It was just another day at the office for the Sky Sox as they picked up the 5-0 win over the OKC Dodgers Thursday night in Bricktown. Hiram Burgos was again outstanding and shoved for seven innings in scoreless fashion, while Lewis Brinson paced the rest of the guys with two solo homers and an outstanding catch in the deepest part of the park. Brinson’s first homer came in the first inning and after that, Burgos put it in cruise control limiting OKC to a hit over his seven innings. The second homer for the centerfielder came in the third and was ahead of Andy Wilkins’ solo blast. It marked the first time since April 2015 that the boys went back to back. Michael Kirkman and David Goforth completed the shutout with two scoreless innings on the hill.

This evening, the Sky Sox and Dodgers get ready for the third and fourth games of the five-game series with a double-dip at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. This is the fourth, final and LARGEST series these two teams will play here in 2016. The Sky Sox enter play looking to continue their winning ways and come into the two tilts with a road record of 26-37. They are back to .500 at 64-64 and sit in second place, now just 6.5 games in back of the Dodgers with their tragic number frozen at 5. In hopes of gaining more ground on OKC, Colorado Springs will send rehabbing righty Junior Guerra to the mound in game one against outstanding righty Trevor Oaks. Game two will feature slinging southpaw Josh Hader to the hill against OKC’s righty Lisalverto Bonilla. Guerra returns to the Sox on a rehab assignment after going 7-3 with the Brewers, while Oaks is 5-1 with a 3.03 ERA in nine games with OKC. Hader, like Burgos last night, is coming off of a career night against Round Rock in which he struck out 12., while Bonilla is 2-5 with a 5.04 ERA in 22 games. The Sox are 7-6 against the Dodgers and have taken the last five games of the season series, here in 2016 and have compiled a 69-91 all-time record against them and are 26-53 at Bricktown.

Today’s Game Notes / Listen Live at 3:00 MDT / Lineups

Colorado Springs Sky Sox (64-64) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (72-59) – DOUBLEHEADER – 3:35 p.m. – Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark – Oklahoma City Oklahoma

Game One Pitching Matchup: RHP Junior Guerra (0-2, 4.63/MLB REHAB) at RHP Trevor Oaks (5-1, 3.03)

Sky Sox Pitcher: Right-hander Junior Guerra returns to the Colorado Springs roster for the first time since April 25th and will make his first major-league rehab start this afternoon in OKC. In 17 games with the Brewers, Guerra is 7-3 with a 2.93 ERA allowing 37 runs (35 earned) on 80 hits, 37 walks, and 90 strikeouts in 107 1/3 innings. He has arguably been one of the Brewers best pitchers and has held big-league hitters to a .206 batting average. He was placed on the DL on August 8th (retro to August 4th) with right elbow inflammation and has not pitched in a game since August 3rd when he lasted just four innings against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. In four starts with the Sky Sox, the righty went 0-2 with a 4.63 ERA allowing 12 runs on 17 hits, 9 walks and 23 strikeouts. PCL opponents are hitting .205 against the Venezuela native. He has not faced the Dodgers this season. Guerra was originally signed by the Braves as a catcher out of Venezuela and is 6-15 with a 3.97 ERA in 76 minor-league affairs, 20 of which have been starts. In 20 MLB appearances he is 7-3 with a 7-3 record and 3.07 ERA

Last Time Out – 8/3/16 at San Diego: Guerra had his shortest stint as a Brewer the last time he pitched, in early August against the Friars. He allowed 4 runs on 6 hits, walked 3 and struck out 5 Padres. He threw 89 pitches, 54 for strikes in a game he and the Brewers lost 12-3.

Last 10 games for Guerra –

 

Dodgers Pitcher: Righty Trevor Oaks moves up and gets the call for the Dodgers in game one of the twinbill. Oaks enters play with a 5-1 record and 3.03 ERA in 9 PCL games, allowing 30 runs (21 earned) on 64 hits, 8 walks and 48 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings. He is holding PCL opponents to a .264 batting average. Oaks has pitched across three levels and is a combined 14-3 with a 2.75 ERA in 23 starts with Rancho Cucamonga (4), Tulsa (10), and OKC (9). He has not faced the Sky Sox this season. The 23 year old was selected by the Dodgers in the 7th round of the 2014 draft out of California Baptist. In the first three years of his career he is 27-10 with a 3.12 ERA in 60 minor league games, 47 of which have been starts.

Last Time Out – 8/15/16 vs. El Paso – Oaks took to the hill against the sliding El Paso Chihuahuas his last time out and earned the win with a complete game. The righty held the Pups to a run on three hits, he didn’t walk a batter and struck out 11. He threw 106 pitches and fired 78 bullets for strikes in the 8-1 win for OKC.

Last 10 games for Oaks –

Game Two Pitching Matchup: LHP Josh Hader (1-5, 4.79) at RHP Lisalverto Bonilla (2-5, 5.04)

Sky Sox Pitcher: Lefty Josh Hader is set to make his 13th Triple-A start, his seventh away from Security Service Field, and his 24th overall between Double-A Biloxi and the Sky Sox. Hader has dropped five of his first 12 Triple-A starts which have come against Omaha (2x), Memphis (2x), Round Rock (3x), New Orleans, Reno, Nashville (2x) and Albuquerque. Last time out the lefty was outstanding and earned his first Triple-A win with six shutout innings, over which he struck out a career-high 12 Express. He is 1-5 with a 4.79 ERA allowing 35 runs (33 earned) on 52 hits, 29 walks, and 81 strikeouts in Triple-A. PCL opponents are hitting .243 against him.  He allowed 2 runs on 1 hit, 4 walks, and 9 strikeouts against Memphis in his Triple-A debut on June 12 and tossed five scoreless against the Express on June 27. In 22 starts combined, Hader is 2-6 with a 3.11 ERA and has allowed 42 runs (39 earned) on 92 hits, 47 walks, and 142 strikeouts in 113 innings of work. He made an appearance in the MLB Futures Game and recorded a strikeout of Josh Naylor of the Marlins system with a 96-MPH fastball. The 22-year old is in his 5^th professional season after originally being selected by the Orioles in the 19^thround of the 2012 draft out of Old Mill High School in Millersville, Maryland. The Astros sent RHP Bud Norris to the Orioles in exchange for Hader in July 2013 and the Brewers acquired him from the ‘Stros in the Jul 30, 2015 deal that sent Carlos Gomez and Mike Fiers to Houston for Hader, Adrian Houser, Brett Phillips, and Domingo Santana. What a haul that trade garnered the BrewCrew. The lefty is 24-22 with five saves and a 2.95 ERA in 113 career outings, 81 of which have been starts in four-plus professional seasons.

8/21/16 at Round Rock – Hader was just tremendous his last time out and set a career-high with 12 strikeouts over the Express. He earned his first Triple-A win with six scoreless innings, in which he allowed 2 hits and 1 walk to go along with all of those Ks. He threw 99 pitches, 65 of which went for strikes in a game he and the Sox won 6-0.

Last 10 Games for Hader:

Dodgers Pitcher: Righty Lisalverto Bonilla gets the call to start for the fifth time in an OKC uniform tonight in Bricktown. In 22 games with the Dodgers has gone 2-5 with 2 saves and a 5.04 ERA allowing 38 runs (34 earned) in 60 2/3 innings. He made seven starts with Double-A Tulsa where he went 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA allowing 15 runs (14 earned) in 37 1/3 innings. All told, Bonilla’s numbers add up to a 3-7 record with 2 saves and a 4.41 ERA allowing 53 runs (48 earned) on 102 hits, 6 homers, 37 walks, and 105 strikeouts in 98 innings. Bonilla took the mound at Security Service Field on August 2 and was dealt the loss despite going 7 innings. He allowed 4 runs on 9 hits, walked 2 and struck out 5 Sox in a game Colorado Springs won 7-3. He was originally signed by the Phillies as an International free-agent in 2009, then traded to the Rangers for Michael Young in 2012, and claimed off waivers by the Dodgers in 2015. In 7 seasons (he missed 2015 due to injury), the righty is 30-27 with 17 saves and a 3.40 ERA in 199 career games, 54 of which have been starts. He made his MLB debut with the Rangers in 2014 and has gone 3-0 with a 3.05 ERA in five big-league games.

Last Time Out: 8/18/16 vs. Albuquerque – Bonilla went six innings against the Isotopes at Bricktown and took the loss his last time out. He gave up 5 runs on 8 hits, walked 1 and struck out 5. He fired off 101 pitches in the six frames, 72 of which went for strikes in a game he and the Dodgers lost 5-2.

Last 10 Games for Bonilla –

Dan Karcher (@SkySoxKarch) continues his 27th season behind the mic for Sky Sox games, he will have the call of tonight’s game from Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark at 3:35 p.m. I will get Sky Sox Warmup off the ground and running at 3:00 MDT on XTRA Sports 1300.

Thanks for reading – See you on the radio,

Dan

@Dan_Acheson