Dodgers Close Series with 5-4 Walk-Off Win Sunday

Oklahoma City Dodgers – 5

Sugar Land Space Cowboys – 4

Sunday, May 21, 2023 – Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark – Oklahoma City, Okla.

Game Summary: The Oklahoma City Dodgers closed out Sunday afternoon’s game with three unanswered runs, including scoring the winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning, in a 5-4 walk-off win against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The Dodgers (33-12) trailed, 4-2, heading into the bottom of the eighth inning before Devin Mann sent a two-run homer out to left field to tie the score, 4-4. After a scoreless top of the ninth inning, the Dodgers drew three consecutive walks to load the bases with no outs in the bottom of the frame. After the next two batters were retired and with Patrick Mazeika at the plate, a wild pitch by Sugar Land pitcher Austin Davis allowed Ryan Ward to score the game-winning run from third base. Sugar Land (18-26) took the first lead of the day on a solo home run by Luke Berryhill in the second inning. The Dodgers grabbed the lead in the bottom of the inning when Mazeika lined a two-run double into center field for a 2-1 advantage. A solo home run by Marty Costes in the third inning tied the score, 2-2, before Pedro León’s RBI double in the sixth inning and Rylan Bannon’s solo homer in the eighth inning gave the Space Cowboys a 4-2 lead.

Of Note:

-The Dodgers secured their sixth walk-off win of the season through 21 home games, as well as their second walk-off win of the series against Sugar Land (also May 16)…It was OKC’s 10th last at-bat win of the season through 45 games and the team now has nine wins when trailing after seven innings and five wins when tied after eight innings.

-The Dodgers improved to 14-2 in one-run games and to 20-3 in games decided by two runs or less. Seven of the last eight games have been decided by one or two runs.

-OKC has now trailed at some point in 23 of their 33 total victories this season as well as in each of their last six wins and in 13 of their last 15 wins. The Dodgers have won 13 times after trailing by at least two runs.

-The Dodgers lead the PCL with a 33-12 record and OKC’s 33 wins through 45 games are the most by an OKC team through 45 games in the Bricktown era (since 1998). No other OKC team since 1998 has had fewer than 14 losses through 45 games…They have won 11 of the last 12 games and 12 of the last 14 games.

-Patrick Mazeika and Drew Avans recorded multi-hit games for OKC. Mazeika went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI, while Avans went 2-for-3 with two walks. Avans has now hit safely in eight straight games for his longest hitting streak of the season and the longest active streak by an OKC player (10x32).

- Devin Mann’s two-run homer in the eighth inning tied the score, 4-4, and was OKC’s first home run in a four-game span. It was Mann’s second homer in his last five games after he hit a game-tying two-run homer in the eighth inning May 14 in Round Rock…Mann extended his on-base streak to 13 games — the longest current on-base streak by an OKC player.

-Pitcher Michael Grove opened a Major League Rehab Assignment Sunday. The right-hander pitched 4.1 innings, allowing two runs on solo home runs over 4.1 innings with three total hits, one walk and seven strikeouts. He faced 17 batters and threw 64 pitches, including 41 strikes and retired the last seven batters he faced. He suffered a right groin strain April 20 during a game with the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Chicago Cubs to land on the Dodgers’ Injured List. He was slated to be OKC’s Opening Day starter before being recalled to Los Angeles March 30 to replace injured pitcher Ryan Pepiot on the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Opening Day roster. He made four starts with Los Angeles in April, gong 0-1 with an 8.44 ERA over 16.0 innings with seven walks and 14 strikeouts.

-The Dodgers won the six-game series against Sugar Land, 5-1, winning at least five games in a series for the fourth time this season. The Dodgers have won seven of their eight total series to start the season. Sunday was Sugar Land’s 12th and final game at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark of the 2023 regular season. The teams will meet for 12 more games in Sugar Land — six in June/July and six in September.

What’s Next: Following a day off Monday, the OKC Dodgers open a six-game road series against the Sacramento River Cats at 8:45 p.m. CT Tuesday at Sutter Health Park. 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.