Dodgers Blank Memphis Tuesday to Earn Series Split

Jair Jurrjens pitched six shutout innings and the Oklahoma City Dodgers scored their highest run total in five games as the Dodgers closed out their homestand with a 6-0 shutout win against the Memphis Redbirds Tuesday afternoon at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

Pitchers Patrick Schuster and Layne Somsen combined with Jurrjens to hold Memphis scoreless as the Dodgers posted back-to-back shutout victories for the first time this season and first time since Aug. 9-10, 2016 at Iowa.

Willie Calhoun went 3-for-5 Tuesday, hitting his first home run of the season and finishing a triple shy of the cycle as he collected his third three-hit game of the season.

The Dodgers (10-9) won the final two games of their series against the Redbirds to secure a split in front of a crowd of 9,631 during a field trip day game.

Calhoun led off the game with his first homer of the season on a solo shot that landed in the Redbirds’ bullpen in right-center field. The leadoff homer was the Dodgers’ first of the season and gave Oklahoma City a 1-0 lead.

Two batters later, O’Koyea Dickson homered over the wall in center field to boost the Dodgers to a 2-0 advantage with one out and boosted his team-leading total to six homers on the season.

Dickson led off the bottom of the third inning with a double and advanced to third base on a single by Alex Verdugo. Darnell Sweeney bunted into a fielder’s choice and brought home Dickson for a 3-0 Dodgers lead.

A RBI single by Michael Ahmed into center field later in the inning pushed Oklahoma City to a 4-0 advantage.

In the fourth inning, Verdugo hit a grounder toward Memphis third baseman Patrick Wisdom, whose throw toward first base sailed wide, allowing Verdugo to reach safely and Calhoun and Dickson to both score on the play and boost the Dodgers to a 6-0 lead.

On the mound, Jurrjens (2-0) made his fourth start of the season and pitched six shutout innings, holding the Redbirds to four hits and allowing one walk with four strikeouts. Jurrjens entered the game ranking sixth in the league with a .197 opponent average and seventh with a 1.02 WHIP.

Schuster and Somsen combined to pitch the final three innings, holding Memphis without a hit and preserving the shutout.

Memphis starting pitcher Mike Mayers (1-3) was hit with the loss, allowing four runs and seven hits over three innings with one walk and five strikeouts.

Verdugo collected two hits Tuesday to extend his hitting streak to five games and recorded one of Oklahoma City’s two stolen bases in the game as the Dodgers have now picked up a stolen base in six straight games.

The Redbirds’ record fell to 10-10 on the season.

After having Wednesday off, the Dodgers travel to play a four-game road series against the Omaha Storm Chasers starting with a 6:35 p.m. game Thursday at Werner Park.

Live coverage begins at 6:20 p.m. on AM 1340 "The Game," 1340thegame.com, or through the free iHeartRadio mobile app. 

-OKC Dodgers-