Dodgers Spin Second Shutout of Season

For the second time in five games to start the season, the Oklahoma City Dodgers pitched  a shutout, resulting in a 4-0 victory Monday night over the Memphis Redbirds at AutoZone Park.

Julio Urias, Matt West, Sean Burnett, and Chin-Hui Tsao held the Redbirds to no runs on six hits and struck out 16 batters without allowing a walk. Through the first five games of the season, the Dodgers pitching staff has allowed a grand total of four runs.

Urias (1-0) earned the victory in his season debut. The 19-year-old lefty pitched five scoreless innings, with four hits and nine strikeouts. After giving up back-to-back singles with two outs in the first inning, Urias proceeded to retire the next 12 Memphis hitters consecutively, with eight via strikeout.

West struck out four of the seven batters he faced between the sixth and seventh innings. Making his organizational debut, Burnett retired the side in order in the eighth with two strikeouts. Tsao capped the shutout with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Dodgers (4-1) got on the board early in the first inning. After Alex Hassan and Corey Brown hit back-to-back singles with one out, Jose Tabata brought Hassan home with a sacrifice fly.

After Brown’s hit, the Memphis pitching staff retired 18 of the next 19 OKC batters, including 13 straight at one point. Rob Segedin broke up that run with an opposite field solo home run with one out in the seventh, stretching the lead to 2-0 on Segedin’s second homer of the season.

The Dodgers failed to take advantage of a leadoff double by pinch hitter Drew Maggi in the eighth inning, but added two runs in the ninth. Brandon Hicks came through with a key two-run, two-out double for his first hit of the season, pushing the lead to 4-0.

Memphis (2-3) put a total of four runners in scoring position throughout the night, but only had one runner reach third base. The Dodgers held the Redbirds 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position, and have now held their opponents 2-for-22 with runners in scoring position to start the season.

Redbirds starting pitcher Arturo Reyes pitched five strong innings, but ended up with the loss. Reyes (0-1) gave up just two hits and one run, with one walk and eight strikeouts.

One full time through the starting rotation, OKC Dodgers starting pitchers have allowed a total of one run and 15 hits over 26.2 innings. They have notched 18 strikeouts against one walk.

The Dodgers will look to keep their early-season roll going against the Redbirds Tuesday night at 6:35 p.m. Live coverage begins at 6:20 p.m. on AM 1340 “The Game,” 1340thegame.com, or through the iHeartRadio mobile app.