Dodgers lose opener to Iowa

The Iowa Cubs scored a run on a ninth-inning passed ball, and then held off a Dodgers rally to win the season-opener 1-0 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark

Sitting at his desk, Oklahoma City manager Bill Haselman had plenty of positives to talk about even after a loss.

The Dodgers had fallen 1-0 to Iowa in Thursday’s season opener in front of 9,928 fans at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, the result of a pitch that got away.

“We’ll be all right,” Haselman said.

For a team loaded with talented prospects and veterans, it played near flawlessly.

The Dodgers’ pitching staff opened with eight shutout innings and retired 14 straight batters at one point. Four plays that could be deemed as web gems were executed.

“Pitching and defense usually wins,” OKC catcher Bobby Wilson said. “We showed that we’re going to hit. I think that’s the least of our concern is hitting. It was nice to see the defensive side of it.”

Wilson, a sure-handed defender behind the plate, had a Brandon Morrow pitch trickle past him in the top of the ninth that allowed Iowa’s Victor Caratini to score the game’s lone run.

Wilson said the ball hit the plate and stayed down lower than he expected.

“But there’s no excuse,” Wilson said. “You have to block that ball. It’s just an unfortunate way to lose a game as well as we pitched tonight.”

OKC used five pitchers and allowed just five hits and four walks.

Starting pitcher Trevor Oaks — not at his sharpest — lasted four innings and allowed just three hits and two walks.

He benefited the most from the Dodgers’ defense.

Outfielder Trayce Thompson made a leaping catch against the wall in the right-field corner in the second. Then with the bases loaded in the same inning, he stranded all runners with a running catch on a line drive.

“Plays that Thompson made early one were huge and kept us in the game,” Haselman said.

Then Rob Segedin delivered two late stops at third base, including a divine stop on a onehopper down the line.

“I mean, my God, his reactions over there,” Haselman said.

But as good as those areas were, the Dodgers’ potent offense fell silent with runners on base. They went 0 for 16 with runners on and 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position.