Dodgers Return Home to Post 2-1 Win

OKC Dodgers – 2

El Paso Chihuahuas – 1

Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021 – Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark – Oklahoma City, Okla.

Game Summary: Cristian Santana broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning with a two-run homer and starting pitcher Aaron Wilkerson pitched seven innings of one-run ball in the Oklahoma City Dodgers’ 2-1 win against the El Paso Chihuahuas Wednesday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Luke Raley led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a bunt single before Santana followed with a two-run homer out to center field for a 2-0 Oklahoma City lead in the series opener between the teams. El Paso (49-77) brought it a run on a passed ball in the sixth inning to cut OKC’s lead to 2-1. Both teams’ starting pitchers tossed at least 7.0 innings with Wilkerson (8-5) allowing one unearned run and four hits with seven strikeouts over 7.0 innings, tying his season-high mark for innings pitched. El Paso’s Jesse Scholtens (3-10) pitched a complete game (8.0 IP), allowing two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts in the loss. Rehabbing Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Garrett Cleavinger pitched a scoreless eighth inning for OKC. Dodgers pitcher Kevin Quackenbush followed and issued the lone walk of the game in the ninth inning, but went on to earn his 22nd save of the season — tied for most in Triple-A West. The Dodgers improved to 65-60 overall this season and 4-2 during the Triple-A Final Stretch as both teams tallied four hits Wednesday.

Of Note:

-Wednesday’s game lasted 2 hours, 5 minutes for the Dodgers’ shortest nine-inning game of the season. The team’s previous shortest nine-inning game of the season was June 19 at Round Rock (2:16). Wednesday marked the Dodgers’ shortest nine-inning game overall since May 22, 2018 against Memphis in a contest that lasted 1 hour, 54 minutes.

-Cristian Santana connected on his eighth homer of the season and boosted his team-leading hit total to 102 hits this season. He has hit safely in 14 of his last 16 games with an at-bat, going 26-for-66 (.394) with three homers, five doubles, 18 RBI and 10 runs scored.

-Wednesday was the Dodgers’ sixth game of the Triple-A Final Stretch as they improved to 4-2. All 30 Triple-A teams are playing five road and five home games during the new postseason tournament format. A single 2021 Triple-A Final Stretch winner will then be crowned based on the highest overall winning percentage among all 30 teams during the final 10 games. The Dodgers went 3-2 on the road in Las Vegas before opening their final home series of 2021 Wednesday with a win.

-The Dodgers’ home run Wednesday was the eighth hit by the team during the Triple-A Final Stretch, so far resulting in $400 to be donated to Cleats For Kids in Oklahoma City. For each home run hit by Triple-A teams during the Final Stretch, Minor League Baseball will donate $50 per homer to a local 501(c)3 charity selected by the team. The team with the most home runs hit during the 10-game span will generate an extra $5,000 donation for its charity of choice. The OKC Dodgers chose to benefit Cleats for Kids (C4K), which provides new and used sports equipment free of charge to youth in need, gathering equipment through community drives and drop-off donation sites.

-OKC did not allow a home run Wednesday, marking the fourth time in the last five games they have kept their opponent inside the park. It is the first time they have not allowed a home run within four of five games since July 9-13 in El Paso.

What’s Next: The OKC Dodgers continue their final series of the 2021 season at 7:05 p.m. Thursday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Tickets 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. All OKC Dodgers games are also available streamed live on MiLB.TV with a subscription.