Salt Lake Takes Series Opener, 3-2

Salt Lake Bees — 3

Oklahoma City Baseball Club – 2

Tuesday, April 30, 2024 – Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark – Oklahoma City, Okla.

Game Summary: The Salt Lake Bees scored two runs in the seventh inning to take the lead as they sent the Oklahoma City Baseball Club to a 3-2 loss Tuesday night in the series opener between the teams at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Chad Wallach hit a RBI double in the fourth inning to put Salt Lake (10-17) ahead, 1-0. Oklahoma City (16-12) tied the score, 1-1, on a solo home run by Ryan Ward in the bottom of the inning. The Bees scored two runs in the seventh inning on a RBI double by Elliot Soto followed by a RBI groundout for a 3-2 lead. Hunter Feduccia connected on a RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to trim the lead to one run.

Of Note:

-Oklahoma City lost a third straight game overall to match its longest losing streak of the season and is now 1-4 in the last five games at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

-Reigning PCL Player of the Week Ryan Ward hit his third home run in two games and sixth home run in six games. He leads OKC with 11 home runs and 30 RBI this season. Eighteen of his 25 hits this season have gone for extra bases.

-Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler completed five innings, allowing seven hits and one run. He did not issue a walk and recorded five strikeouts, throwing 75 pitches (54 strikes). He faced 21 batters and reached five innings pitched for the first time during his Major League Rehab Assignment. Buehler is recovering from Tommy John surgery and flexor tendon repair in his right elbow that has kept him out of the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup since June 2022. Tuesday was the sixth appearance of his rehab assignment and fifth with Oklahoma City.

-Overall this season, 19 of OKC’s 28 games have been decided by two runs or less and OKC is now 10-9 in those games. Also, 11 of OKC’s first 13 home games have been decided by two runs or less and OKC is 6-5 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in those games.

-Oklahoma City was held to two runs for the team’s lowest run total in eight games — since a 3-1 loss to Sacramento April 20 in OKC. In the previous seven games, OKC scored a total of 73 runs, including at least five runs in each game.

-Trey Sweeney drew his league-leading 25th walk of the season and has now reached base in all 27 games he has played in this season. His on-base streak is the longest on-base streak to start the season in all of Triple-A.

-Jonathan Araúz was held 0-for-4 to end his career-best 17-game hitting streak. During the streak, which was the longest in Triple-A this season, Araúz went 22-for-70 (.314) with 11 extra-base hits and 13 runs scored.

-Miguel Vargas finished 1-for-3 with a walk batting in the leadoff spot for the first time this season. He extended his hitting streak to eight games and is 14-for-33 during the streak with eight extra-base hits and 11 runs scored.

-Oklahoma City pitchers did not allow a walk for the third time this season and for the third time in the last nine games.

Next Up: Oklahoma City continues its series against Salt Lake with an 11:05 a.m. game Wednesday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark on a Field Trip Day. Single-game tickets for OKC games through June are available now at okcbaseball.com/tickets. Live radio coverage of each OKC Baseball Club game begins 15 minutes before first pitch on AM 1340 "The Game," 1340thegame.com and through the free iHeartRadio or MiLB First Pitch apps.