Dodgers Score 20 Runs; Busch Sets Career Highs

Oklahoma City Dodgers – 20

Round Rock Express – 3

Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022 – Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark – Oklahoma City, Okla.

Game Summary: Michael Busch collected a career-high five hits and five RBI and the Oklahoma City Dodgers scored 20 runs, including 10 runs in the eighth inning, in a 20-3 win against the Round Rock Express Sunday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Round Rock took the game’s first lead with a solo home run by J.P. Martinez in the first inning before the Dodgers scored 10 straight runs in the series finale between the teams. Jason Martin’s two-run homer in the second inning put the Dodgers ahead, 2-1. Busch lined a RBI single in the third inning for a 3-1 advantage. The Dodgers (64-47) then scored five runs in the fifth inning, including a three-run homer by Busch and two-run double by Devin Mann. OKC added two runs on a single by Jake Amaya in the sixth inning. Round Rock (59-52) scored a run in both the seventh and eighth innings to trim OKC’s lead to 10-3 before the Dodgers responded with 10 runs in the eighth inning. The eighth-inning rally included four hit by pitches, two walks and five hits, including three doubles, as well as a position player pitching for the Express.

Of Note:

-The Dodgers scored 20 runs for the sixth time in team’s Bricktown era (since 1998) and for the first time since a 20-9 win at El Paso May 30, 2021. It was the most runs scored by the team at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark since tying the team record with 24 runs Aug. 3, 2013 against Colorado Springs. The Dodgers’ previous season-high mark for runs in a game this season was 19 in a 19-0 victory May 12 at Round Rock.

-The 10 runs scored by the Dodgers in the eighth inning was the team’s highest scoring inning since they scored 11 runs in the third inning of a 12-11 loss in Sugar Land Aug. 21, 2021. OKC last had a 10-run inning at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark July 1, 2021 in the sixth inning against Salt Lake. The Dodgers have compiled three innings with at least five runs over the last two games. They also scored five runs in the fifth inning Sunday after scoring five runs in the eighth inning Saturday night. The Dodgers have now scored 15 runs in the eighth inning the last two nights combined.

-Michael Busch went 5-for-6 with a three-run homer, five RBI and scored four runs. His five hits and five RBI set new career highs, while his four runs scored tied his career-high mark set earlier this season against Reno May 24…His five hits are the most by an OKC player since Cristian Santana had five hits Sept. 24, 2021 at Las Vegas. He became the first OKC player with five hits in a game at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark since Austin Barnes finished with five hits Aug. 19, 2015 against Reno in OKC…Busch’s four runs tied the most runs by an OKC player in a game this season while his five RBI were the most by an OKC player since James Outman’s six-RBI night July 24 against Sacramento.

-In the fifth game of his Major League Rehab Assignment, starting pitcher Dustin May (1-0) allowed one run and four hits over 5.0 innings with one walk against 10 strikeouts and was credited with the win. It was the third time this season a Dodgers pitcher recorded 10 strikeouts and was May’s first 10 strikeout outing since April 25, 2021 for the Los Angeles Dodgers against San Diego. May faced 20 batters Sunday, throwing 70 pitches (54 strikes). May underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2021.

-Dustin May pitched an immaculate inning in the second inning, striking out all three batters he faced on nine pitches and all on called third strikes. It was OKC’s second immaculate inning of the season, following Caleb Ferguson’s immaculate seventh inning May 27 against Reno in OKC.

-The Dodgers finished the game with 15 hits, reaching the mark for the 10th time this season. It was their most hits in a game since posting a season-high 20 hits July 12 in Tacoma. Ten players finished with one hit, while Michael Busch (5x6) and Edwin Ríos (2x5) had multi-hit games…OKC went 9-for-24 with runners in scoring position and had seven extra-base hits Sunday after going 9-for-64 with RISP and collecting 11 extra-base hits in the previous seven games combined.

-Edwin Ríos went 2-for-5 with a double and scored two runs as he extended his hitting streak to 11 games during his Major League Rehab Assignment. During the 11-game streak, he is 15-for-46 (.326) with five doubles. He owns the longest active hitting streak by an OKC player and his longest hitting streak since a 14-game stretch with OKC July 21-Aug. 20, 2019. Ríos was initially placed on the Los Angeles Dodgers Injured List June 3 with a right hamstring injury and was transferred to the 60-day IL June 22.

-The Dodges equaled their season-high mark with four stolen bases, including two by Ryan Noda. Jason Martin and Drew Avans also had stolen bases as Avans increased his season total to 27 stolen bases this season — the most by an OKC player since Darnell Sweeney recorded 32 in 2015.

-Brusdar Graterol pitched the second game of his Major League Rehab Assignment, throwing a scoreless sixth inning and retiring all three batters he faced with one strikeout. He threw 11 pitches (eight strikes). Graterol was placed on the Los Angeles Dodgers Injured List with right shoulder inflammation July 11.

-Drew Avans connected on a two-out single as part of OKC’s 10-run eighth inning and collected a walk as he extended his PCL-best on-base streak to 50 games. He finished the game 1-for-5 with a walk, two RBI and two runs scored. He owns the longest active on-base streak in the Minors and the longest on-base streak by an OKC player during the MLBAM era (since 2005). He has reached base in 64 of his last 65 games and his 50-game streak is the longest in the PCL since a 66-game streak by Nashville’s Nick Martini in 2018. He is now one game shy of the longest on-base streak in the Minors this season, set by Luke Berryhill of Double-A Corpus Christi (51 games).

-The Dodgers have won back-to-back games following a season-high six-game losing skid. OKC has won consecutive games for the first time since winning three in a row July 31-Aug. 2…Despite wins Saturday and Sunday, OKC lost the six-game series to the Express, 4-2. The Dodgers had won the first three series of the season between the teams by 4-2 margins.

What’s Next: Following a day off Monday, the OKC Dodgers open a six-game road series against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday at Constellation Field. 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.