OKC RedHawks: Battered RedHawks return home to face PCL's top team

Oklahoma City returns to Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark at 7:05 p.m. Friday, beginning a four-game series with the Sacramento RiverCats, the team with the Pacific Coast League's best record (72-47). A little more than a week ago, it appeared the Cats-RedHawks series might be a good matchup, perhaps a championship preview.

But Oklahoma City has lost six consecutive games and 11 of the last 13. Once 18 games over .500, the Hawks are now 63-55. And they've fallen from first place in the American Conference's South Division to third — 41/2 games behind leader Albuquerque and a half-game behind second-place New Orleans.

The RedHawks finished their road trip through Tacoma and Salt Lake with a 1-7 record. They were swept four games by Salt Lake, which beat Oklahoma City 8-7 late Wednesday night on Doug Deeds' 10^th inning home run. Granted, Oklahoma City did show some life in the series finale, forcing extra innings by scoring three times in the top of the ninth inning.

Maybe returning to The Brick will turn the tide.

Sacramento, the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland A's, will be in OKC through Monday. The Fresno Grizzlies, the San Francisco Giants' farm team, will be at The Brick from Tuesday through Friday, Aug. 17.

Tickets are available at The Brick box office with prices starting at $5.