Dodgers Work Overtime to Outlast Memphis

Memphis, Tenn. - The Oklahoma City Dodgers and Memphis Redbirds exchanged offensive blows over the first six innings before the Dodgers had one more punch left in a 10-8 win decided in 10 innings Thursday night at AutoZone Park. 
 
The Dodgers (19-34) scored three batters into the game. Connor Joe led off and reached base on a missed catch error by Redbirds first baseman Rangel Ravelo. Two batters later, Kyle Garlick shot a RBI double to right-center field, allowing Joe to score all the way from first base and give OKC a 1-0 lead.
The game remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth inning. Following back-to-back walks, Ravelo hit a two-run triple to the right field corner to put Memphis in the lead. Tyler O'Neill added a RBI groundout, and Adolis García connected on his 12th home run of the season to polish off the four-run frame.
The Dodgers responded with three runs in their next at-bat to level the score. Errol Robinson laced a RBI single, and later with the bases loaded and two outs, Zach Reks hit a game-tying, two-run double.
Memphis (23-32) regained the lead in the fifth inning due to the duo of Ravelo and O'Neill. Ravelo hit a RBI double and advanced to third base on a wild pitch. O'Neill then sent a sacrifice fly to deep center field to give Memphis a 6-4 advantage.
Again, the Dodgers immediately answered with a big inning in the sixth. Garlick sent a towering three-run homer to left-center field that left the stadium grounds to put OKC in front, 7-6. Later in the inning, Drew Jackson hit an opposite field homer into the right field picnic area to push the lead to two runs.
The Redbirds pulled even at eight runs apiece in the bottom half of the inning. After the bases were empty with two outs, three straight Memphis batters walked to load the bases. With two strikes and two outs, Lane Thomas sent a two-run single to center field. The play and inning ended with Tommy Edman also trying to score after the ball briefly squirted away from the plate, but Edman was thrown out, which would prove to be costly for the Redbirds, as they missed their chance to take the lead.
The offenses slowed thereafter, with neither team scoring between the seventh and ninth innings. Both the Dodgers and the Redbirds put the leadoff batter on base in the ninth, but neither advanced.
On the first pitch of the 10th inning, Reks smoked a grounder down the first base line, scoring designated runner Connor Joe from second base. And one pitch after that, Garlick added a RBI single to make it 10-8.
Batting second and third in the order, Reks and Garlick combined to go 5-for-8 with four extra-base hits and eight RBI. Reks doubled twice and reached base five times, also drawing three walks. Garlick finished with three hits and collected five RBI in a game for the second time this month.
Jackson also was a standout on offense, 3-for-4 with a homer, two walks and two runs.
Justin Grimm (1-3) worked around a leadoff single in the ninth inning and struck out each of the next three batters to take home his first win of the season. Jaime Schultz retired all three batters in the bottom of the 10th and finished off the game by striking out John Nogowski, as Schultz earned his fourth save.
Memphis reliever Chris Beck (0-3) allowed both runs in the 10th inning and gave up three hits, picking up the loss.
The Dodgers outhit the Redbirds, 12-8. Memphis used nine walks to score five of their eight runs. The teams combined for 26 strikeouts and 17 walks in a game that took 3 hours, 59 minutes to complete.
The Dodgers look for an elusive three-game win streak when they face Memphis at 7:05 p.m. Friday. Live coverage begins 15 minutes before first pitch on AM 1340 "The Game," 1340thegame.com and through the free iHeartRadio or MiLB First Pitch apps.