August 19 Game Notes at Oklahoma City

Iowa Cubs (46-77) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (64-58)
Sunday, Aug. 19 • 3:35 p.m. • Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark • Oklahoma City
RHP Jen-Ho Tseng (2-12, 6.52) vs. RHP Justin DeFratus (2-4, 6.17)
LHP Kyle Ryan (1-2, 2.65) vs. RHP Daniel Corcino (2-3, 3.38)

TONIGHT'S GAMES: Iowa and Oklahoma City play for the final time at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark with a doubleheader tonight. Iowa is 4-4 in standard doubleheaders this season and 5-7 when adding two split twin bills played at Principal Park. The I-Cubs and the Dodgers have one more doubleheader scheduled for this season on Aug. 29 at Principal Park. 
FLYING FREE: Mike Freeman was activated off the disabled list Friday after undergoing knee surgery and missing nearly two months of the season. The utility infielder has come back with fire, going 4-for-9 with two doubles, three runs and two RBI through two games. Freeman has a six-game hitting streak dating back to before his injury and still ranks third on the club with 45 runs scored, despite the time missed. 
FREE BASEBALL: Iowa and Oklahoma City went into extra innings last night for the second consecutive night, marking Iowa's 12th extra-inning contest of the season. Four of the I-Cubs extra-inning games have come against Oklahoma City. This is the second time this season Iowa and Oklahoma City have gone into extras in back-to-back games. The first came with the nightcap of an Opening Day doubleheader on April 5 and on April 6. Iowa is 6-6 in extras and has the third-most extra-inning games played in the PCL behind New Orleans (16), Oklahoma City (15), and Nashville (13). 
BRUNO'S BRUTE: Stephen Bruno went 2-for-4 with two runs last night and is 5-for-8 with two doubles, four runs and two RBI through his last two starts. Bruno's bat has heated up in the dog days of summer as the utility infielder has raised his batting average from .191 on July 17 to .239 going into tonight's games. He is batting a season-best .310 (18-for-58) in August and has nearly doubled his power and his patience at the plate in the month. From April-July, Bruno had nine extra-base hits and nine walks through 198 plate appearances. In August, Bruno has tabbed six extra-base hits and seven walks through 69 plate appearances. 
AGAINST OKLAHOMA CITY: Iowa snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Dodgers with the extra-inning victory last night. The I-Cubs need a win tonight to avoid a new franchise record for worst record at Oklahoma City in a season. Iowa has gone 1-7 in Oklahoma City twice -- the last time in 2012. Iowa's worst season record against the Dodgers was also in 2015 when the team went 4-12. 
PUT A BAND-AID ON IT: Stephen Bruno was plunked by a pitch for the 11th time last night. Bruno is tied for seventh in the PCL in that category with Albuquerque's Jordan Patterson pacing the pack with 20. Bruno has 78 career HBP in 504 minor league games.   
FIRST FEAST: Oklahoma City struck in the first inning last night on a two-run Andrew Toles homer. The first inning has been a sore spot for the I-Cubs as they have allowed 85 runs in the opening frame, while scoring just 61 themselves. 
JUST SNUCK BY: Close games continue to be a trend for the I-Cubs in 2018 as they took another one-run victory last night. Iowa is 16-19 in one-run games with its .457 winning percentage tied for 11th in the PCL. 85 of Iowa's games this season have been decided by three or fewer runs. 
HOLDING COURT:Ryan Court snapped his 10-game hitting streak and a 23-game road on-base streak, going 0-for-1 with a strikeout in a pinch-hitting appearance last night. 
SIT DOWN:Alec Mills, Craig Brooks, Dakota Mekkes and James Norwood combined to fan 13 batters last night. Iowa arms are averaging 9.34 strikeouts per nine innings in August and 3.71 walks per nine. 
THE WINNER'S CIRCLE: James Norwood earned his first Triple-A win last night. He is 2-2 overall this season between Iowa and Tennessee and 12-14 through his minor league career.