Bibens-Dirkx Guides OKC to 2-0 Win on 89ers Night

OKC Dodgers — 2

Round Rock Express — 0

Friday, Aug. 13, 2021 – Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark – Oklahoma City, Okla.

Game Summary: Pitcher Austin Bibens-Dirkx pitched seven scoreless innings and the Oklahoma City Dodgers scored runs in the seventh and eighth innings on the way to a 2-0 win against the Round Rock Express Friday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The teams played to a 0-0 tie through 6.5 innings before OKC scored the first run of the night in the bottom of the seventh inning. Luke Raley led off with a single and advanced to second base on a one-out single by Drew Avans. He came around to score when Cristian Santana lined a single into left field for a 1-0 OKC lead. The Dodgers added another run in the eighth inning. Steven Souza Jr. led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a walk, advanced to second base on a groundout by Carlos Asuaje and stole third base. Raley’s two-out RBI single on a line drive into left field scored Souza for a 2-0 OKC lead. Bibens-Dirkx (9-1) went on to record his Triple-A West-leading ninth win of the season.

Of Note:

-The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead in their Red Dirt Rumble series against the Express with Friday’s win. They also improved to a season-best six games above .500 (46-40) and have put together back-to-back home wins in the same series for the first time since winning the first two games against El Paso June 10-11.

-OKC pitcher Austin Bibens-Dirkx entered the game at the start of the third inning and retired the first 16 Express batters he faced, not allowing a hit until the eighth inning. He piggybacked starter Nick Tropeano who allowed four hits over 2.0 scoreless innings in his first start of the season with OKC. Bibens-Dirkx (9-1) pushed his Triple-A West-leading win total to nine wins, allowing four hits and no runs over a season-high 7.0 innings Friday. He did not issue a walk and recorded a season-high eight strikeouts…Bibens-Dirkx last recorded nine wins in a season in 2013 when he finished a combined 12-9, including nine wins with High-A Dunedin and three wins with Double-A New Hampshire. He last recorded eight K’s in a game May 2, 2018 as a pitcher for Round Rock in New Orleans.

-Cristian Santana played as OKC’s designated hitter, going 2-for-3 with a RBI. He has hit safely in his last 14 starts and in 15 of his last 17 games overall, going 25-for-61 (.410) with 12 RBI and nine multi-hit games.

-Luke Raley finished Friday’s game 2-for-4 with a RBI and scored a run. He has now hit safely in his last five games, going 10-for-22 with two homers, five RBI, a walk and seven runs scored.

-Nick Tropeano and Austin Bibens-Dirkx did not issue a walk Friday night, marking the third time this season OKC has not issued a walk and first time since July 4 against Salt Lake at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. They also combined for 11 strikeouts in the game, as Dodgers pitchers recorded at least 10 K’s for the fifth time in the last 10 games and at least nine K’s for the eighth time in the last 10 games…The Dodgers have allowed just one run over their first two games of the series against the Express.

-Gavin Lux played the fifth game of his Major League Rehab Assignment Friday and went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. Since joining the team Sunday, he is 4-for-14 with two walks, a RBI and six runs scored. He also made his third consecutive start at third base and played seven innings in the field. Lux has been on the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Injured List since July 19 with a left hamstring strain.

-The Express outhit the Dodgers, 8-6, as OKC picked up its sixth win of the season when outhit by its opponent (6-31). All six of the Dodgers’ hits Friday night were singles, marking just the third time this season OKC was held without an extra-base hit and the first time since July 2 against Salt Lake in OKC.

-Dodgers players and coaches wore special retro OKC 89ers jerseys as part of the second Oklahoma City 89ers Night of the season. The 89ers played at All Sports Stadium from 1962–97, winning two Pacific Coast League titles in 1963 and 1965, and two American Association titles in 1992 and 1996, before the franchise relocated to Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in 1998. One additional 89ers Night is upcoming during the 2021 season on Saturday, Sept. 4.

What’s Next: The OKC Dodgers and Round Rock Express continue their series at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Gates open at 6 p.m. and the first 1,000 fans receive an OKC Dodgers hat. Tickets are available by visiting 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.