Dodgers Unload in Tacoma, Win 8-1

Oklahoma City Dodgers – 8

Tacoma Rainiers – 1

Wednesday, July 13, 2022 – Cheney Stadium – Tacoma, Wash.

Game Summary: The Oklahoma City Dodgers scored eight runs with the bases loaded, including a grand slam by James Outman, and the pitching staff allowed one run and four hits during an 8-1 win over the Tacoma Rainiers Wednesday night at Cheney Stadium. The game was scoreless in in the third inning when the Dodgers (51-35) loaded the bases with two outs, and Ryan Noda was hit with a pitch to score the first run. Outman stepped up next and clubbed a grand slam off the right-center field scoreboard to push the lead to 5-0. Outman added another RBI in the fifth inning when he hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded. Two batters later, the bases were loaded again for Tomás Telis, who hit a two-run single. The Rainiers (35-50) scored their only run scored on a Drew Ellis homer leading off the eighth inning.

Of Note:

-The Dodgers have won four of their last six games and have scored a minimum of eight runs in each victory. The team’s five-run third inning was their highest scoring inning since plating five runs during the first inning June 19 in Reno.

-The Dodgers scored in each of their four plate appearances with the bases loaded, totaling all eight of their runs, and they are slashing .326/.425/.593 with the bases full this season. James Outman’s grand slam was the team’s fourth of the season and first since June 16, when Jake Amaya hit one in Reno. With his two-run single in the fifth inning, Tomás Telis is now 5-for-8 with 11 RBI in bases loaded situations.

-James Outman homered for a second straight game and finished with a career-high five RBI. His grand slam was his second of the season, hitting one for Double-A Tulsa June 21 at Midland. Between OKC and Tulsa, Outman is up to 18 home runs this season, and he’s gone deep in consecutive games for the third time overall this year. He is 3-for-9 with two homers and seven RBI over the first two games in Tacoma.

-The pitching tandem of Jon Duplantier and Beau Burrows limited Tacoma to one run and four hits. Duplantier completed the first four innings and did not allow a run while retiring 12 of 15 batters faced. Burrows covered the final five innings and started his outing by retiring the first nine batters he faced on just 24 pitches. He allowed one run and two hits, with one walk and five strikeouts to earn the win. Duplantier and Burrows combined to hold the Rainiers 0-for-11 with runners on base and Tacoma did not have an at-bat with a runner in scoring position until there were two outs in the ninth inning.

-Miguel Vargas reached base three times with a single and two walks. Going back to Tuesday, he’s reached base in eight of his last 10 plate appearances with three hits and five walks. Vargas extended his current hitting streak to seven games (10x28) and he has now hit safely in 21 of his last 23 games.

-Drew Avans went 1-for-5 to extend his season-best on-base streak to 25 games, which is the longest by an OKC player this year and longest active streak in the PCL. He also swiped his team-leading 14th stolen base of season and scored one run. He has now hit safely in 21 of his last 25 games and has reached base safely in 39 of his last 40 games.

-Although the Dodgers are now 51-35 this season, this is just the third time they have won the first two games of a series. They have outscored the Rainiers, 23-5, over the first two games at Cheney Stadium.