Muncy, Dodgers Soar Past Sky Sox

Colorado Springs, Colo. - Max Muncy hit two home runs and the Oklahoma City Dodgers tied their season high by going deep four times in an 11-2 victory over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox Saturday night at Security Service Field.
The Dodgers (37-29) scored in each of the first five innings Saturday and reached at least 10 runs for the sixth time in their last eight games. They finished Saturday's game with 14 hits and swatted four home runs to tie their season high, previously set April 8 versus Iowa. Over the last nine games, the team has now scored 83 runs and hit 19 home runs.
The Dodgers jumped in front in the first inning. With a runner on and two out, Muncy connected on his first home run of the night on a booming shot to right field, giving OKC the early 2-0 lead. 
Alex Verdugo doubled the advantage in the second inning. With a pair of runners on and two out, he doubled off the center field fence to score both and make it a 4-0 game.
The Dodgers offense kept rolling in the third. Muncy unloaded on his second homer of the night-another no-doubt blast to right field. It marked the sixth different time a Dodger has had a multi-homer game this season, and the first for Muncy since Sept. 1, 2013 while playing for Double-A Midland.
Later in the third, Charlie Culberson hit a RBI single to center field, putting the Dodgers in front, 6-0.
Culberson and Verdugo led the Dodgers with three hits apiece, and six players finished with multi-hit games.
The Sky Sox (38-28) got two runs back in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs and a runner at first, Ryan Cordell sent a line drive to right field over Muncy's head for a RBI triple. Brett Phillips came up next and hit a pop fly to shallow left field. With the Dodgers in a defensive shift, the ball landed in between Culberson and Mike Freeman for a bloop RBI double to get Colorado Springs within 6-2.
Following Phillips' double, Dodgers pitcher Fabio Castillo entered the game from the bullpen and proceeded to throw 4.1 scoreless innings to earn the win. Castillo (4-3) scattered three hits, with one walk and four strikeouts. In three games against Colorado Springs this season, Castillo has allowed just one run and eight hits over 13.1 innings.
With scheduled starting pitcher Brock Stewart scratched shortly before game time, Justin Marks ended up making the start and turned in 2.2 solid innings. Marks, Castillo and Joe Broussard combined to limit the Sky Sox to two runs and seven hits in an extremely hitter-friendly environment and held Colorado Springs 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position, with the Phillips double accounting for the only hit.
OKC got back on the board in the fourth inning. After Verdugo hit his second double of the game, Kyle Farmer lined a single to center field. Phillips committed a throwing error on the play, allowing Verdugo to score and make it 7-2.
Scott Van Slyke led off the fifth inning and sent a solo homer out of center field. After missing the previous three games, Van Slyke picked up two hits Saturday and has now hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games.
Colorado Springs' pitching staff quieted the Dodgers until the eighth inning, when Farmer blasted a three-run homer to center field. Farmer is now up to five homers with OKC and eight total on the season, setting a new career high. He also extended his hitting streak to six games, and he's driven in 11 runs during that time.
Sky Sox starting pitcher Forrest Snow allowed six runs and six hits over 2.1 innings and took the loss. He walked one and struck out seven batters, helping the Sky Sox strike out a season-high 15 batters.  
With Saturday's victory, the Dodgers won for the seventh time in the last nine games and are now within one game of the first-place Sky Sox. The Dodgers also nabbed their 20th road win of the season and improved to 20-12 away from Oklahoma City.
The teams continue their series Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. Central time. Live coverage begins at 2:15 p.m. on AM 1340 "The Game," 1340thegame.com, or through the free iHeartRadio mobile app.