Sky Sox Clinch Series With 3-1 Win

Strong pitching and some late offense helped the Colorado Springs Sky Sox clinch the four-game series with a 3-1 win over the Oklahoma City Dodgers in front of 4,438 at Security Service Field Tuesday night.

The Sky Sox (75-52) cracked the scoreboard first with a run in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. With two outs, Yadiel Rivera finished a nine-pitch at-bat by lining a RBI single up the middle to plate Nate Orf. The shortstop reached safely with hits in each of the four games against the Dodgers, going 7-for-19 with four runs scored and four runs driven in.
Rivera singled up the middle for his second hit of the night in the seventh inning and scored one batter later. In his first at-bat since entering as a defensive substitute in the top of the frame, Kirk Nieuwenhuis sent a towering double off the left field wall to give the Sox a 2-1 lead on his fifth RBI in the past two games.
The hosts added some insurance in the eighth inning to extend their lead to 3-1. Chris Colabello flared an 0-2 single to left field, easily scoring Mauricio Dubón to give the first baseman 19 RBI since joining Colorado Springs on July 18.
Despite the no-decision, RHP Taylor Jungmann tossed his fourth straight quality start in his third appearance against the Dodgers. The righty allowed a single run on four hits in six innings, striking out eight batters to tie his season-high set June 4 in the Oklahoma capital city. Jungmann has recorded a 0.60 ERA in three appearances against the Dodgers, allowing one earned run on eight hits while striking out 20.
The bullpen quartet of Wei-Chung Wang, Wily Peralta (1-0, 3.75 ERA), Tyler Webb and Rob Scahill (9, 1.25 ERA) shut down the Dodger lineup, allowing three hits over three strong relief innings. With the win, the Sky Sox magic number for clinching a playoff berth is four games. The win also gives the Sox a 34-14 record against PCL American Northern division opponents, the best divisional record in Sox history since the league moved to a 16-team format in 1998.
The Sox enjoy an off day Wednesday before embarking on their final road trip of the 2017 season, starting with four games at the Shrine on Airline against the New Orleans Baby Cakes. After their four-game set in Louisiana, the Sox head west for four games at the Dell Diamond against the Round Rock Express to close out the road schedule.