OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma - The Round Rock Express (1-6) early season skid continued on Wednesday night as the Oklahoma City Dodgers (4-1) picked up a lopsided 19-1 victory. The margin of defeat matched the largest in Round Rock's Triple-A history. Express starter RHP Adrian Sampson (0-2, 15.43) took the loss after
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma - The Round Rock Express (1-6) early season skid continued on Wednesday night as the Oklahoma City Dodgers (4-1) picked up a lopsided 19-1 victory. The margin of defeat matched the largest in Round Rock's Triple-A history.
Express starter RHP Adrian Sampson (0-2, 15.43) took the loss after allowing seven runs on seven hits in just 2.2 innings of work. The righty struck out one and walked two. On the winning side, Dodgers starter RHP Walker Buelher (1-0, 2.00) was brilliant, holding Round Rock to just one run on four hits and a walk in 5.0 innings.
The Dodgers opened the scoring in the second as DH Travis Taijeron doubled before a Donovan Solano RBI single. The E-Train derailed in the third inning as OKC sent 13 men to the plate in a nine-run frame. CF Tim Locastro tripled prior to an RBI single by LF Andrew Toles . Following back-to-back walks by RF Alex Verdugo and 1B Max Muncy , Taijeron doubled home two more runs. A Solano RBI single knocked Sampson from the game with the Express trailing 6-0. The inning continued as reliever RHP Paolo Espino served up an RBI single to 2B Breyvic Valera prior to walking C Rocky Gale . RBI base hits by Locastro and Toles pushed the gap to 10-0.
The lone Round Rock run of the night game in the fourth as 1B Ronald Guzmán doubled, moved to third on a Willie Calhoun groundout and scored on a Buehler wild pitch. Valera responded in the bottom of the frame with a run-scoring sacrifice fly that sent Taijeron racing home.
The Dodgers offensive onslaught continued in the fifth. Locastro opened the inning by jumping aboard via a fielding error by SS Hanser Alberto . Back-to-back base hits by Toles and Verdugo, the first of which scored a run, ended Espino's night. RHP Reed Garrett entered in relief, surrendering RBI hits to Muncy, 3B Jake Peter and Solano. Gale then stepped to the plate and launched a three-run homer to extend his team's lead to 18-1.
The final OKC run came in the eighth inning. E-Train RHP Steve Delabar walked Locastro with two outs, then Toles and Verdugo teamed up for consecutive base hits that pushed the final score to 19-1.
The two teams meet again on Thursday night. Express LHP Yohander Méndez (0-1, 13.50) is slated to start against Dodgers LHP Manny Bañuelos (0-0, 2.25). First pitch at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
For more information on the Express, visit RoundRockExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter!
