Burns, Souza Jr. each drive in two runs in Oklahoma City victory

Steven Souza Jr. and Andy Burns each homered and drove in a pair of runs Thursday to lead Oklahoma City to a 5-2 win over El Paso (Padres).

With their second straight win, the Dodgers are 5-2 in the triple-A Final Stretch and have only three games remaining in the season.

Souza Jr. got the scoring started in the second inning when he launched a two-run shot into the Dodgers’ bullpen out in left-center. The homer came against former Dodger Joe Beimel, who made a return to baseball this season at the age of 44.

El Paso would answer right back in the top of the third when Brian O’Grady smashed a two-run home run of his own.

From there, it was the picket fence strategy for the Dodgers. They took the lead with a single run in each of the next three innings.

Burns singled in Zach McKinstry in the bottom of the fourth to give OKC a 3-2 lead. McKinstry was also the runner on base when Souza Jr. hit his home run. Billy McKinney doubled in the fifth, made it to third on an error and came home on a passed ball to make it 4-2.

El Paso’s Mason Fox struck out the side in the sixth but not before Andy Burns hit the first pitch he saw with one out over the left field fence.

Thursday notes

• McKinney was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored as he continues his rehab assignment.
• Souza Jr. extended his hitting streak to a season-best six games with a homer Thursday and is 11-for-27 (.407) during the stretch. He has also hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games with an at-bat, going 18-for-43 (.419) with five doubles, a triple and three homers with 11 RBI and scoring 14 runs.
• McKinstry collected two hits, including a double, going 2-for-4 and scoring a game-high two runs for OKC. He has hit safely in 11 of his last 13 games, going 15-for-52 (.288) with five doubles, four homers, eight RBI and 13 runs scored during the stretch.

Thursday’s boxscore

Oklahoma City 5, El Paso 2

What’s next

The Dodgers and Chihuahuas continue with the middle game of the five-game series. OKC will send Mitch White (1-0, 1.69) to the mound against Adrian Martinez (0-2, 5.49) at 5:05 p.m. PT at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.