OKC Dodgers Game Notes – September 21, 2022
September 21, 2022 – Pacific Coast League (PCL) – Oklahoma City Dodgers News Release
Oklahoma City Dodgers (80-62) at El Paso Chihuahuas (80-62)
Game #143 of 150/Road #71 of 75
Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Bobby Miller (1-1, 3.38) vs. ELP-RHP Reiss Knehr (4-4, 6.53)
Wednesday, September 21, 2022 | Southwest University Park | El Paso, Texas | 1:05 p.m. CT
Radio: KGHM-AM 1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, iHeartRadio; Video: MiLB.tv
Today’s Game: The Oklahoma City Dodgers and El Paso Chihuahuas enter today’s matinee at Southwest University Park in a tie for first place in the PCL East Division. The pivotal series can determine the division champion with eight games remaining in the season, including five more head-to-head meetings between the teams…With a win last night, the Dodgers won a fifth straight game and own a share of first place in the division standings for the first time since Sept. 11…OKC has reached 80 wins for the seventh time in 24 seasons during the Bricktown era.
Last Game: The OKC Dodgers blasted five home runs and the offense stayed hot to open their critical series with El Paso Chihuahuas with a 16-1 victory Tuesday night at Southwest University Park. The game was scoreless until James Outman hit a two-run homer in the third inning, giving the Dodgers their first lead. OKC hit two more homers in the second inning when Ryan Noda connected on a two-run homer and Jake Amaya cleared the batter’s eye in center field with a three-run blast to extend the lead to 7-0. After El Paso scored one run in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Dodgers piled on seven runs in the fifth. As part of the rally, Drew Avans hit a RBI single, Edwin Ríos added a two-run double and Tomás Telis hit a three-run homer. The team’s fifth and final homer occurred when Michael Busch hit the first pitch of the seventh inning out to left-center field. The last run of the game scored on a bases-loaded walk by Noda in the eighth inning. OKC starting pitcher Gavin Stone earned his first Triple-A win by holding the Chihuahuas to one run and three hits over six innings. All nine OKC players in the lineup collected at least one hit and scored at least one run. Six players had multi-hit games and six scored at least two runs. Seven players finished with at least one RBI and five collected multi-RBI games.
Today’s Probable Pitcher: Bobby Miller (1-1) is set to make his fourth start with OKC, but first appearance since Sept. 1…In his last start Sept. 1 in Round Rock, Miller struck out 14 batters over six innings, becoming just the third pitcher in Oklahoma City’s Bricktown era to record a game with 14 or more strikeouts. He struck out 10 of the last 11 batters he faced, including the final eight in a row. The 14 strikeouts are also tied for the most by a pitcher in a PCL game this season, along with Salt Lake’s Reid Detmers – Miller’s college teammate at the University of Louisville. Overall, Miller allowed two runs and two hits with one walk and retired the final 13 batters he faced, including 11 via strikeout. Due to the game being completed early, Miller was credited with his first career complete game, but was charged with the loss in a 2-0 defeat…Prior to his promotion to OKC, he made 20 appearances (19 starts) for Double-A Tulsa. The right-handed pitcher put together a 6-6 record and 4.45 ERA over a team-high 91.0 IP with 31 walks against a team-leading 117 strikeouts with the Drillers. At the time of his promotion, he ranked second in the Texas League in WHIP (1.20) and BAA (.223) and fourth in both ERA and strikeouts…Miller represented the Dodgers in the 2022 All-Star Futures Game and was the starting pitcher for the National League…The Dodgers selected Miller in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft (29th overall) from the University of Louisville…Miller is currently rated as the Dodgers’ No. 2 prospect and top pitching prospect according to MLB Pipeline…In his last meeting against El Paso Aug. 26 at home, he pitched 7.0 innings, allowing five hits and two runs along with one walk and seven strikeouts and did not factor into the decision of a 7-4 win. He threw 92 pitches, including 64 strikes.
Against the Chihuahuas: 2022: 12-10 2021: 14-9 All-time: 40-29 At ELP: 21-16 The top two teams in the PCL East Division meet for the fifth and final series this season and for the third time at Southwest University Park…The teams most recently met for six games at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark Aug. 23-28, with the Dodgers winning the series, 4-2, including the final three games of the series. The Dodgers scored at least seven runs in each of their four victories…The teams met in El Paso June 28-July 3 with the Chihuahuas winning the series, 4-2. The Dodgers won two of the first three games before the Chihuahuas won the final three of the set while scoring 41 runs. In each of El Paso’s four wins during the series, the Chihuahuas scored at least 11 runs (55 runs total)…After the teams split their first series of the season, the home team has gone 10-6 since (13-9 over the season series)…Miguel Vargas leads OKC with 26 hits and 20 RBI in the season series, while Jason Martin has nine homers…Outside of 2018, OKC has won or split each season series against the Chihuahuas since Tucson’s franchise relocated to El Paso for the 2014 season.
Eight Days A Week: The Dodgers enter the final eight games of the season with the longest current winning streak in the PCL as OKC has now won five straight games to tie their season-high (set twice previously). This is the team’s longest winning streak since five consecutive wins July 22-27 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark and is the first time OKC has won five consecutive road games since April 15-20, a stretch that included three wins in El Paso followed by two wins in Sacramento. The Dodgers are 0-2 when trying to extend a winning streak to six games this season, and going back to last season, the team has lost in each of its last four attempts at a six-game win streak. The team has not won six games in a row since July 18-24, 2019…OKC has now won six of its last eight games after going 2-8 over the previous 10 contests…The Dodgers had a 5.0-game lead ahead of Round Rock and 5.5-game lead ahead of El Paso in the East Division standings entering Aug. 31 but have seen that advantage evaporate into a tie with El Paso after going 8-10 while the Chihuahuas have gone 14-5 during the same period…Following a loss Sept. 9, the Dodgers dropped into a tie for first place, marking the first time since July 17 they did not have sole possession of first place. After a loss Sept. 10, the Dodgers fell out of first place entirely – the first time since June 1 the Dodgers had not held at least a share of first place…El Paso can clinch the East Division title with at least four wins during the series, while the Dodgers can clinch the title with at least five wins. Should the teams split, the division would not be decided until next week, although the Dodgers would own the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Gearing Up: The Dodgers scored 16 runs on 16 hits Sunday and have scored at least 11 runs in four consecutive games (50 R) for the first time in the team’s Bricktown era (since 1998) and have scored at least 10 runs in four straight games for the first time since June 27-30, 2007 (43 runs)…They have also collected at least 12 hits in five straight games (68 H) for the first time since a five-game stretch July 15-19, 2012 (78 H), batting .349 (68×195) over the hot streak. OKC has 56 runs and 68 hits during the current five-game winning streak, including 30 extra-base hits and 16 home runs…Tuesday marked the fourth time this season OKC has scored 16 or more runs. The Dodgers’ 11 extra-base hits Tuesday (five doubles, one triple, five homers) tied their season-high mark set May 12 in Round Rock…Over the team’s first 14 games of September, the Dodgers had been held to three or fewer runs eight times…In the last 14 games, the Dodgers are 8-6. They have scored three or fewer runs in each of the six losses, while scoring at least five runs in each of the seven wins, including five games with at least 11 runs. Narrowing it down further, over the last 10 games, the Dodgers have scored 76 runs in their six wins while batting .361 (86×238), including 21 home runs. In the four losses, they’ve only totaled nine runs while batting .231 (27×117), including one home run.
High Score: OKC has now scored 908 runs through 142 games, setting a new team single-season runs record during the Bricktown era (since 1998). The previous record was 893 runs scored by the 2005 team in 143 games…OKC’s 908 runs scored this season are second-most among the 30 Triple-A teams, trailing only current opponent El Paso’s 933 runs (first in MiLB).
Dinger Details: The Dodgers have homered in six straight games (17 HR) and have five straight multi-homer games (16 HR) for the first time this season. They have 22 homers over the last eight games – most in Triple-A since Sept. 11 – after hitting a Triple-A-low two homers through the first nine games of September. Prior to Thursday, OKC had been held without a home run in eight of their first 12 games this month, and from Sept. 4-10, the Dodgers were held without a homer in six consecutive games for the team’s longest stretch since a six-game streak in 2014…For the fifth time this season, the Dodgers hit at least five homers in one game Tuesday night. It was the second time it’s happened in the last eight games (Sept. 11 vs. Tacoma) and for the second consecutive game against El Paso (six homers hit Aug. 28 at home). Four of the five homers Tuesday were with at least one runner on base, and the five homers equaled 11 runs. Jake Amaya, Michael Busch, Ryan Noda, James Outman and Tomás Telis each went deep Tuesday…On the other hand, the Dodgers have allowed at least one home run in a season-high 10 straight games (14 HR), as El Paso’s lone run Tuesday scored via a solo homer in the fourth inning…With Michael Busch hitting his 20th homer Tuesday, this marks the second time the team has had three players with 20-plus homers in one season (Busch, Noda, Jason Martin) along the with 2019 team (Kyle Garlick, Edwin Ríos, Will Smith).
Noda-ry Public: Ryan Noda reached base four times Tuesday, going 2-for-4 with a home run, double and two walks, and he tied for the game high with three RBI. Noda has homered in each of the last two games and in four of the last five games and is up to 24 total homers this season – second-most on the team. Over the last two games, he is 5-for-8 with two home runs, a double and four RBI while reaching base in eight of 11 plate appearances…He drew two more walks last night and has five walks in the last three games and eight in the last six games. Noda leads the PCL with 84 walks this season and has the most walks in a season by a player during OKC’s Dodgers affiliation (2015) and second-most walks in the team’s Bricktown-era (since 1998). Noda only trails Cliff Brumbaugh, who drew a team record 85 walks during the 2000 season…Noda has 24 homers and 19 steals this season, putting him one stolen base from recording OKC’s first 20/20 season since Nelson Cruz tallied 37 homers and 24 steals in 2008.
The Take on Jake: Jake Amaya went 1-for-5 with a three-run homer yesterday. He is currently on a five-game hitting streak, going 9-for-22 with two home runs and eight RBI. He hit safely in 18 of his last 20 games, going 30-for-74 (.405) with five doubles, a triple, five homers, 19 RBI and 22 runs scored. Over his last 12 games, Amaya is 19-for-45 (.422) with six extra-base hits and 13 RBI…He leads OKC with 24 hits so far in September – third-most in the league this month – while his .407 AVG is second in the PCL…Between June 18-Aug. 19, Amaya did not hit a home run over 50 games, but since Aug. 20, he has gone deep six times in 26 games. His 17 home runs between OKC and Double-A Tulsa this season have set a career high (previously 12).
Buschwacked: Michael Busch homered for a second consecutive game last night and is up to 31 home runs and 116 total runs scored this season, including his time with both OKC and Double-A Tulsa…He has eight RBI over the last three games and has hit safely in six straight games, going 10-for-28 (.357) with three doubles, three homers, nine RBI and 11 runs scored. He has also hit safely in 14 of his 17 games in September, going 22-for-68 (.324). He leads the team in hits, runs (17) and RBI (15) this month, while ranking tied for first with four homers…Between OKC and Double-A Tulsa, Busch ranks second overall in the Minors with 116 runs scored, fifth with 275 total bases and seventh with 66 extra-base hits. He leads the Dodgers farm system with 147 total hits, 106 RBI and 275 total bases while he is tied for first with 31 homers.
Outstanding: James Outman reached base four times with a home run, triple and two walks Tuesday. In his last seven games against El Paso, Outman is 14-for-25 with 12 extra-base hits and 16 RBI…With two RBI Tuesday, Outman has now totaled 100 RBI this season between OKC and Double-A Tulsa. He leads Dodgers minor leaguers with a .576 SLG, while his 64 extra-base hits and 257 total bases rank second.
Around the Horn: The Dodgers seek their first 2-0 start to a series since Aug. 2-3 in Salt Lake. OKC has started its last six series since either 1-1 or 0-2…Tomás Telis picked up a second straight multi-hit and multi-RBI game Tuesday, going 2-for-6 with a three-run homer. Telis is currently on a six-game hitting streak during which he is 11-for-27…Drew Avans recorded his second straight three-hit game Tuesday, finishing 3-for-6 yesterday with a double and RBI. Over his last two games, Avans is 6-for-11 with two extra-base hits and five RBI…Over the last eight games, the Dodgers are batting .354 (33×93) with two outs, including an impressive 17-for-37 (.459) with runners in scoring position…Over his last six starts, Devin Mann is 10-for-21 (.476) with three homers, a triple, nine RBI and 10 runs scored…The Dodgers are 14-12 in day games this season, including 4-1 in September and 2-0 during the current road trip.
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