Express Take 3-2 Win Over Dodgers
September 2, 2022 – Pacific Coast League (PCL) – Oklahoma City Dodgers News Release
Following a game-tying home run by Michael Busch in the top of the ninth inning, Davis Wendzel hit a walk-off homer leading off the bottom of the ninth inning, sending the Round Rock Express to a 3-2 win over the Oklahoma City Dodgers Friday night at Dell Diamond. Trailing, 2-1, with one out in the top of the ninth inning, Busch hit a line drive to the right field berm to even the score. Wendzel led off the bottom of the inning for the Express (70-58) and sent a 3-2 pitch into the Round Rock bullpen in left-center field for a game-winning home run. The Express took a 2-0 lead in the second inning when they loaded the bases with two outs, and Dio Arias singled home a pair of runs. The Dodgers (72-55) were held without a hit for five innings but rallied in the sixth inning. Jake Amaya provided OKC’s first hit with a triple and later scored on a RBI single by Drew Avans. The score stayed 2-1 until the ninth inning.
Of Note: -The Dodgers have lost three straight games against second-place Round Rock, trimming OKC’s lead atop the PCL East Division to 2.0 games. It is the closest Round Rock has been to first place since June 8, and the Express also improved to a season-best 13 games above .500.
-The last three losses have been by a combined four runs, as Friday’s defeat joined a 7-6 loss Wednesday and 2-0 rain-shortened loss Thursday. The Express have notched two last at-bat wins over the three games. The walk-off home run was the third allowed by the Dodgers this season and sixth walk-off loss for OKC overall.
-Entering Thursday, the Dodgers had lost just three games all season when allowing three or fewer runs before it happened on back-to-back nights. Three of the Dodgers’ five losses when allowing three or fewer runs have been against Round Rock.
-Michael Busch pulled through with a game-tying home run in the ninth inning for his 17th home run with Oklahoma City and 28th home run overall this season. He finished 1-for-3 with a walk. In his last five games against Round Rock, Busch is 9-for-22 with two home runs and nine RBI.
-Jake Amaya went 1-for-3 with a triple and a run scored, collecting his first triple since joining Oklahoma City. He extended his current hitting streak to six games, going 8-for-21. Over the last five games, Amaya is 7-for-17 with five extra-base hits, four RBI and six runs scored.
-The Dodgers were held to two runs and three hits, marking the sixth time this season they did not register more than three hits in a game and first time since collecting a season-low two hits July 30 against Sugar Land. The Dodgers have scored only two runs over the past two games combined, which is tied for their lowest two-game run total this season. It’s the first time it’s happened since scoring two runs across a doubleheader May 26 against Reno the team scored just two runs over consecutive games. Over the last two nights, the Dodgers have gone 10-for-55 (.182) with two extra-base hits. They did not collect their first hit Friday until the sixth inning and were held without a hit in seven of nine innings. Entering Thursday’s game, the Dodgers had scored 52 runs with 31 extra-base hits and 12 home runs over the previous five games, scoring at least six runs in each contest.
-After not drawing a walk Thursday for the first time all season, the Dodgers only walked twice Friday. They entered Thursday’s game having drawn at least five walks in 10 straight games, totaling 63 walks during that time.
What’s Next: The Dodgers will look to break out of their recent rut starting at 6:35 p.m. Saturday at Dell Diamond. Live radio coverage of each OKC Dodgers game begins 15 minutes before first pitch on AM 1340 “The Game,” 1340thegame.com and through the free iHeartRadio or MiLB First Pitch apps. All OKC Dodgers games are also available streamed live on MiLB.TV with a subscription.
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