Dodgers Slug Past Salt Lake, 12-8
OKC Dodgers – 12 Salt Lake Bees – 8 Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021 – Smith’s Ballpark – Salt Lake City, Utah Game Summary: A game that was relatively tame through six innings turned into a high-scoring and high-drama affair, with the Oklahoma City Dodgers defeating the Salt Lake Bees, 12-8,
OKC Dodgers – 12
Salt Lake Bees – 8
Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021 – Smith’s Ballpark – Salt Lake City, Utah
*Game Summary: *A game that was relatively tame through six innings turned into a high-scoring and high-drama affair, with the Oklahoma City Dodgers defeating the Salt Lake Bees, 12-8, Thursday night at Smith’s Ballpark. Sheldon Neuse started the scoring with a home run in the top of the first inning. Salt Lake scored in both the second and third innings, taking a 2-1 lead. The Dodgers responded with a three-run top of the fourth inning, featuring back-to-back RBI triples Zach Reks and Zach McKinstry. The game still stood at 4-2 before both teams kicked their offenses into overdrive. The Dodgers scored four runs in the seventh inning, with a RBI double by Neuse, two-run double by Matt Davidson and RBI single by Zach McKinstry, extending the lead to 8-2. The Bees tied the game in the bottom of the inning, scoring six runs before an out was recorded, including a game-tying, three-run homer by Preston Palmeiro. Neuse connected on his second homer of the night with a go-ahead, three-run blast in the eighth inning. The Dodgers then benefited from two Salt Lake errors in the ninth inning to score their final run.
Of Note:
-Sheldon Neuse finished 3-for-5 with three extra-base hits and five RBI. It was his second multi-homer game of the season, previously done Aug. 2 at Round Rock. The RBI also total tied his season and career high, most recently achieved in the same game Aug. 2. In his two games since returning from the Injured List, Neuse is 5-for-9 with four extra-base hits and seven RBI. He has now hit safely in his last six games with OKC, going 11-for-28 (.393) with three homers, two doubles and 11 RBI.
-Matt Davidson notched a team-high four hits, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored. It’s his second four-hit game of the season and first since May 30 at El Paso. In his 10 games since returning from the Injured List, Davidson is 13-for-38 (.324) has totaled 18 RBI to go along with eight extra-base hits.
-The Dodgers scored 12 runs for the second time in three games and have plated 32 runs over the last three games. They’ve scored at least eight runs in each of those three games and have also reached at least eight runs in four of the last five games. The Dodgers also collected seven extra-base hits for the third time in that same five-game span.
-The Dodgers scored three runs in the fourth inning Thursday and have now scored 14 runs in the fourth inning in the last three games and 20 runs in the fourth inning in the last six games. They’ve scored two or more runs in the fourth inning in five of the six contests.
-OKC tallied another inning with at least four runs, scoring four times in the seventh inning Thursday. The Dodgers have scored at least four runs in an inning in five of the last six games for a total of six separate frames of four-plus runs, including four in their last three games.
-The Dodgers entered Thursday’s game with a total of 13 triples in 107 games this season before Zach Reks and Zach McKinstry hit consecutive triples in the fourth inning. Reks and McKinstry each finished with two hits.
-The Dodgers have now won five of their last six games. Thursday’s win snapped a three-game skid in series openers and a streak of four straight losses in road series openers.
What’s Next: The Dodgers continue their series against Salt Lake at 7:35 p.m. CT Friday at Smith’s 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.