Dodgers Close Road Series with 8-1 Loss

Sugar Land Skeeters - 8

OKC Dodgers – 1

Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021 – Constellation Field – Sugar Land, Texas

Game Summary: The Sugar Land Skeeters scored six runs in the fifth inning to take the lead for good Tuesday night and send the Oklahoma City Dodgers to an 8-1 loss in the series finale and final meeting of the season between the Triple-A West East Division foes. The Dodgers (49-46) took the first lead of the game when Zach McKinstry, the second batter of the game, hit a fly ball to left field for his second homer of the season with OKC. Skeeters pitchers then retired the next 10 OKC batters and 15 of the next 16 OKC batters. Sugar Land (54-41) went on to tie the game in the fourth inning on a RBI groundout by Jose Siri. Sugar Land then scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 7-1 lead, including a homer by Alex De Goti to lead off the inning and a two-run single by Siri. The Skeeters later added a solo homer in the eighth inning by Colton Shaver.

Of Note:

-The Skeeters scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, marking the third time they scored six or more runs in an inning against OKC this season and the second time in four games. Sugar Land scored six runs in the third inning Saturday night in a 12-11 comeback win at Constellation Field and scored seven runs in the second inning of a 10-8 win against the Dodgers in OKC July 25 — tying the season high for runs in an inning by an OKC opponent.

-The Dodgers were held to one run Tuesday night for the first time they were held to one run or less since July 29 in a 3-1 loss at Round Rock. It was also their lowest run total in a game against Sugar Land this season and after OKC had scored five or more runs in each of the first five games of the current series…The Dodgers were held to three hits Tuesday night for their lowest hit total since that July 29 loss in Round Rock when they totaled two hits.

-The Dodgers finished the series in Sugar Land with a 1-5 record, dropping a road series for the first time since May 20-25 in Albuquerque. The Dodgers entered the Sugar Land series 5-0-1 in their previous six road series. OKC has now lost five of its last six games and trail division-leading Sugar land by 5.0 games in the East Division standings…Tuesday marked the final meeting of the season between the teams who split their overall season series, 12-12, with OKC going 9-3 in the first 12 meetings and Sugar Land going 9-3 in the final 12 meetings.

-Cristian Santana extended his current hitting streak to 10 games, connecting on a ground ball into left field for a single with two outs in the ninth inning. He is 14-for-41 (.341) during the streak and has hit safely in 23 consecutive starts, going 36-for-96 (.375) with 16 RBI and 11 multi-hit games. He’s also hit safely in 24 of his last 26 games.

-With his homer Tuesday, Zach McKinstry is 7-for-16 with three RBI, four walks and four runs scored in his six games with OKC since his most recent option from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

-Zach Reks picked up a hit Tuesday to extend his team-leading total to 70 hits this season. Over his last five games, he has five hits, seven RBI, three walks and four runs scored. Overall this season, Reks also leads OKC with 59 runs, 33 walks and ranks second with 53 RBI.

-At 2 hours, 33 minutes, Tuesday’s game was the shortest nine-inning game of the season between the Dodgers and Skeeters and tied for OKC’s third-shortest nine-inning game of the season. Sixteen of the 24 total games between the Dodgers and Skeeters this season lasted 3 hours, 20 minutes or longer, including 10 games lasting longer than 3:30 and four extending beyond four hours.

What’s Next: Following a league-wide day off Wednesday, the OKC Dodgers return home to open a 12-game homestand as well as a six-game series against the Las Vegas Aviators at 7:05 p.m. Thursday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. 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.