Oklahoma City Opens Critical Series with Win Over Round Rock

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express (67-57) fell in the series opener at Dell Diamond by a final score of 17-8 against the Oklahoma City Dodgers (72-52). The loss puts Round Rock 5.0 games back of first-place Oklahoma City in the Pacific Coast League East Division.

Express starter RHP Cole Winn (8-5, 6.20) was tagged with the loss after his 0.2-inning performance saw six runs on three hits, three walks and one strikeout. Dodgers reliever RHP Aaron Ochsenbein (1-1, 13.50) got the win after one scoreless inning out of the bullpen that included one hit and one strikeout.

Along the Train Tracks:

• The Express fell behind 6-0 in the first inning. CF Drew Avans singled to start the game and, after two straight walks to LF Miguel Vargas and 3B Edwin Ríos loaded the bases, 2B Michael Busch singled to score two runs. RF James Outman walked before DH Jason Martin dealt the biggest blow of the inning with a 366-foot grand slam to left field.
• The Dodgers added four more runs in the second inning. After Vargas walked, Ríos doubled to put runners in scoring position. Busch singled to score PR Devin Mann and extend the lead to 7-0. Outman came up next and cranked a three-run home run to center field to increase the lead to 10-0.
• Oklahoma City tacked on another run in the third frame. SS Jake Amaya doubled to open the inning before Mann singled and the Dodgers posted an 11-0 advantage.
• Round Rock chipped into the lead in the third inning. SS Davis Wendzel hit a solo home run to left field to start the scoring. The inning kept going when 2B Ryan Dorow and CF Josh Smith walked. LF Nick Solak crushed a three-run home run to grow the lead and the Express trailed 11-4.
• Oklahoma City put a 12th run on the board in the sixth inning. Outman tripled to center field with two outs and came home on a single from Martin to increase the Dodgers lead.
• The E-Train got back on the horse and plated three in the sixth inning. Wendzel singled and RF Josh Sale walked before Smith launched a 396-foot home run to right field and trimmed the Dodgers lead to 12-7.
• Oklahoma City plated two more runs in the seventh inning to take a 14-7 advantage. C Hunter Feduccia walked and Avans traded places with him on a fielder’s choice. Avans stole second base and scored on a single from Mann. Ríos increased the lead on a double to left field that scored Mann.
• Round Rock scratched across one last run in the eighth inning. Smith singled and Jung brought him home on a double, but it wasn’t enough as the Express trailed 14-8 heading into the ninth.
• The Dodgers added three runs for good measure in the top of the ninth frame. With Express INF Nick Tanielu on the mound, Amaya reached first on a Round Rock error. With one out, Avans and Mann hit back-to-back singles that loaded the bases. The first run scored on a Ríos sacrifice fly before the next two scored as Outman completed his second cycle in four games with a single, securing the 17-8 victory.

E-Train Excerpts:

• Round Rock CF Josh Smith, 3B Josh Jung and SS Davis Wendzel each had two hits on the night. Smith extended his hitting streak to six games and had three RBI, three runs scored and two walks on Tuesday. LF Nick Solak also recorded a multi-RBI night with three to go with his Dell Dinger.
• In Round Rock’s last 19 innings against Oklahoma City, the Express have allowed 44 runs to the Dodgers.
• Oklahoma City RF James Outman became the first player to ever hit for the cycle against Round Rock. He finished 4-for-4 with two walks, five RBI and three runs scored. The outfielder hit for the cycle on August 26 against El Paso, marking the first cycle for the Dodgers in 11 years.
• Express RHP Grant Anderson made his Triple-A debut on Tuesday night with 2.0 innings out of the bullpen. The righty allowed five runs, five hits and one walk while recording one punchout.
• INF Nick Tanielu took the mound for the third time this season during Tuesday night’s contest. The infielder allowed three unearned runs, three hits and one walk during his ninth-inning appearance. Tanielu tossed 1.2 innings on April 7 against El Paso and 0.2 frames on August 14 in Oklahoma City.

Next up: Round Rock returns to Dell Diamond on Wednesday night for game two of the series at 6:35 p.m. Dodgers RHP Gavin Stone (0-0, 0.00) gets the start as an Express pitcher to be announced will take the hill.

Single game tickets are available for purchase or bring your group to Dell Diamond. For more information on the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Subscribe to the E-Train email newsletter and keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!