Dodgers Ride Early Lead to 6-3 Win

Oklahoma City Dodgers – 6

Round Rock Express – 3

Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023 – Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark – Oklahoma City, Okla.

Game Summary: The Oklahoma City Dodgers scored all six of their runs in the first two innings in a 6-3 win against the Round Rock Express Wednesday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The Dodgers (19-10/69-33) took the lead in their first at-bat when Michael Busch hit a solo home run out to center field. Round Rock (15-14/59-44) tied the score in the second inning on a sacrifice fly. The Dodgers responded with five runs on six hits in the bottom of the second inning. Ryan Ward hit a two-run homer for a 3-1 lead. Back-to-back RBI doubles by David Dahl and Drew Avans followed by a RBI single by Busch pushed the Dodgers’ lead to 6-1 later in the inning. Round Rock scored twice in the sixth inning on a wild pitch and sacrifice fly to cut OKC’s lead to three runs. Dodgers starting pitcher Mike Montgomery (3-1) was credited with the win, allowing one run and three hits over 5.0 innings. Victor González, Gus Varland and Wander Suero each pitched a scoreless innings to close out the game for OKC with Suero earning his 12th save of the season.

Of Note:

-The Dodgers evened their series against the Express, 1-1, as they improved their overall record to 69-33 with the most wins in all of the Minors…The Dodgers are a PCL-best 19-10 to start the second half of the season and have won eight of their last 10 games and 13 of their last 18 games.

-Michael Busch hit his team-leading 19th home run of the season as well as his sixth homer in the last nine games and 12th homer since July 1. Busch extended his hitting streak to a season-best nine games, going 18-for-42 (.429) with nine extra-base hits, 13 RBI and 12 runs scored. He has also reached base in a season-high 27 consecutive games, which is the longest active streak in the PCL and third-longest on-base streak by an OKC player this season. During the stretch, Busch is 38-for-116 (.328) with 12 homers, 18 extra-base hits, 30 RBI and 24 runs scored.

-Ryan Ward hit his 14th homer of the season to extend his current hitting streak to seven games — a season high. During the stretch, Ward is 14-for-31 (.452) with five extra-base hits and eight RBI.

-Miguel Vargas finished with a hit and walk to extend his hitting streak to eight games (13x35) and has now reached base in all 17 games he has played with OKC since being optioned by the Los Angeles Dodgers in mid-July.

-The Dodgers have now homered in five straight games (14 HR), in eight of the last nine games (20 HR) and in 17 of the last 19 games (32 HR).

-The five runs scored by Oklahoma City in the second inning marked the 19th time this season the Dodgers scored five or more runs in an inning. The Dodgers last scored five runs in an inning July 28 in Reno, with a five-run sixth inning in a 14-12 road victory.

-The three runs allowed by the Dodgers marked the fewest runs by an opponent in five games and was just the second time in the last eight games the Dodgers held an opponent to fewer than four runs…OKC also did not allow a home run in the game, snapping a stretch of seven consecutive games with a home run allowed (12 HR).

What’s Next: The Dodgers and Express continue their series at 7:05 p.m. Thursday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The Par-Tea Hour offers 2-for-1 Twisted Teas at the Par-Tea Pad from when gates open at 6 p.m. to the first pitch. Additionally, the Twisted Tea Par-Tea Inning offers 2-for-1 Twisted Teas during the sixth inning. Single-game tickets for OKC Dodgers home games 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. Video broadcasts of all OKC Dodgers home games are now available to be streamed live for free on the Bally Live app.