Trio of Homers Push past Albuquerque

Published on August 18, 2025 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release

Home runs by Ryan Ward, Kody Hoese and CJ Alexander led the Oklahoma City Comets to a 9-5 win against the Albuquerque Isotopes Sunday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The homers – each hit with two outs – accounted for seven of the Comets’ runs in the series finale between the teams. Oklahoma City scored three runs in the third inning and went on to lead the rest of the game. CJ Alexander hit a RBI triple before Ward sent a two-run homer out to left field for a 3-0 advantage in the third inning. Albuquerque loaded the bases in the fourth inning and brought in runs on a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly to trim OKC’s lead to one run. The Comets (25-20/71-49) responded with five runs in the fourth inning, including a three-run home run out to left-center field by Hoese and two-run homer by Alexander out to right field. Oklahoma City went ahead, 9-2, on a RBI groundout by Austin Gauthier in the fifth inning. Albuquerque (18-27/49-70) chipped away at OKC’s lead, scoring a run on a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning and a two-run home run by Sam Hilliard in the seventh inning.

Of Note:

-The Comets won two of the final three games of the series against the Isotopes to finish the current series with a 3-3 split and win the overall season series against Albuquerque, 10-8…Oklahoma City improved to 6-3 in the last nine games overall and has now won three straight series finales as well as four of the last five.

-The Comets hit three home runs Sunday after not homering in back-to-back games Friday and Saturday for the first time since July 20 and 22. The team’s three homers Sunday were their most in a game since hitting five home runs Aug. 8 in El Paso and were their most in a game at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark since Aug. 3 against Salt Lake.

-Ryan Ward connected on a two-run home run in the third inning for his PCL-leading 29th home run of the season and his first homer since July 25 in Reno…With the two-run homer, he tied OKC’s single-season record for RBI and now has a Minor League-leading 107 RBI this season. His 107 RBI are tied with Jason Martin (2022) for the most by an Oklahoma City player during the team’s Bricktown era (since 1998).

-Luken Baker finished with a team-high three hits, going 3-for-4 with a double and run scored. He has hit safely in each of his first six games with OKC, going 11-for-23 (.478) with four extra-base hits and four…