Express Takes Series Finale for Series Split

Round Rock Express — 3

Oklahoma City Baseball Club — 1

Sunday, June 9, 2024 – Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark – Oklahoma City, Okla.

Game Summary: The Round Rock Express defeated the Oklahoma City Baseball Club, 3-1, in the series finale between the teams Sunday afternoon at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark fueled by four scoreless innings by rehabbing Texas Rangers pitcher Max Scherzer. Round Rock (32-30) quickly grabbed the lead in the first inning, scoring a run on a RBI single by Sandro Fabian. The Express went ahead, 2-0, on a RBI single by Jax Biggers in the fifth inning. Oklahoma City (36-27) cut the Express lead in half via a RBI groundout by Andre Lipcius in the sixth inning that scored Chris Okey, who had reached on a single and advanced to third base on a double by Drew Avans. Round Rock tacked on a run in the ninth inning on a solo homer by Blaine Crim for a 3-1 lead. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Chris Owings and Jonathan Araúz drew back-to-back walks for OKC before a flyout to left field ended the game.

Of Note:

-After back-to-back wins Friday and Saturday, Oklahoma City settled for a split in the six-game series against the Express with Sunday’s loss. OKC is now 4-4 in the last eight games following a 9-3 stretch…With 12 games remaining in the first half of the PCL season, which wraps up June 23, OKC trails league-leading Sugar Land by 5.0 games. The teams meet for a six-game series at Constellation Field this week.

-Drew Avans and Chris Okey finished with multi-hit games for Oklahoma City, with Avans going 2-for-4 with a double and Chris Okey going 2-for-4 and scoring OKC’s lone run…Andre Lipcius drew a walk and picked up a RBI and now has nine RBI over his last four games…Trey Sweeney drew a walk to extend his on-base streak to 17 games.

-After OKC had scored at least five runs in 10 of the previous 11 games, totaling 93 runs during the stretch (8.5 rpg), OKC was held to one run Sunday for the team’s lowest run total since a 6-0 shutout loss against Reno May 26…OKC was also held without a home run Sunday, snapping the team’s season-best stretch of 11 consecutive games with a home run (23 HR).

-Three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series champion Max Scherzer started for Round Rock as part of a Major League Rehab Assignment. He completed 4.0 scoreless innings and pitched to one batter in the fifth inning, allowing one hit and one walk with five strikeouts. He faced 14 batters, throwing 53 pitches (37 strikes). Scherzer had back surgery during the offseason and made his first rehab appearance with Round Rock April 24 before a nerve issue in his thumb slowed his rehab process.

-Kyle Hurt continued his Major League Rehab Assignment with OKC throwing a scoreless and hitless inning with one walk. He faced four batters in the sixth inning, throwing 16 pitches (10 strikes). He was placed on the Los Angeles Dodgers Injured List April 17 with right shoulder inflammation and was transferred to the 60-day IL April 27.

-The two-run loss marked the 35th time this season — and fifth time in the series — a game for OKC was decided by two runs or less. OKC is now 17-18 in games decided by one or two runs.

-Oklahoma City turned four double plays to tie the team’s season-high mark set March 29 in an 11-inning game in Tacoma.

Next Up: Oklahoma City travels to open a six-game road series against the league-leading Sugar Land Space Cowboys at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday at Constellation Field. 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.