Oklahoma City Earns Walk-Off Win Over Round Rock

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma City Dodgers (60-57) defeated the Round Rock Express (60-57) in walk-off fashion at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark on Sunday afternoon as the Dodgers earned their first win of the series. The loss snapped a road-game winning streak of eight games for the E-Train, the longest of its kind this season.

The loss went to Round Rock RHP Ryder Ryan (2-6, 5.67), who allowed the game-winning run to score in the ninth inning. Oklahoma City reliever LHP James Pazos (1-6, 3.74) earned the win with a scoreless ninth-inning performance that saw one hit and one strikeout.

Oklahoma City claimed a 5-0 lead early on as CF Drew Avans blasted a grand slam in the second inning. Back-to-back singles from 1B Matt Davidson and LF Zach Reks put the first two runners on base before 3B Andy Burns worked a walk to load them up. Davidson was sent home first on an Anthony Bemboom sacrifice fly. After an Elliot Soto single put three runners back on, Avans launched the first pitch he saw into center field to clear the bases.

The Express started to chip away at the Dodgers’ lead when RF Carl Chester crossed home in the third thanks to a single from C John Hicks after the right fielder had reached base on a throwing error.

Round Rock made it a 5-4 ballgame in the fifth frame when Chester reached yet again on an Oklahoma City error before moving to second on a Yohel Pozo single. Hicks doubled to send both Chester and Pozo home then finished his trip around the bases as 2B Domingo Leyba hit a double in the next at-bat.

The runs just kept coming as the Dodgers extended the gap in the sixth. After working a two-out walk, Burns scored thanks to a Bemboom double. The catcher then came home on a Soto double for a 7-4 advantage.

The E-Train tied the contest at 7-7 over the next two innings when Pozo hit a home run to left field that scored DH Josh Jung, who had reached base with a single in the seventh. The eighth saw 3B Charles Leblanc knock a one-out double before scoring thanks to a Jason Martin single.

With the contest still knotted heading into the bottom of the ninth, Ryan took over on the bump and recorded the first two outs with a strikeout and flyout. On a 1-2 pitch, 2B Zach McKinstry hit Oklahoma City’s walk-off home run into center field, which ended the game 8-7.

The two are back in action at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark on Monday night. Express RHP Tyson Miller (3-3, 3.13) is set for the start against Dodgers RHP Andre Jackson (2-1, 5.40). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT.

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