OKC Shuts Out Chihuahuas, 5-0; Ward and Hoese Homer in Win

Oklahoma City Baseball Club — 5

El Paso Chihuahuas — 0

Thursday, July 11, 2024 – Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark – Oklahoma City, Okla.

Game Summary: Five pitchers combined to toss the Oklahoma City Baseball Club’s first shutout of the season in Oklahoma City’s 5-0 win against the El Paso Chihuahuas Thursday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Both teams were held scoreless through five innings before the first run of the night scored when Ryan Ward hit a solo home run out to center field in the sixth inning. Oklahoma City (5-10/45-45) loaded the bases in the seventh inning and Chris Owings connected on a two-run single for a 3-0 OKC lead. Kody Hoese’s two-run homer out to left field in the eighth inning extended OKC’s lead to 5-0. El Paso (8-7/39-51) was held to four hits in the game as OKC snapped a four-game losing streak.

Of Note:

-Oklahoma City improved to .500 overall at 45-45 as the team snapped a four-game losing streak…OKC won its first game of the season against the Chihuahuas and is now trailing the six-game series, 2-1.

-Oklahoma City recorded its first shutout win of the season and first shutout win since a 14-0 victory Aug. 27, 2023 against Albuquerque at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

-Alec Gamboa started and pitched 5.2 scoreless innings for OKC, allowing four hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Over his last two starts, Gamboa has pitched a combined 11.2 scoreless innings.

-Joe Kelly continued his Major League Rehab Assignment and recorded the final out of the top of the sixth inning, facing one batter and inducing a flyout to center field to record the win. It was his second outing in as many nights with OKC and he threw five pitches (three strikes). Kelly was placed on the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 15-day Injured List with a right posterior shoulder strain before being transferred to the 60-day IL June 16.

-Nick Ramirez and Jack Little each recorded holds and J.P. Feyereisen closed out the game as Oklahoma City’s pitching staff retired the final 13 El Paso batters of the game.

-Ryan Ward went a game-best 3-for-4 with a double, home run and scored two runs. He has now hit safely in seven of his last eight games, going 11-for-34 (.324) with seven extra-base hits, including four home runs, eight RBI and nine runs scored. He has recorded at least one extra-base hit in four consecutive games (5) and his home run Thursday was his league-leading 24th of the season.

-Kody Hoese hit his ninth home run of the season as he homered in a second straight game. He has now hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, batting .300 (12x40). He has also reached base safely in 14 straight games.

-Chris Owings went 1-for-3 with two RBI and has hit safely in five of his last six games, batting .316 (6x19) with five RBI.

-Hunter Feduccia was hit by a pitch and scored a run as he extended his career-best on-base streak to 22 games — the third-longest on-base streak of the season for an OKC player.

Next Up: Oklahoma City and El Paso continue their series at 7:05 p.m. Friday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark with Friday Night Fireworks, presented by INTEGRIS Health, scheduled to follow the game. Tickets for OKC home games for the remainder of the season are available at okcbaseball.com/tickets. Live radio coverage of each OKC Baseball Club game begins 15 minutes before first pitch on AM 1340 "The Game," 1340thegame.com and through the free iHeartRadio or MiLB First Pitch apps.