Skeeters Sting Dodgers in 12-11 Loss

Sugar Land Skeeters – 12

OKC Dodgers – 11

Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021 – Constellation Field – Sugar Land, Texas

Game Summary: The Oklahoma City Dodgers jumped out to an 11-0 lead in the third inning before the Sugar Land Skeeters scored 12 straight runs to send the Dodgers to a 12-11 loss Saturday night at Constellation Field. The Dodgers’ offense erupted in the third inning for 11 runs. Sheldon Neuse belted a grand slam out to left field. Tony Wolters hit his first homer with OKC (48-44) and Luke Raley hit a two-run single. Carlos Asuaje hit a RBI double to open the scoring and drew a bases-loaded walk later in the inning. Sugar Land quickly answered, scoring six runs in the bottom of the third inning, including five runs before an out was made to cut OKC’s lead to 11-6. With one out in the fourth inning, Wolters drew a walk and Omar Estévez singled before Skeeters pitchers retired the final 17 OKC batters of the game. Sugar Land (52-40) went on to score two runs in the fifth inning and three more runs in the sixth inning to tie the game, 11-11. Then in the eighth inning, Sugar Land’s Alex De Goti hit a RBI triple to the wall in center field with two outs, which allowed Marty Costes to score what would end up as the game-winning run.

Of Note:

-The 11 runs scored by the OKC Dodgers in the third inning Saturday were a season high for a single inning and the most runs scored by the team in an inning since May 14, 2019 when OKC scored 11 runs in the seventh inning of a 15-6 win at Round Rock. On Saturday in Sugar Land, 14 OKC batters came to the plate in the third inning as the Dodgers collected six hits and four walks in the frame. Eight different players scored runs, while Deacon Liput and Aldrich De Jongh each scored twice in the inning.

-Sheldon Neuse hit OKC’s fifth grand slam of the season and his first since April 8, 2017 with Low-A Hagerstown against Asheville in a 16-2 win in the second game of a doubleheader. He finished Saturday’s game with OKC 1-for-5 with four RBI, collecting his second game of the season with four or more RBI. He has now hit safely in 13 of his last 15 games with 11 extra-base hits and 15 RBI.

-Saturday’s loss marked the second time this season the Dodgers scored double-digit runs, but lost, following an 11-10 defeat in Albuquerque May 23. Saturday was just the eighth time in the team’s Bricktown era (since 1998) that the team scored 11 or more runs in a loss. Saturday’s 11-run lead was also the largest in an OKC loss during the Bricktown era. The nine-run lead OKC had in its eventual May 23 loss was the previous largest lead in a loss by the team since 1998…The Skeeters’ comeback Saturday was the largest in Sugar Land franchise history.

-With Saturday’s loss, the Dodgers have lost three straight games for the first time in more than six weeks — since a three-game skid July 5-8. For the first time since May 13-15 against Sacramento in OKC, the Dodgers have opened a series, 0-3, and for the first time since their season-opening series in Round Rock May 6-8 they have opened a road series 0-3. The Dodgers have now lost three consecutive road games for the first time since May 22-24 in Albuquerque

-Sugar Land scored 12 runs against the Dodgers for the second straight game, marking the most runs an opponent has scored against OKC in a two-game span since El Paso scored 26 runs over two games July 8-9 in El Paso…The six runs scored by the Skeeters in the third inning marked the second time this season Sugar Land scored at least six runs in an inning against OKC. The Skeeters scored seven runs in the second inning of a 10-8 win against the Dodgers July 25 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark — tied for the most runs allowed by OKC in an inning this season.

-The Dodgers homered twice in the third inning marking the third time this month they have homered twice in the same inning. The Dodgers have hit 62 homers in their last 38 games…On the other hand, Sugar Land homered three times Saturday and opponents have now homered in six straight games against the Dodgers, with the Skeeters compiled nine homers over the last three games.

-Luke Raley recorded OKC’s lone multi-hit game Saturday, going 2-for-5 with a double in the first inning and two-RBI single in the third inning and scoring a run. Raley has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, going 16-for-42 (.381) with three homers, five doubles, nine RBI and 11 runs scored. He leads the Dodgers with 53 RBI this season even though he’s only played in 55 of the team’s 92 games.

-Cristian Santana picked up a hit and scored a run Saturday as he has now hit safely in 20 consecutive starts, going 33-for-84 (.393). He’s also hit safely in 21 of his last 23 games and is currently on a seven-game hitting streak.

What’s Next: The OKC Dodgers continue their road series against the Sugar Land Skeeters at 6:05 p.m. Sunday at Constellation Field. 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.