Round Rock Comeback Effort Falls Short, Oklahoma City Escapes 7-5
Published on June 8, 2015 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release
ROUND ROCK, Texas - The two best records in Minor League Baseball met for round three Monday night at Dell Diamond and heightened the border war as the Oklahoma City Dodgers (36-21) held off the Round Rock Express (35-22), 7-5. The two clubs legitimized their phenomenal records with excellent play, but it was the Dodgers that provided enough firepower to take a 2-1 series lead,
LHP Matt Harrison laced up for his second rehabilitation start of the season with Round Rock, but the former All-Star was attacked early by Oklahoma City hitters. Harrison got Dodgers CF Darnell Sweeney to fly out for the opening out of the contest, but was unable to prevent Austin Barnes from getting on base as the catcher lined a single up the middle. Top Dodgers prospect Corey Seager then piped a 2-1 pitch from Harrison to right field for a double that promoted Barnes to third with RF Kyle Jensen coming to the plate. Jensen delivered with a two-RBI single to put the Dodgers in front 2-0. Harrison used a ground out and a fly out to complete the first half of the inning.
The Dodgers lineup persevered into the third inning with Sweeney receiving a lead-off walk from Harrison. Barnes then recorded his second single of the night that put Dodgers on first and third with no outs. Seager added to the Oklahoma City total with his first sacrifice fly of the season, bringing in Sweeney to make the score 3-0. Harrison escaped the top half of the inning with back-to-back fly outs.
Round Rock made its way on the board in the bottom of the third inning courtesy of a solo home run from CF Ryan Strausborger. Strausborger's fifth homer of the season cut the score to 3-1, but the E-Train could not inch any closer as OKC starter Eric Surkamp used a ground out and a pop out to flee the third.
Harrison collected two swift outs to begin the fifth, but Barnes struck again, this time with a double to keep the top half of the inning alive. Harrison then walked Seager to put two on with Jensen coming to bat yet again. Jensen pulverized his second hit of the game with a bases-clearing triple and scored himself on a Rougned Odor error to extend the Oklahoma City lead to 6-1. Harrison gave up a double before receiving a mound visit from pitching coach Brad Holman. Harrison was able to craft a line out to finish his night. Harrison (1-1, 7.20) completed his second rehab start with 5.0 innings pitched while allowing eight hits, six runs (six earned) and two walks while tallying two strikeouts.
LF Michael Choice began the bottom of the fifth with a strikeout, but RF Jared Hoying launched a 1-0 pitch from Surkamp to deep right field for Round Rock's second solo shot of the night and his tenth of the year. Hoying has hit a homer in three consecutive games and is the first Express hitter to do that since J.P. Arencibia went three in a row from 7/9-7/11 in 2014. Surkamp continued to grind after giving up the solo shot and erased the remaining E-Train batters with a fly out and ground out to keep the Dodgers up four after five.
RHP Luke Jackson entered for Harrison in the sixth and opened his 11th relief appearance with a walk to OKC DH O'Koyea Dickson. Jackson settled with a fly out of LF Scott Schebler and finished the inning with a ground out and a strikeout. Surkamp was finally pulled after five innings of work as RHP Matt West toed the rubber for the Dodgers in the sixth. Surkamp (1-2, 8.18) finished his night with five hits, two runs (two earned) and three strikeouts. West threw a 1-2-3 sixth to send the affair into the seventh.
The top of the seventh proved beneficial for the Dodgers as Barnes continued his extravagant night with a lead-off homer into the Express bullpen, improving the Dodgers lead to 7-2. Jackson went on to notch the next two outs cleanly, but was replaced by LHP Alex Claudio with the Express needing one out to end the top half of the inning. Claudio sent Dodgers 1B Andy Wilkins down on three pitches to secure the third out.
The E-Train gained steam in the bottom of the eighth inning as Strausborger made contact for his second hit of the night to start the inning. C Tomas Telis then followed with a single of his own to put two on for 3B Tyler Pastornicky. Pastornicky flied out to center for the first out of the inning, but moved Strausborger over to third in the process. Danny Coulombe (COO-lome) entered for West and started his appearance by giving up back-to-back singles. Odor scored Strausborger on the first single and 1B Chris Gimenez brought home Telis on the second, bringing the score to 7-4. SS Tommy Field popped out for the second out, but DH Brett Nicholas kept the runs coming with a RBI single to score Odor, pulling the Express closer, 7-5. Choice ended the momentum shift with a strikeout to send the game to the ninth.
After a solid ninth from Express reliever Jared Burton that only saw one Dodger reach base, the Dodgers called in closer Chi-hui Tsao (chin whee sau) to face the remaining Express batters. Tsao retired Hoying to silence the Round Rock crowd, but Strausborger resurrected the fans with his third hit of the night to bring the people to their feet and revive the atmosphere at Dell Diamond. However, the excitement was cut short as Tsao went strikeout and fly out to end the game.
The Express and Dodgers finish the series tomorrow night with the first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. RHP Jerad Eickhoff (4-3, 5.18) takes the mound for the Express against Oklahoma City Dodger starter RHP Deck McGuire (1-2, 3.20).
For tickets and more information on the Express, visit www.RoundRockExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Follow the Express on Facebook and Twitter!
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