Dodgers Drop Series Opener to Express, 8-5

Round Rock Express – 8

Oklahoma City Dodgers – 5

Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022 – Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark – Oklahoma City, Okla.

Game Summary: The Round Rock Express scored six runs in the seventh inning in an 8-5 win against the Oklahoma City Dodgers Tuesday night to open a six-game series between the teams at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The Express (56-50) took the first lead of the game on a solo home run by Nick Solak in the third inning. The Dodgers (62-44) responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-1 lead with a RBI single by Michael Busch, RBI groundout by Jason Martin and RBI single by Tomás Telis. The Dodgers remained in the lead until a six-run seventh inning put the Express back in front, 7-3, including a go-ahead three-run home run by Josh Jung. A RBI single by Ryan Noda in the bottom of the inning trimmed the lead to three runs before the teams exchanged sacrifice flies in the eighth and ninth innings to close out the scoring.

Of Note:

-Dustin May pitched the fourth game of a Major League Rehab Assignment, starting and throwing 5.0 innings and allowing one run and three hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. He faced 20 batters, throwing 68 pitches (45 strikes). While with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, May suffered a torn right ulnar collateral ligament May 1, 2021 and underwent Tommy John surgery.

-Edwin Ríos continued his Major League Rehab Assignment, going 3-for-5 with a run scored. Ríos has now hit safely in seven straight games, going 10-for-29 over the seven-game stretch, and owns the longest active hitting streak by an OKC player. He was initially placed on the Los Angeles Dodgers Injured List June 3 with a right hamstring injury and was transferred to the 60-day IL June 22.

-Drew Avans extended his on-base streak to 45 games with a walk in his first plate appearance. Avans owns the longest active on-base streak in the Minors and the longest on-base streak by an OKC player during the team’s affiliation with the Los Angeles Dodgers (since 2015). Avans has now reached base in 59 of his last 60 games and his 45-game on-base streak is the longest in the PCL since 2018 and the longest by an OKC player since Joe Sclafani reached base in 45 straight games July 4-Sept. 1, 2014.

-Ryan Noda reached base in all five of his plate appearances, going 3-for-3 with a double, two walks and a RBI. Over his last five games, Noda is batting 9-for-18 with two doubles, two homers and eight RBI.

-Michael Busch recorded three hits, a RBI and scored two runs. He has hit safely in 10 of his last 12 games and in 13 of his last 16 games, batting .344 (22x64).

-The six runs scored by the Express in the seventh inning marked the second straight game an opponent scored six runs in an inning and the eighth time this season against the Dodgers.

-The Dodgers outhit the Express, 13-6, in the loss and fell to 46-7 when outhitting an opponent this season.

-The Dodgers have now lost three straight games for the first time since losing a season-high five games to open July. The Dodgers are 1-4 in the last five games following a stretch of nine wins in 11 games immediately following the All-Star Break.

-Tuesday’s game started after a delay of 57 minutes due to inclement weather in the Oklahoma City metro area.

What’s Next: The series between the Dodgers and Express continues at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. 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.