Dodgers Break Slump, Shut Out New Orleans

Starting pitcher Julio Urias fired six no-hit innings and faced the minimum as he led the Oklahoma City Dodgers to a 5-0 win against the New Orleans Zephyrs Wednesday afternoon at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

Urias combined with relievers Lisalverto Bonilla and Chin-Hui Tsao on Oklahoma City’s first combined one-hitter since July 24, 2015 at Round Rock – and the ninth one-hitter in the team’s 19-year PCL history. It’s also the first one-hit shutout by OKC since Asher Wojciechowski went the distance at Round Rock on July 8, 2013 at Round Rock.

Urias threw 77 pitches, 52 of which were strikes, and retired the first 12 batters he faced before New Orleans’ Dan Black reached base on an error by Dodgers shortstop Zach Walters. Matt Juengel followed and hit into a fielder’s choice, with a force out made at second base. Urias then picked off Juengel at first base to end the fifth inning.

The 19-year-old, left-handed pitcher recorded six strikeouts in the game and his six innings pitched tied a career high. Urias (3-1) entered the season rated by MLB.com as the top left-handed pitching prospect in baseball and the fourth-best overall prospect.

Bonilla entered the game in the seventh inning to pitch for the Dodgers and worked around two walks to keep the Zephyrs (13-12) scoreless. He retired the side in order in the eighth inning, but Austin Nola broke up the no-hit bid when he led off the ninth inning with a line drive single to left field.

Tsao pitched the final two-thirds of the ninth inning and retired the two batters he faced to complete the shutout in front of a sellout crowd of 10,871.

The Dodgers scored the game’s first runs in the third inning on their way to their league-leading fourth shutout win of the season.

Oklahoma City catcher Jack Murphy belted his first home run of the season over the Devon Energy Deck in right field for a 1-0 OKC lead.

Later in the inning, the Dodgers hit three straight singles with one out, capped with a RBI single on a soft line drive from Corey Brown that dropped in left field and pushed the Dodgers to a 2-0 lead.

Oklahoma City (13-11) added two runs in the fourth inning on a RBI sac bunt by Julio Urias and RBI single by Austin Barnes to take a 4-0 lead. Urias also singled in the fifth inning to go 1-for-2 at the plate.

Murphy’s sacrifice fly in the fifth inning boosted Oklahoma City to a 5-0 lead.

Former Oklahoma City RedHawks pitcher Paul Clemens (3-3) was charged with the loss, allowing four runs (three earned), seven hits, two walks and striking out four in four innings.

The Dodgers outhit the Zephyrs, 12-1.

Wednesday’s win by Oklahoma City cut the Zephyrs’ lead in the series between the teams to 2-1 and ended the Dodgers’ stretch of eight straight losses in games that started before noon.

The Dodgers wrap-up their four-game series against New Orleans with a 7:05 p.m. game Thursday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.