Bees' Big Inning Stings Dodgers

Salt Lake Bees – 7

Oklahoma City Dodgers – 5

Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023 – Smith’s Ballpark – Salt Lake City, Utah

Game Summary: A five-run inning by the Salt Lake Bees proved to be the difference Sunday afternoon as they sent the Oklahoma City Dodgers to a 7-5 loss at Smith’s Ballpark. The Dodgers led the game, 3-1, through six and a half innings before the Bees (19-26/56-63) scored five runs in the seventh inning to take a 6-3 lead. The Dodgers (25-20/75-43) had taken the game’s first lead on a RBI single by Michael Busch in the first inning. The Bees then scored a run on a wild pitch to tie the score, 1-1, in their first at-bat. Later in the sixth inning, the Dodgers took a 3-1 lead when David Freitas connected on a two-run double. The Bees scored all five of their runs in the seventh inning with two outs to build a 6-3 advantage. They added another run on a solo homer in the eighth inning for a 7-3 lead. The Dodgers scored two runs in the ninth inning, but were unable to complete a comeback after Bryson Brigman brought in a run on a groundout and Miguel Vargas hit a RBI single to trim the Bee’s lead to 7-5.

Of Note:

-The Dodgers closed out their 12-game road trip with a loss in their series finale in Salt Lake after wins in the previous two games. The Dodgers finished the road trip with a 3-9 record and have lost back-to-back series for the first time this season. Despite being 41-22 on the road overall in 2023, the Dodgers have now lost 10 of their last 14 road games.

-David Freitas connected on a two-run double to give the Dodgers the lead in the sixth inning and extend his hitting streak to a career-best 22 games. The streak is the longest hitting streak by an OKC player this season, surpassing Jahmai Jones’ 21-game hitting streak. It’s also the longest active hitting streak in the PCL, the third-longest in the league this season and the third-longest in OKC’s Bricktown era (since 1998)…During the streak, which started June 9, Freitas is 27-for-89 (.303) with 19 RBI and has now collected at least one RBI in five straight games (9 RBI)…Freitas’ previous career-long hitting streak was 21 games during his first professional season in 2010 with the short-season Vermont Lake Monsters.

-Miguel Vargas led the Dodgers with three hits as he reached base in all four plate appearances, going 3-for-4 with a walk, RBI and run scored. Vargas hit safely in five of six games in Salt Lake, batting .478 (11-for-23) with three doubles and four walks during the series.

-After holding the Bees to one run in back-to-back games and to a total of two runs on 10 hits the last two nights, the Dodgers allowed seven runs on 10 hits Sunday. Five of those runs came in the seventh inning, marking the second time in the series that the Dodgers allowed at least five runs in an inning. OKC also allowed five runs in the sixth inning of a 9-5 loss to the Bees Thursday after leading that game, 5-3.

-Michael Busch connected on a RBI single in the first inning as he went 5-for-8 in OKC’s final three games in Salt Lake and has now reached base in seven of his last 10 plate appearances. Busch has hit safely in 21 of his last 25 games, batting .379 (39x103) with 11 homers, 27 RBI, 14 walks and 25 runs scored. He exited Sunday’s game in the fifth inning and was replaced by Drew Avans.

-Sunday was the final meeting of the season between the teams and the Bees won the season series, 7-4, marking their first win in a season series against OKC since 2013. The Bees won seven of the final 10 meetings between the teams this season.

What’s Next: Following a day off Monday, the OKC Dodgers return home to open a 12-game homestand with a six-game series against the Albuquerque Isotopes beginning at 7:05 p.m. on a $2 Tuesday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The Dodgers will take the field as Cielo Azul de Oklahoma City during ¡Celebración Cielo Azul! and Tuesday night’s game features $2 select beer, soda and bottled water from a line of Budweiser and Pepsi products, while COOP Ale Works draft beer will be available at a special rate of $3.

Single-game tickets for OKC Dodgers games through the remainder of the 2023 season, including playoffs, 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.