Dodgers Drop Wild Series Finale in Round Rock, 14-13

Round Rock Express – 14

Oklahoma City Dodgers – 13

Sunday, May 15, 2022 – Dell Diamond – Round Rock, Texas

Game Summary: The Oklahoma City Dodgers grabbed an early 3-0 lead and later scored nine straight runs to take a 13-9 advantage before the Round Rock Express scored five runs over the final three innings to send the Dodgers to a 14-13 loss Sunday afternoon at Dell Diamond. After the Dodgers scored three runs in their first at-bat of the afternoon, the Express responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning and built a 9-4 lead through two innings. OKC (22-14) chipped away and scored two runs in the third inning before taking the lead with four runs in the sixth inning. A single by Andy Burns coupled with a Round Rock fielding error plated the first three runs for the Dodgers in the sixth inning. Burns then scored on a single by Tomás Telis for a 10-9 lead. In the seventh inning, Miguel Vargas tripled and scored on a Ryan Noda single. A two-run homer by Eddy Alvarez boosted OKC’s lead to 13-9. Round Rock (21-15) would score two runs in the seventh inning and add three more runs in the bottom of the ninth for a walk-off win to close out the series between the top two teams in the Pacific Coast League East Division.

Of Note:

-Sunday marked the first time since 2007 an Oklahoma City team scored 13 or more runs in a game and lost. Oklahoma City suffered a 17-16 loss in 10 innings on the road at Las Vegas May 10, 2007. Including Sunday, the Dodgers have scored at least 13 runs and lost just five times in the team’s Bricktown era (since 1998). Three of those losses have been on the road.

-The 13 runs scored by OKC Sunday marked the fourth time this season the Dodgers have scored at least 13 runs in a game and it was the third time over the final five games of the Round Rock series. It was the 10th consecutive game the team’s Triple-A-leading offense scored at least five runs in a game and was the fourth time during the stretch they scored 12 or more runs…On the other hand, the 14 runs allowed by the Dodgers set a new season high and were the most runs allowed by the team since a 15-8 loss July 8, 2021 in El Paso.

-OKC’s offense compiled at least 16 hits for the fifth time this season, but the Dodgers also struck out a season-high 18 times at the plate…The 16 hits by the Express tied for the most hits allowed by the Dodgers this season, previously set April 12 in El Paso.

-Eddy Alvarez and Miguel Vargas each hit triples as the Dodgers extended their Triple-A best total to 19 triples this season and posted their fifth game of the season with two triples.

-Eddy Alvarez finished a double shy of the cycle as he went 3-for-5 with a single, triple, homer, a walk, three RBI and scored four runs. It was his second straight three-hit game and over his last three games, Alvarez has reached base in 12 of his 15 plate appearances (7 H, 4 BB, HBP). He has hit safely in four straight games, going 9-for-17 with six extra-base hits, nine RBI, nine runs scored and four walks. His four runs scored Sunday were a season high and his highest run total since June 21, 2015 with Low-A Kannapolis when he also tallied four runs.

-Andy Burns also went 3-for-5 with a double, three RBI and a run scored. Over his combined four games in Round Rock, Burns went 6-for-17 with a double, two homers, seven RBI, three walks and five runs scored.

-Miguel Vargas picked up a fourth straight multi-hit game as he went 2-for-5 with a triple, walk and scored three runs. He extended his current on-base streak to 18 games and has hit safely in 15 of his last 16 games. Vargas entered the game leading the PCL in runs scored this season and tied his season-high mark with three more runs Sunday, equaling his season high first set May 1 against Sugar Land.

-Zach McKinstry extended his hitting streak to a season-best nine games, going 2-for-4 with two walks, a RBI and run scored. During the streak, he is 16-for-36 (.444) with 10 runs, five RBI and five multi-hit games.

-Dodgers pitcher Beau Burrows entered the game in the second inning, and after a bumpy start, went on to retire 16 straight Express batters, including six strikeouts, during one stretch between the second through seventh innings as the Dodgers turned a 9-4 deficit into a 13-9 lead.

-Sunday’s loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Dodgers, who won the series against the Express, 4-2.

-Sunday’s game lasted 3 hours, 48 minutes to set a new season-high time of game for OKC and was the team’s longest time of game since a 4-hour-3-minute game Sept. 24, 2021 in Las Vegas.

What’s Next: Following a day off Monday, the OKC Dodgers open a three-game home series against the El Paso Chihuahuas at 7:05 p.m. on a $2 Tuesday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark featuring $2 select beer, soda and bottled water from a line of Budweiser and Pepsi products. COOP Ale Works draft beer will also be available for $3. Tickets are available at okcdodgers.com/tickets. 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.