OKC Closes Out 2024 Season with 3-1 Win in Salt Lake

Oklahoma City Baseball Club — 3

Salt Lake Bees — 1

Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024 – Smith's Ballpark – Salt Lake City, Utah

Game Summary: Drew Avans recorded a game-high three hits, including a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning, as the Oklahoma City Baseball Club defeated the Salt Lake Bees, 3-1, Sunday afternoon in the season finale at Smith’s Ballpark. Oklahoma City (39-36/79-71) took an early lead on a sacrifice fly by Kody Hoese that allowed Avans to score the first run of the day in the first inning. The Bees (35-40/67-82) tied the score, 1-1, in the third inning on a RBI single by Cole Tucker. Avans later grounded a RBI single into center field to put OKC in front, 2-1, in the seventh inning. Alex Freeland boosted OKC’s lead in the eighth inning when he lined a RBI double into right field for a 3-1 advantage. The Bees put the potential game-tying runs on base in the bottom of the ninth with one out before OKC’s James Outman made a diving catch in right-center field on a line drive by Salt Lake’s Chad Stevens for the second out and OKC pitcher Jack Dreyer induced a game-ending groundout from Landon Wallace to secure the win.

Of Note:

-Oklahoma City finished the 2024 season with back-to-back wins and won its final road series against the Bees, 4-2. OKC also won six of its last eight games as well as eight of its last 12 games overall to close out the season…OKC finished the 2024 season with a 79-71 overall record for the team’s 20th winning record in the team’s 26 seasons during the Bricktown era, including 11 of the last 12 seasons, eight of nine seasons as a Dodgers affiliate and for a fourth consecutive season…OKC recorded its 40th road win of the season Sunday to finish 40-35 on the road and with a winning road record for a fourth straight year…Oklahoma City improved to 13-13 in season finales during the Bricktown era (since 1998), including 5-7 on the road, with Sunday’s victory.

-Drew Avans went 3-for-4 with a double, RBI, walk and run scored, finishing with a game-high three hits. He ended the season on a 10-game hitting streak — his longest of the season — going 23-for-46 (.500) with six extra-base hits, 10 RBI and 11 runs scored. The hitting streak is the third-longest by an OKC player this season…Avans became OKC’s all-time Bricktown-era career hits leader last week as he surpassed Kelly Dransfeldt (1999-2002) and now has 462 hits in his four seasons with OKC (since 2021). In addition to hits, Avans has established new Bricktown-era career records for runs scored (345), walks (261) and triples (26). He ranks second all-time in the Bricktown era with 471 career games and 117 stolen bases, while ranking third in doubles (86)…Avans finished 2024 with a league-leading 105 runs scored, setting a new OKC single-season Bricktown-era record for runs, passing Esteban Germán’s 103 runs scored in 2005…Avans also finished the season with a career-best 147 hits, finishing with multi-hit outings in eight of his last nine games as well as finishing the season with a team-best 44 multi-hit games.

-Alex Freeland knocked a RBI double to close out the season on an eight-game hitting streak. He went 14-for-33 during the final stretch with seven extra-base hits, 11 RBI and 12 runs scored. He has now collected at least one RBI in six straight games (11 RBI) — tied for the longest RBI streak by an OKC player this season.

-James Outman picked up a hit, walk and scored a run to extend his hitting streak to seven games. He hit .517 (15-for-29) during the stretch, with eight extra-base hits, 12 RBI and nine runs scored.

-Five OKC pitchers combined to hold the Bees to one run — the fewest runs allowed by the team since a 1-0 win Sept. 6 against Sugar Land in OKC and the fewest runs allowed by the team on the road since a 9-1 win Sept. 1 in Round Rock…Bobby Miller made his sixth start of the season with Oklahoma City, recording six strikeouts over 5.0 innings with one run, three hits and one walk. He threw 71 pitches (44 strikes) in his first game since being optioned by the Los Angeles Dodgers Sept. 18. Sunday was his fifth game of the season with six or more strikeouts and first since Sept. 4 with the Dodgers at the Los Angeles Angels when had eight strikeouts…Michael Grove (2-0) followed with a scoreless sixth inning for his second win with OKC this season…Jose Hernandez and John Rooney recorded holds before Jack Dreyer recorded his fourth save.

-Alan Trejo recorded a hit and has hit safely in six straight games (8x26), as well as in 12 of his last 13 games, going 15-for-52 (.288).

-After hitting 21 home runs over the previous 10 games, OKC was held without a home run Sunday for the first time since Tuesday’s series opener and for just the second time in the last 11 games…OKC also did not allow a home run Sunday for a season-best eighth consecutive game. OKC’s 126 home runs allowed this season were fewest among all 30 Triple-A teams.

-Oklahoma City won the overall season series against the Bees, 8-4, as OKC recorded its eighth season series win in nine years against the Bees (since 2015)…Sunday was the final game played at Smith’s Ballpark as the Bees will move to the new Daybreak Field in 2025.

Next Up: Oklahoma City will open the 2025 Pacific Coast League season March 28 at Sugar Land and will host its 2025 home opener April 1 against El Paso at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. For additional information, please visit okcbaseball.com or call (405) 218-2182.