MiLB Game Summary Reports for 04-13-2024

OKC Baseball Club 12 – Round Rock Express (Texas) 3

The OKC Baseball Club got an offensive explosion combined with solid pitching to humble Round Rock.  The 12 runs were the most by OKC this season, and the 16 hits were tied with the most.  The OKC pitchers notched 15 Ks.

After RR took a 1-0 lead in the 2^nd inning on a solo HR hit off starter Elieser Hernández.

OKC erupted for 8 runs on 7 hits, 1 BB, 1 SF, and 1 big RR error.  The first three batters in the 4^th each singled…Andy Pages, Trey Sweeney, and Miguel Vargas, with Vargas driving home the run.  Kevin Padlo drew a BB to load the bases for Andre Lipcius.  Lipcius hit a 2 run single.  Padlo and Lipcius then executed a double steal, setting up Jonathan Araúz whole knocked in both runners with a single of his own.  Kody Hoese singled and Drew Avans followed with a single that was also misplayed by the RF and Araúz and Hoese scored and Avans ended up at 3^rd.  Andy Pages hit a sac fly to plate Avans for the 8^th run of the inning.

Kevin Padlo hit his 2^nd HR of the season in the 5^th.  And Andy Pages had a 2 run single in the 6^th.

Elieser Hernández pitched a strong 5.0 innings, throwing 69 innings (48 strikes) before being relieved by LHRP Stephen Gonsalves.  Gonsalves surrendered a 2 run HR in the 6^th but retired the side in the 7^th.  He had 5 Ks in his 2.0 IP.

Lipcius hit his 3^rd HR of the season in the 7^th.

Michael Peterson and Kevin Gowdy each pitched a perfect inning and had a combined 3 Ks.

• Andre Lipcius – 4-5, 2 runs, 3 RBI, double (2), HR (3)
• Andy Pages – 3-4, 1 BB, 1 Sac Fly, 1 run, 3 RBI, double (3)
• Drew Avans – 3-6, 2 runs, 2 doubles (6)
• Miguel Vargas – 2-5, 1 run, 1 RBI
• Kevin Padlo – 1-4, 1 BB, 2 runs, 1 RBI, HR (2)

For the season:

• Andy Pages – .351/.433/.596/1.029, 11 RBI, 7 XBH
• Andre Lipcius – .341/.400/.610/1.010 9 RBI, 5 XBH

Pages is currently on a seven-game hitting streak going, 15-for-30 with three homers, two doubles and 10 RBI. He has six multi-hit games during the stretch, including three straight (7-for-13).

Drew Avans tallied a season-high three hits, including two doubles. He has now hit safely in six straight games, going 10-for-25 (.400) with five extra-base hits and nine runs scored.

Vargas was 2-for-5 with a RBI and is the only player in the PCL to reach base in each of his team’s first 14 games this season…Sweeney is now on a 13-game on-base streak.

Box Score

Arkansas Travelers (Seattle) 3 – Tulsa Drillers 2

Orlando Ortiz-Mayr was the starter for Tulsa and he completed 5.0 innings.  He allowed all three runs, and all 5 hits.  He also had 2 BB.  He allowed single runs in 1^st, 3^rd, and 5^th, including 2 solo HRs in the 3^rd and 5^th.

Tulsa scratched back for 2 runs in the 7^th.  Yeiner Fernandez opened the inning with a single.  Austin Gauthier drew 1 of his 3 BB, and Taylor Young singled to load the bases.

Austin Beck hit a ground ball that was mishandled by the 3B and reached on an error.  Fernandez scored on the play.  With one out, José Ramos drew a walk to plate Gauthier.  The bases remained loaded as both Diego Cartaya and Brendon Davis struck out to end the threat.

Tulsa was 1-13 WRISP.

The Drillers got some excellent relief from Jack Little, Antonio Knowles, and Braydon Fisher.

• Taylor Young – 2-4, 1 BB
• Austin Gauthier – 1-2, 3 BB, 1 run
• Griffin Lockwood-Powell – 2-4, 1 BB

For the season – Battle of the Catchers:

• Dalton Rushing – 37 PA, .273/.351/.606/.957, 6 XBH, 6 RBI, 3 starts at catcher, 4 starts at DH, and 1 start at 1B

• Diego Cartaya – 24 PA, .167/.375/.222/.597, 1 XBH, 2 RBI, 4 starts at catcher, and 1 start at DH.

For the season – Battle of the Utility Players:

• Taylor Young (25) – .417/.533/.750/1.283, 4 XBH, 7 RBI, 5 K, 5 BB

• Austin Gauthier (25) – .217/.500/.348/.848, 1 XBH, 6 RBI, 5 K, 11 BB

Box Score

Great Lakes played a DH with Lansing Lugnuts (A’s), winning both – Pitching was the star in both games, although the offense is showing signs of life.

Great Lakes Loons 12 – Lansing Lugnuts 1 (Game 1 – 7 innings)

Jared Karros continues to impress.  He completed 5.0 IP, allowing a single run on 4 hits, with 6 K.

Jared Karros was excellent in the playoffs for Great Lakes tonight:

5.0 IP
2 H
0 R
1 BB
6 K
77 P / 51 S

Karros has been extremely impressive since being promoted to High-A pic.twitter.com/oVSHLRoM7m

— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) September 16, 2023

GL struck first in the 1^st inning.  Alex Freeland singled and scored on Noah Miller’s 1^st HR of the season.  Karros gave one back on a pair of doubles from the Lugnuts.

GL got a pair of doubles of their own in the 3^rd from Kyle Nevin and Chris Newell.

GL got 3 in the 5^th on a 3-run HR from Newell.

GL broke it wide open in the 7^th.  Kyle Nevin, Noah Miller, and Chris Newell opened the frame with doubles.  Yunior Garcia singled to plate Newell for the 3^rd run of the inning.  Nelson Quiroz and Sam Mongelli each singled to load the bases.  Alex Freeland hit a 3-run triple to finish the scoring.

Christian Suarez relieved Karros in the 6^th and pitched 2 hitless and scoreless innings with 1 BB and 2 K.

• Chris Newell – 3-4, 2 runs, 6 RBI, 2 doubles (2), HR (1)
• Noah Miller – 3-4, 3 runs, 2 RBI, double (1), HR (1)
• Alex Freeland – 2-4, 1 BB, 2 runs, 2 RBI, triple (1)
• Kyle Nevin – 2-5, 2 runs, 2 doubles (3)
• Sam Mongelli – 2-4, 1 run

Box Score

Great Lakes Loons 8 – Lansing Lugnuts (A’s) 5 (Game 2 – 7 innings)

Great Lakes got another brilliant start in Game 2.  Peter Heubeck seemingly put one up on Jared Karros.  He also completed 5.0 innings.  But 0 runs, on 2 hits, 3 BB, 8 K.  The 3 walks was the one sour note on Heubeck’s day.

Peter Heubeck lowered his ERA to 1.04 with a very solid outing for Great Lakes, picking up his first W of the season:

5.0 IP
2 hits
0 runs
3 BBs
8 Ks pic.twitter.com/QByOEQkIgK

— Josh Thomas (@jokeylocomotive) April 13, 2024

Luis Rodriguez got the scoring started with a solo HR (1) in the 3^rd inning.

The Loons struck for 4 in the 5^th.  Rodriguez and Nick Biddison each drew a BB, and Jordan Thompson singled home Rodriguez with Biddison moving to third.  A WP brought home Biddison and moved Thompson to 2B.  Thompson moved to 3B on a fielder’s choice, and after Thayron Liranzo walked, Noah Miller hit a sac fly.  Liranzo scored on a double by Chris Newell (his 3^rd in the DH).

Two singles and two doubles and a fielding error plated 3 insurance runs, that they needed, in the 6^th.

Kelvin Bautista relieved Heubeck and allowed 1 hit, with 3 K in his 1.0 inning of work.

Joel Ibarra has been hit hard thus far in 2024.  This day would prove no different.  He allowed a single, 3 BB, and 2 HBP.  But thanks to a DP, only one run had scored, but the bases remained loaded for Will Simpson.  Simpson hit a grand slam to bring the Lugnuts to with 3.

Brandon Neeck came in to the game in a save situation.  After a single to the first batter he faced, he closed the game on a 4-3 groundout, and got the save, his first.

• Luis Rodriguez – 3-3, 1 BB, 3 runs, 1 RBI, 2 doubles (2), HR (1)
• Jordan Thompson – 2-3, 2 runs, 2 RBI, double (3)
• Chris Newell – 1-3, 1 BB, 1 RBI, double (3)

In 20 PA, Luis Rodriguez is now batting .500/.550/.778/1.328 – 9-18, 2 doubles, and 1 HR.  Rodriguez was once one of the highly touted IFA players signed by LAD.  He signed July 2019.  Could it be at 21, Luis is starting to figure it out?  He has a ways to go to make believers of the Dodgers, but he is off to a great start in 2024.

Box Score

Rancho Cucamonga game suspended.  To be completed on Sunday.