Vargas' Homer Lifts OKC to 8-7 Win

Oklahoma City Baseball Club – 8

Albuquerque Isotopes – 7

Wednesday, April 3, 2024 – Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark – Oklahoma City, Okla.

Game Summary: A two-run home run by Miguel Vargas in the eighth inning lifted the Oklahoma City Baseball Club to an 8-7 win in a back-and-forth game against the Albuquerque Isotopes Wednesday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Albuquerque (1-4) had scored five straight runs, including four runs in the seventh inning, to take a 7-6 lead. In the bottom of the eighth inning, OKC’s Trey Sweeney led off by drawing a walk and Vargas followed with his third home run of the season, sending a fly ball to left-center field to give OKC a one-run advantage. Albuquerque scored the first run of the night in the first inning before OKC (3-2) took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning. OKC’s lead grew to 4-1 on a solo home run by Hunter Feduccia and a RBI triple by Drew Avans. After the Isotopes cut OKC’s lead to two runs, OKC added two more runs in the fifth inning on a RBI single by Sweeney and a RBI double by Vargas for a 6-2 lead. Pitcher Gus Varland (1-0) picked up the win with a scoreless eighth inning before Kevin Gowdy notched a save with a scoreless ninth inning for Oklahoma City.

Of Note:

-The Oklahoma City Baseball Club has won back-to-back games for the first time this season and also moved its record above .500 for the first time this season as the team is now 3-2…Oklahoma City has won the first two home games of a season for the first time since 2018 when OKC started the season with 15 straight wins in games at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

-Miguel Vargas has homered in back-to-back games and in three of his last four games. Vargas went 2-for-3 Wednesday with a double, home run, sacrifice fly and four RBI. Five of his first seven hits of 2024 have gone for extra bases and he has recorded back-to-back four-RBI nights after hitting a grand slam Tuesday….Going back to last season, Vargas has now homered in six of his last 12 games, including the 2023 postseason.

-OKC has now homered in four straight games. The team has eight home runs so far in 2024, hit by five different players.

-The first five games of the season for Oklahoma City have been decided by a total of seven runs and all have been decided by margins of two runs or less.

Next Up: OKC continues its first home series of the season at 7:05 p.m. Thursday on 89ers Night against the Albuquerque Isotopes at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. For all Thursday home games this season, Oklahoma City players and coaches will wear special OKC 89ers jerseys and hats in recognition of the franchise’s pre-Bricktown history.