Dodgers Down Express 13-4 in Game Two on Wednesday Night

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express (20-12) were held to under 10 hits for the first time since April 29 as the Oklahoma City Dodgers (19-13) earned a 13-4 victory at Dell Diamond on Wednesday night.

Oklahoma City reliever LHP Daniel Zamora (3-0, 4.60) collected the win after two innings of scoreless baseball. Zamora issued two walks and struck out four. Round Rock LHP Jake Latz (3-4, 5.28) was tagged with the loss after allowing six runs, five earned, on four hits and three walks while striking out four.

Along the Train Tracks:

• Oklahoma City scored a run in the first inning without collecting a hit when 3B Miguel Vargas worked a walk and stole second base before the throw to second leaked into center field allowing Vargas to sprint to third. A Jake Lamb groundout pushed Vargas across home to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.
• The Dodgers extended the lead to 3-0 in the second inning thanks to a two-run home run from 2B Andy Burns that scored SS Zack McKinstry, who had led the inning off with a walk.
• Round Rock responded in the home-half of the second. A leadoff walk for C Meibrys Viloria, followed by a double from DH Matt Carpenter, put runners on second and third base. 1B Sherten Apostel grounded out to score Viloria from third before a single from RF Elier Hernandez sent Carpenter home, trimming the Oklahoma City lead to 3-2.
• In the third, Dodgers 1B Jake Lamb cranked a two-run shot to left field to give Oklahoma City a 5-2 lead. Burns then snagged a sacrifice fly to score LF Stefen Romero, who had reached base on a single.
• The bottom of the frame saw a Dell Dinger from Round Rock LF Steele Walker, whose solo home run made it a 6-3 contest.
• The Dodgers did more damage in the sixth inning when a one-out walk for Burns and a single from C Tomás Telis put runners on first and second. DH Omar Estévez slammed a double into left field to score both runners. CF Kevin Pillar kept the action going with a two-run home run, giving Oklahoma City a commanding 10-3 lead.
• Oklahoma City’s final three runs crossed home plate in the eighth frame when Burns knocked a leadoff single before RF Jason Martin tripled to score his teammate. A sacrifice fly from Telis sent Martin in before Estévez scored on a single from Vargas after recording a double.
• Round Rock managed to put one more on the board in the bottom of the eighth. Hernandez grounded into a force out that caught Apostel, who had worked a walk, then came home as 2B Nash Knight doubled down the left field line. The Express couldn’t add more to their total as the 13-4 difference held to be final.

E-Train Excerpts:

• Round Rock SS Josh Smith drew four walks, which is the most walks by an Express player in a single contest this season. OF Zach Reks had the previous high with three walks on April 8 against El Paso. Smith is tied for the team lead with teammate 3B Davis Wendzel as both have totaled 14 walks.
• Express C Meibrys Viloria extended his hitting streak to 13 games on Wednesday after going 1-for-3 with a run scored and a walk. Viloria has the second-longest active hitting streak in Minor League Baseball behind teammate OF Leody Taveras, whose active streak sits at 17.
• LF Steele Walker has recorded a hit in all six games that he has played in since being activated off the injured list on May 3. On Wednesday, the outfielder hit his third home run in an Express uniform, a 393-foot home run to left field.
• Out of the bullpen, Round Rock RHP Jason Bahr threw a first-pitch strike to 12 of the 13 batters that he faced over his three innings on the mound.
• The Express worked 10 walks for the second game in a row and third time this season on Wednesday. Along with Smith’s four free bases, Wendzel tallied two while four Round Rock batters each earned one.

Next up: The Express and Dodgers return to Dell Diamond on Thursday night for game three of the six-game set. Round Rock RHP A.J. Alexy (0-0, 5.04) is scheduled to start up against Oklahoma City RHP Yefry Ramirez (1-0, 4.15**)**. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. CT.

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