Dodgers Settle For Series Split After 12-1 Loss to Bees

Salt Lake Bees – 12

Oklahoma City Dodgers – 1

Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022 – Smith’s Ballpark – Salt Lake City, Utah

Game Summary: The Salt Lake Bees scored nine unanswered runs over the fifth and sixth innings as they sent the Oklahoma City Dodgers to a 12-1 loss Sunday afternoon in the series finale between the teams at Smith’s Ballpark. The Bees (51-54) scored two runs in the second inning on a two-run double by Braxton Martinez and built a 3-0 lead with a solo home run by Chad Wallach in the third inning. Michael Busch got the Dodgers (62-43) on the scoreboard in the fifth inning, connecting on a RBI single to score Tony Wolters and trim Salt Lake’s lead to 3-1. Salt Lake then opened up the game scoring six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, including five runs with two outs. After the first run of the inning scored on a sacrifice fly, the Bees collected back-to-back two-out RBI hits by Wallach and Matt Thais, a RBI double by Jake Gatewood and two-run homer by Orlando Martinez for a 9-1 advantage. The Bees then added three more runs in the sixth inning on a RBI single, wild pitch and bases-loaded walk for a 12-1 lead. Bees pitchers retired 11 of the final 13 OKC batters of the game via strikeout.

Of Note:

-The Bees’ 12 runs were the most runs allowed by the Dodgers in a game since a 12-7 loss to Sugar Land July 28 in OKC. It was also just the second time since July 8 OKC allowed more than eight runs in a game, but was the 10th time overall this season OKC allowed 12 or more runs by an opponent….The Bees had scored a total of 14 runs over the first five games of the series before closing out the series with 12 runs.

-The six runs scored by the Bees in the fifth inning marked the highest-scoring inning by an OKC opponent since the Las Vegas Aviators scored eight runs in the fourth inning July 4 in a 12-4 win at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The six runs were also the most runs allowed in an inning by OKC in a road game since early July in a game at El Paso that was suspended July 2 due to rain and finished July 3 with the Chihuahuas scoring six runs in the eighth inning of an 18-5 win. Sunday was the seventh time this season an opponent scored six or more runs in an inning against the Dodgers.

-The Dodgers were held to four hits for a second straight game and to one run or less for just the second time since June 22. After scoring 28 runs on 39 hits through the first four games of the series at Salt Lake, the Dodgers were held to four runs and eight hits in the last two games. The Dodgers’ offense did not have an extra-base hit Sunday for just the third time this season and struck out 16 times for their second-highest strikeout total of the season (18, May 15 @ RR).

-Michael Busch finished with two of the Dodgers’ four hits, going 2-for-4 with a RBI.

-Edwin Ríos continued his Major League Rehab Assignment and picked up a hit in a sixth straight game with OKC.

-Drew Avans drew a walk to extend his on-base streak to 44 games — the longest active on-base streak in the Minors and the longest on-base streak by an OKC player during the team’s affiliation with the Los Angeles Dodgers (since 2015). Avans has now reached base in 58 of his last 59 games and his 44-game on-base streak is the longest in the PCL since 2018.

-After winning the first two games of the series and three of the first four games at Salt Lake, the Dodgers settled for a split in the six-game series, 3-3. OKC closed out the series with its first back-to-back losses since July 14-15 and lost three of the final four games of the series.

What’s Next: Following a day off Monday, the OKC Dodgers open a six-game home series against the Round Rock Express at 7:05 p.m. on a $2 Tuesday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The evening features $2 select beer, soda and bottled water from a line of Budweiser and Pepsi products. COOP Ale Works draft beer will also be available at a special rate of $3.

Tickets are available at okcdodgers.com/tickets. Live radio coverage of each OKC Dodgers game begins 15 minutes before first pitch on AM 1340 "The Game," 1340thegame.com and through the free iHeartRadio or MiLB First Pitch apps. All OKC Dodgers games are also available streamed live on MiLB.TV with a subscription.