Sky Sox Defeated 8-4 By Dodgers

In their series opener, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox suffered an 8-4 loss to the Oklahoma City Dodgers in a divisional matchup in front of 4,611 at Security Service Field on Saturday night.

After Sky Sox starter Hiram Burgos (5-8, 5.06) quickly set down the side in the first, he ran into trouble in the second. O'Koyea Dickson led off with a triple, and then came home to score the game's first run on a wild pitch. After a second run scored on an error, James Ramsey singled to bring home another run. The scoring in the inning was capped by Micah Johnson's fielder's choice ground out that scored Shawn Zarraga to give Oklahoma City an early 4-0 lead.

The Sky Sox responded in the bottom of the third against Dodgers starter Jose De Leon (4-1, 3.83). Yadiel Rivera and Eric Young Jr. each hit singles to put runners on the corners with two outs. On the seventh pitch of his at-bat, Orlando Arcia crushed a three-run home run, his eighth of the season, deep over the left field wall to cut the Dodgers lead to 4-3 after three innings.

The Dodgers got one of the runs back in the fourth as Zarraga scored on a wild pitch to give Oklahoma City a 4-3 lead after four and a half innings.

After a scoreless fifth from Burgos, the Sky Sox turned to Sam Freeman out of the bullpen in the sixth. Burgos finished his start allowing five runs, four earned, on four hits while walking four and striking out four in five innings pitched. Burgos suffered his eighth loss of the season.  

De Leon was strong after the third. Over the rest of his start, he did not allow a hit in four more scoreless innings. De Leon finished his start with seven innings pitched, allowing three earned runs on three hits while walking two and striking out one to earn his fourth victory of the season.

Between the seventh and eighth, the Dodgers added three more runs off the Sky Sox bullpen to increase the lead to 8-3.

Drew Gagnon pitched a scoreless ninth for the Sky Sox.

Grant Dayton entered out of the Oklahoma City bullpen in the eighth and pitched a scoreless inning to send the game to the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth, the Sky Sox got a run back as Garin Cecchini doubled home Nate Orf to cut the deficit to four. But the Sky Sox couldn't get any closer as Dayton struck out Rivera to end the game and finish the win for the Dodgers.

In game two of the series on Sunday afternoon, Wily Peralta (1-3, 6.34) is scheduled to get the start for the Sky Sox against Logan Bawcom (3-3, 1.96). First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. at Security Service Field.