River Cats' Big Inning Sinks OKC, 8-4

Sacramento River Cats – 8

Oklahoma City Baseball Club – 4

Thursday, April 18, 2024 – Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark – Oklahoma City, Okla.

Game Summary: The Sacramento River Cats scored five runs in the sixth inning on the way to an 8-4 win against the Oklahoma City Baseball Club Thursday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Sacramento (12-6) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a RBI single and a sacrifice fly. Oklahoma City (11-7) trimmed the lead in half with a run in the fourth inning that scored when Sacramento committed catcher’s interference with the bases loaded. The River Cats then scored five runs in the sixth inning, all with two outs, after OKC committed two errors earlier in the inning. Andre Lipcius hit a solo home run and then Kody Hoese added a two-run homer in the eighth inning to trim the River Cats’ lead to three runs, but Sacramento responded with a home run in its final at-bat to push the score to 8-4.

Of Note:

-Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler started the game for Oklahoma City as he continued his Major League Rehab Assignment. Buehler allowed two runs in the first inning and finished his outing allowing two runs, four hits and four walks with three strikeouts over 2.2 innings. He faced 15 batters, throwing 68 pitches (34 strikes) and was charged with the loss…Buehler is recovering from Tommy John surgery and flexor tendon repair in his right elbow that has kept him out of the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup since June 2022…Thursday was the fourth appearance of his rehab assignment and third with Oklahoma City.

-The eight runs allowed by Oklahoma City were a season high and the most allowed by the team in a regular-season game since a 13-8 win in Albuquerque Sept. 20, 2023…Oklahoma City also allowed a season-high 14 hits for the highest hit total by an opponent since Sept. 23, 2023 in Albuquerque when the Isotopes had 16 hits…The eight runs and 14 hits allowed Thursday were the highest totals allowed in an OKC home game since Sept. 17, 2023 against Tacoma at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark (11 runs and 20 hits).

-Andre Lipcius and Kody Hoese both homered for Oklahoma City, which recorded a second-straight multi-homer game. OKC now has hit 14 home runs over the last six games…Lipcius moved into a tie for the team lead with five home runs so far this season.

-Hoese homered in a second straight game and went 1-for-3 with two RBI and has now hit safely in five consecutive games as well as in 10 of his first 11 Triple-A games, going 14-for-38 (.368).

-Jonathan Araúz extended his hitting streak to nine games, going 1-for-4, and is 10-for-36 during the stretch with four doubles, a home run, five RBI and five runs scored.

Next Up: The series between Oklahoma City and Sacramento continues at 7:05 p.m. Friday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark on First Responders Night with fireworks presented by LifeShare of Oklahoma scheduled to follow the game. First responders will be recognized for their service to the community as the Oklahoma City Baseball Club recognizes the 29th anniversary of the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma.

Single-game tickets for OKC games through June are available now at okcbaseball.com/tickets. Live radio coverage of each OKC Baseball Club game begins 15 minutes before first pitch on AM 1340 "The Game," 1340thegame.com and through the free iHeartRadio or MiLB First Pitch apps.