Oklahoma City can’t overcome early deficit, drops Las Vegas finale

Oklahoma City scored a run in the eighth and one in the ninth but left the tying runs at first and second to end the game. It was too little too late for the Dodgers as they dropped the series finale to Las Vegas (Athletics) by the score of 11-9.

After winning the first three games of the five-game set, the Dodgers dropped the last two and have fallen to the middle of the pack in the Final Stretch standings.

OKC played from behind all game after the Aviators scored four in the first and four in the third to take an 8-1 lead. All eight runs would be charged to Yefry Ramírez in his four innings of work.

Zach Reks and Matt Davidson each hit a solo homer in the inning directly after Las Vegas scored four, making it 8-2 as the game headed for the fifth inning. This is where Oklahoma City climbed back in the game with a five-run outburst to bring themselves within a run.

The Dodgers loaded the bases with one out for the meat of their order. Davidson singled home to cut the deficit to four. Two batters later, Steven Souza Jr. smacked a double to center field to bring in another run and put runners at second and third.

After working a full count, Reks lofted a single out to left field to bring both runs home. Reks would finish the night 3-for-5 with three runs driven in.

Las Vegas regained momentum in the seventh against reliever Neftalí Feliz after loading the bases with two outs. Feliz walked in a run before giving way to Victor González out of the OKC pen.

The left-hander surrendered a single up the middle to score two more and allow the Aviators to take an 11-7 lead into the eighth.

Sheldon Neuse got one back in the eighth with an RBI-single and would end his night going 2-for-4. Neuse reached base three times, with two singles and a hit by pitch. He’s now 18-for-51 (.353) over his last 13 games and has hit safely in 17 of his last 21 games, going 30-for-89 (.337).

The Dodger came close but couldn’t quite pull it off in the ninth after the first two batters of the ninth made out. Souza Jr. hit his 11th homer to bring OKC within two and Anthony Bemboom came to the plate with a chance, following a Reks single and an Andy Burns walk.

Bemboom would fly out to end the threat and the game.

Notes from OKC

• Davidson notched his fifth straight multi-hit game, going 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI, marking his team-leading 24th multi-RBI game of the season. He has eight multi-hit outings in his last 11 games, connecting on a combined 18 hits, including five homers and two doubles, with 13 RBI and 10 runs scored. In 24 games since returning from the Injured List Aug. 28, Davidson has hit 10 homers, collected 16 extra-base hits and tallied 32 RBI.
• Souza Jr. went 3-for-5 with a home run and double, posting his second consecutive three-hit game. During the series in Las Vegas, Souza went 9-for-20 with three extra-base hits, eight runs scored and four RBI. He has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games with an at-bat, going 17-for-40 (.425), with five doubles, a triple and two homers, as well as nine RBI and scoring 13 runs during the stretch.
• Although the Dodgers lost their final two games in Las Vegas, they finished with a 37-28 road record this season. It’s just the third time in the last 13 seasons the team notched a winning road record and will end up as the third-highest road winning percentage over 23 seasons during the franchise’s Bricktown era. The Dodgers won the series in Las Vegas, 3-2, and went 7-1-1 over their final nine road series of the season.

Monday boxscore

Las Vegas 11, Oklahoma City 9

What’s next

Oklahoma City is off Tuesday as they head home to face the El Paso Chihuahuas for a five-game series to end the season.