Dodgers Rally Comes Up Inches Short In Loss

New Orleans shortstop Miguel Rojas robbed Oklahoma City of a win on Wednesday, as the Zephyrs beat the Dodgers, 4-3.<br/><br/>

Wednesday, May 6th 2015, 4:23 pm

By: News 9


It was Field Trip Day at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark Wednesday morning. Thousands of middle school and high school students from across the state descended on Oklahoma City to enjoy a little baseball.

Unfortunately, the kids had to go back to school at some point, and they didn't even get to go back happy with a win.

Miguel Rojas doubled home the winning run in the top of the ninth, then made a game-saving diving catch to clinch the win, as the New Orleans Zephyrs withstood two Oklahoma City rallies to defeat the Dodgers, 4-3.

The Dodgers put runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the ninth when Darwin Barney smashed a line drive up the middle. But instead of finding outfield grass, the ball found leather as Rojas made a terrific dive to his left and snagged the drive, preventing OKC from winning its 20th game of the season.

If Barney's hit had been a matter of inches farther away from Rojas, a lot of kids who left early—no doubt to get a head start on the bus trip back home—would have been very unhappy with their teachers for having to miss a fairly impressive comeback.

But for the Dodgers, the offense came just too late to pull out a win, as New Orleans pitching shut out OKC through seven innings. Zephyrs starter Andre Rienzo gave up just three hits through the first six innings, striking out seven batters in the process. The Dodgers were unable to generate any sort of momentum against Rienzo, who faced a maximum of four batters in any of his six innings.

Not even screaming renditions of “Let It Go” and the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song from the crowd of 10,506 were enough to jumpstart the Dodger bats.

Oklahoma City starter Mike Bolsinger was stellar through the first four innings, striking out seven batters before running into some trouble in the fifth inning. Two hits, including a double from Jordany Valdespin that nearly cleared the wall in right field, resulted in two runs and a 2-0 New Orleans lead.

The Zephyrs added a run to their lead in the seventh inning off long reliever Steve Smith. An error by third baseman Corey Seager on a double play ball moved Rojas to third, and a groundout from Valdespin scored Rojas.

The OKC bats finally awoke in the eighth inning, putting together four hits. The final two hits of the inning were the big ones, back-to-back doubles from Darnell Sweeney and Austin Barnes that scored three runs and knotted the game at three apiece.

But New Orleans was able to capitalize on a leadoff walk from OKC closer David Aardsma to Isaac Galloway in the ninth. Rojas hit a double just over the outstretched glove of Barney at shortstop, and Galloway raced in from second with the winning run.

Aardsma took the loss for OKC, his first of the year, while Vin Mazzaro picked up the win for the Zephyrs despite giving up five hits and three runs over 1.2 innings of work.

The two teams finish up the series Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. before the Dodgers hit the road for an eight-game road trip beginning on Friday.

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