Oklahoma City punched the Sox right in the mouth finishing Monday’s game on a 15-2 run, but the Sox weren’t stunned for long as they bounced back with a 3-1 win in the series finale on Tuesday night at Security Service Field. The win completed the season series between the two teams and put the Sox at 12-4 over the course of 2017 against Oklahoma City. It also shrunk the Sox magic number down to FOUR. That’s right, FOUR heading into this eight-day road trip.

Taylor Jungmann and David Hale each turned in a phenomenal start on the bump. Jungmann went the first six and Hale the first seven. Colorado Springs jumped on the board with a run in the bottom of the second inning on Yadiel Rivera’s two out single, which brought in Nate Orf to make it 1-0. Kyle Farmer tied it up with a run in the top of the third on an RBI double.

From there it was all arms. The Sox righty allowed the run on four hits in six innings, he walked five and struck out eight, all the while lowering his ERA to 2.77. Hale allowed one run over six innings, but was called upon for the seventh, too and the Sox took advantage with two down. Rivera picked up a single and got on his horse when Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit a towering fly ball down the left field line. It just kept going and going and going and bounced off the wall for an RBI double and gave the Sox the 2-1 lead. They added one more on Chris Colabello’s single to left which made it the final of 3-1.

Wei-Chung Wang, Wily Peralta, Tyler Webb, and Rob Scahill backed up Jungmann with three scoreless innings.

Game Story Here

Hitting Notes – 

The Sox banged out three runs on nine hits and had two multi-hit affairs.

Yadiel Rivera went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

Nate Orf had two hits, a double and a single, and scored a run.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit once and made it count with an RBI double in the seventh.

Chris Colabello had an RBI single.

Mauricio Dubon went 1-for-4 with a run scored.

Ivan De Jesus walked and doubled.

Taylor Jungmann picked up a hit in two trips to the plate.

Pitching Notes – 

Taylor Jungmann went six innings for the fourth straight starts and allowed one run on four hits, walked five and fanned eight. He threw 97 pitches, 63 of which went for strikes.

Wei-Chung Wang went two-thirds of an inning and allowed a hit.

Wily Peralta worked one inning and allowed a hit and a walk.

Tyler Webb got an out.

Rob Scahill picked up the save allowing a hit and striking out one.

Play of the Game – 

Kirk Nieuwenhuis’ run-scoring double in the seventh deserves our vote for play of the game, but the lone video from the game is an Ivan De Jesus double. Nothing wrong with that!

Pregame Interview with Dan Karcher and Quintin Berry – 

Colorado Springs Sky Sox (75-52) at New Orleans Baby Cakes (52-75) – 6:00 p.m. 

Game Notes / Listen Live at 5:30 p.m.

Pitching Probables: RHP Brandon Woodruff (6-5, 4.46) at LHP Mike Kickham (2-2, 6.14)

Sky Sox Starter: Brandon Woodruff readies for his 17th minor league start of 2017, 16th with the Sky Sox and eighth outside the walls of Security Service Field when he climbs the hill tonight against the New Orleans Baby Cakes at the Shrine on Airline. He is 6-5 with a 4.46 ERA overall in his first 15 starts with the Sky Sox. He’s 2-2 on the road allowing 14 runs (13 earned) in 36.2 innings. In total the righty has allowed 44 runs (36 earned) on 74 hits; he has walked 24, struck out 70, hit four batters and given up eight homers in 72 2/3 PCL innings. Woodruff has held opponents to a .262 batting average against and has a 1.49 ground out to air out ratio.

The righty had a tremendous 2016 season in which he combined to go 14-9 with a 2.68 ERA in 28 starts between High-A Brevard County and Double-A Biloxi. He allowed 51 runs (47 earned) on 121 hits in 158 innings. He walked 40 and struck out a Minor League best 173 opposing hitters. Drafted by the Brewers in the 11th round of the 2014 draft out of Mississippi State, Woodruff has compiled a career record of 25-23 with a 3.31 ERA in 78 outings, 70 starts. He is rated as the 7th best prospect and the labeled as the pitcher with the best fastball in the Brewers organization. In three MLB starts he is 1-1 with a 1.62 ERA, allowing three runs on 15 hits.

Last Time Out – August 19 – No Decision at Rockies –

Woodruff went the first four and two-third innings and limited the Rockies to a run on five hits, walked three and fanned four on 81 pitches, 48 of which went for strikes.

Baby Cakes Starting Arm: Lefty Mike Kickham will opposed the right-hander Woodruff in the Thursday night contest below sea level in the Big Easy. The former Giant has spent the majority of 2017 in Double-A with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, and readies for his seventh appearance, sixth start with the Baby Cakes. He is 2-2 with a 6.14 ERA in PCL play after going 5-7 with a 3.33 ERA in 18 AA appearances, 17 starts.  Two of the starts have been at home and he is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 12 innings at the Shrine. He’s faced the Sox two times, back in 2013 in Fresno where he went 7 1/3 scoreless against them, and on August 12 where he earned the win with a six inning performance.

Kickham was originally selected by the Giants in the sixth round of the 2010 draft out of Missouri State. The St. Louis native has pitched for the Giants, Mariners, Rangers, and now Marlins organizations. The lefty saw a lot of early success in his career, ascending to the bigs in 2013, his third full pro season. In 141 minor-league appearances, 122 starts, Kickham is 39-47 with a 4.13 ERA and in 14 MLB appearances, 3 starts, he is 0-3 with a 10.98 ERA.

Last Time Out – August 18 – Loss vs. Round Rock – 

Kickham took the loss, but pitched well, allowing just two runs on three hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out three on 80 pitches, 52 of which went for strikes.

Lineups

Dan Karcher (@SkySoxKarch) continues his 28^th season behind the mic for Sky Sox games, he will have the call of tonight’s game from the Shrine on Airline at 6:00 p.m. Sky Sox Warmup will get fired up at 5:30 p.m. MDT on XTRA Sports 1300.

Thanks for reading – See you on the radio,

@Dan_Acheson