Dodgers and Redbirds Split Double Dip

Memphis, Tenn. - The Oklahoma City Dodgers and Memphis Redbirds split a doubleheader Saturday at AutoZone Park, with Memphis edging Oklahoma City, 3-2, in the first game before the Dodgers were victorious, 8-5, in the nightcap.
The doubleheader was necessitated to avoid any complications with impeding inclement weather in Memphis Sunday due to Hurricane Barry making its way inland and toward the north.
 
A hot Dodgers offense was tamed by the Memphis pitching staff and kept at two runs in the first game. They collected just five hits and went 0-for-7 with runners on base and had just one at-bat with a runner in scoring position.
In Game 1, each team scored in the first inning with the leadoff batter for each team having a significant impact. Gavin Lux started the game with a triple and scored on a RBI groundout by Will Smith. But in the bottom of the inning, Randy Arozarena answered with a home run to tie the game.
It was still tied 1-1 in the bottom of the third inning. Irving Lopez led off and hit a ground ball fielded by second baseman Jake Peter in the shallow right-center field in a shift. Peter's throw to first base went over Matt Beaty's head, allowing Lopez to reach base on the error. Later with two outs, Edmundo Sosa connected on a two-run homer to put Memphis ahead, 3-1.
Between the second and sixth innings, the Dodgers offense went quiet, collecting two singles and having no runners advance past first base.
Starting pitcher Daniel Corcino held the Redbirds at three runs, giving a chance for the bats to restart. In the seventh inning, DJ Peters led off with a solo home run, pulling the Dodgers within one run.
Harold Arauz retired the next two batters before Zach Reks walked to put the tying run on base. The Redbirds made a pitching change, calling upon Hunter Cervenka, and the Dodgers countered with pinch hitter Connor Joe. On Cervenka's first pitch, Joe hit into a game-ending forceout at second base, giving Cervenka his first save.
Arauz (5-2) followed opener Mike Mayers and entered the game in the third inning. He kept the Dodgers to one run and three hits in the win, with one walk and two strikeouts.
Corcino was credited with the complete game - the second of his career and first since 2011. Over six solid innings, Corcino (6-4) allowed three runs, but only one earned, and just three hits. He issued one walk to go along with one strikeout, both of which were recorded in his final inning. Corcino threw 78 pitches and induced 11 groundouts.
The Dodgers (41-52) and Redbirds (37-57) had to wait over two-and-a-half hours after the completion of the first game to start the second game due to a combination of inclement weather and a power outage.
The Dodgers would not be held down again, as they erupted for seven runs on six hits in the second inning. Jon Kemmer singled home Shane Peterson to start the scoring, and the Dodgers added six more runs with two outs on three straight hits by Joe, Beaty and Edwin Ríos. With the bases loaded, Joe hit a grounder toward the middle deflected by Sosa allowing one run to score. Beaty then sent a sharp single up the middle to score two more. Ríos capped the rally with a two-run triple into the right field corner. He also scored on the play due to an errant relay throw making it a 7-0 game.
Lux hit a solo home run down the right field line in the fourth inning, pushing the lead to 8-0.
The Dodgers appeared to be in control until the Redbirds scored five runs between the fourth and fifth innings. Lane Thomas came off the bench to record a pinch-hit, bases-clearing double in the fourth inning to give some momentum back to the Redbirds.
Memphis kept it going in the fifth inning, again getting a big hit with the bases full. José Godoy knocked a two-run single up the middle, cutting OKC's lead to 8-5.
Between the fifth and sixth innings, the Redbirds had four at-bats with the tying run at the plate, but the Dodgers kept them 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in those situations. Jaime Schultz worked a scoreless sixth inning before Kevin Quackenbush retired the side in order in the seventh inning to earn his seventh save.
Both teams covered all seven innings of Game 2 with their bullpens. Caleb Ferguson made a spot start and struck out five batters over two scoreless frames. Shea Spitzbarth (1-0) followed Ferguson for the next 1.1 innings and was credited with the win.
Chris Ellis (3-5) allowed seven runs and seven hits over 1.2 innings to take the loss for Memphis.
With the Game 2 win, the Dodgers finished their games at AutoZone Park this season 7-1, setting a new team record for most wins in one season at the venue. The team has now won seven of its last nine games overall.
After playing the doubleheader Saturday, the Dodgers will not play Sunday and start a four-game series in Iowa at 7:08 p.m. Monday. Live radio coverage begins 15 minutes before first pitch on AM 1340 "The Game," 1340thegame.com and through the free iHeartRadio or MiLB First Pitch apps.