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Dodgers' Triple-A Franchise Win First Title
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- Dodgers' Triple-A Franchise Win First Title
(USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
The Oklahoma City Comets saved their biggest comeback of the season for the final game.
The Los Angeles Dodgers ' Triple-A affiliate, after falling behind early and entering the eighth inning trailing by two runs, Oklahoma City rallied to defeat the Rochester Red Wings, 5-3, in 10 innings Saturday night at Las Vegas Ballpark to capture the 2026 Triple-A National Championship.
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The victory gave the Comets their first championship in the current Triple-A National Championship Game format and capped a remarkable finish to their season.
Rochester, the International League champion, struck first in the opening inning when Leandro Pineda delivered a two-out RBI single. Liover Peguero then extended the Red Wings' advantage in the second, launching a solo home run to put Oklahoma City in an early 2-0 hole.
Oklahoma City finally breaks through
The Comets, representing the Pacific Coast League, struggled to generate offense for much of the night before finally breaking through in the eighth.
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Mike Sirota started the comeback with an RBI single, cutting Rochester's lead to one run. Ryan Fitzgerald followed with a run-scoring double, bringing the game even at 2-2 and sending the championship contest into its late stages.
Oklahoma City had a chance to win in the ninth, but Rochester put runners on the corners with two outs. Seth Halvorsen escaped the threat by inducing a fly ball, sending the game to extra innings.
That set the stage for Alek Thomas .
With Oklahoma City beginning the 10th with an automatic runner at second, two walks loaded the bases and gave the Comets an opportunity to finally take the lead. Thomas took advantage, driving a double into left-center field that cleared the bases and gave Oklahoma City a 5-2 advantage.
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Rochester brought its automatic runner home in the bottom half of the inning, but Halvorsen finished the job by striking out Pineda and securing the championship.
Alek Thomas comes through
Thomas finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs, extending his postseason production during a strong finish. He collected six hits in 11 at-bats over Oklahoma City's final three playoff games.
Zach Ehrhard also played a major role in the championship run, going 3-for-5 with a stolen base. He finished the season with a hit in 16 consecutive games and batted .529 during Oklahoma City's four postseason contests.
Fitzgerald provided another key contribution, finishing the postseason with six RBIs and ending the season on a 10-game hitting streak.
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The pitching staff also held together after starter Emmet Sheehan worked 5.1 innings, allowing two runs while striking out seven. Oklahoma City's bullpen surrendered only one unearned run over the final 4.2 innings.
The championship capped an impressive September for the Comets. Oklahoma City won 21 of its final 25 games, including its sixth Pacific Coast League championship before defeating Rochester for the Triple-A crown.
After losing the opening game of the PCL Championship Series, the Comets responded by winning three consecutive postseason games to claim the league title before completing another comeback on the national stage.
This time, the comeback ended with Oklahoma City holding the championship trophy for the first time in franchise history.
