. OKC went a combined 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position in the twin bill. In Game 2, OKC failed to protect 1-0 and 3-2 leads in a 4-3 setback. Kevin Richardson belted a 2-run homer, matching a 2-run shot by Iowa's Sam Fuld. Tanner Scheppers returned to the RedHawks' bullpen and took the loss in a 2-inning effort, allowing the 2 go-ahead runs in the fourth on 3 hits. Hung-Wen Chen turned a spot start into a win with Scott Maine recording a save.

DIVISION LEAD DOWN TO 2: Albuquerque gained a game and a half on the RedHawks' division lead yesterday, narrowing it to 2 games, as the Isotopes won their fifth straight 9-7 in Nashville. Albuquerque has shaved 3.5 games off OKC's lead since Friday. The RedHawks have had a share of first place since a win on April 14 and sole possession of the top spot since a win on April 16.

HOMER HAPPY: Iowa is the only team in 2010 to collect more than 2 homers in a game against the RedHawks. The I-Cubs belted 3 home runs on Saturday and had a 4-homer game in yesterday's doubleheader opener. OKC was the last PCL team to allow either a 3- or 4-homer game. The RedHawks have been out-homered by Iowa 10-5 in this stretch of head-to-head meetings dating to Thursday. OKC has out-homered Iowa for the season 95-82.

A RESPITE FROM MARATHONS: Nine of the last 15 OKC games have taken 3:07 or longer, including 3 extra-inning games: July 15, (3:49, 10 innings); July 7, Game 2, (4:15, 13 innings); and July 8 (4:38, 12 innings). Yesterday's 7-inning games lasted 1:47 and 2:11, while Monday's series opener took 2:49.

ERA NO. 1: The RedHawks lead the PCL in team ERA at 3.71. Nashville is second at 3.83. The RedHawks have allowed the fewest home runs (58) in Triple-A. OKC has allowed the second-fewest runs (406) and fewest earned runs (346) in the PCL. OKC has scored 102 more runs that it has allowed, the best run differential in the league and second in Triple-A behind Durham's +147.

ERRORS MOUNTING: The RedHawks have made 34 errors in the past 30 games after committing 1 error in each game yesterday. The RedHawks have 1 error in each of their last 4 games and have not recorded consecutive errorless games since sweeping a doubleheader from New Orleans on June 16. When making an error, OKC is 27-32. When errorless, the RedHawks are 25-11.

GERMAN ON DL: Esteban German was placed on the 7-day DL Saturday with a left hamstring strain. German sustained the injury legging out an infield hit in Friday's sixth inning. Other RedHawks on the DL are RHP Brandon McCarthy (right shoulder inflammation), IF/OF Chad Tracy (strained left oblique), OF Endy Chavez (right knee soreness following a return from 2009 surgery). Michael Ballard was activated from the DL yesterday when Doug Mathis was recalled by Texas.

UPCOMING PROBABLES:

Date Opponent Oklahoma City Pitcher Opposing Pitcher Radio

Thursday July 22 @ Iowa RH Guillermo Moscoso 5-3, 4.58 RH Jay Jackson 6-6, 3.55 KTOK AM 1000

Friday July 23 @ Memphis LH Michael Kirkman 9-3, 3.25 RH Brandon Dickson 9-6, 3.16 KTOK AM 1000

Saturday July 24 @ Memphis RH Omar Beltre 1-6, 2.08 RH Chuckie Fick 2-1, 5.82 KTOK AM 1000

Sunday July 25 @ Memphis TBA RH Lance Lynn 7-8, 5.17 KTOK AM 1000

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