Oklahoma City Comets (Triple-A) — W, 1-0 vs Round Rock

One run was all our guys in OKC needed tonight, and Jack Suwinski provided it with a solo home run. That was the entire offense — 1-0 final — so let’s talk about the pitching staff that made it hold up.

Christian Romero set the tone with five scoreless innings, striking out two without issuing a walk. That’s the kind of efficiency you want to see from a starter: attack the zone, let the defense work, and get deep enough into the game to hand it off cleanly. Romero didn’t rack up a flashy strikeout total, but zero walks and zero runs through five in a game where one run is the margin? That’s a quality start in every sense that matters.

Garrett McDaniels picked up the win (2-1) with a scoreless sixth, striking out one while walking one. Then Wyatt Mills locked down the final two innings for the save, punching out two without a walk. Three pitchers, nine innings, zero runs. You won’t see a much cleaner combined shutout than that.

Suwinski went 1-for-3 with the homer. Not a busy night at the plate for anyone, but when the pitching is that dominant, you only need one swing.

Tulsa Drillers (Double-A) — W, 5-2 vs Springfield

The story here is Patrick Copen, and it’s not close. Nine strikeouts over 6.1 innings of scoreless ball to pick up the win and move to 2-0 on the season. The only blemish was four walks — he clearly had trouble putting hitters away cleanly at times — but when he did get two strikes, he was filthy. Nine punchouts against a Cardinals affiliate lineup is legit. If Copen can trim the free passes, we’re looking at a pitcher who could move quickly. The stuff is obviously there.

Offensively, Griffin Lockwood-Powell led the way with a home run, two RBI, two runs scored, and a walk in a 1-for-3 night from behind the plate. A catcher who can provide that kind of pop in the middle of a lineup is valuable at every level. Kendall George drove in a pair as well with a double, going 1-for-3 with a walk out of the center field spot. George continues to show a solid approach — drawing a walk and putting the bat on the ball when it matters.

Jake Gelof had a quieter night at the dish, going 0-for-2 with two strikeouts and a walk, but he did swipe a bag. The strikeouts are something to monitor, but the willingness to take a walk and the stolen base show he’s not just up there hacking. Still, you’d like to see more contact from him going forward.

Great Lakes Loons (High-A) — W, 3-2 vs West Michigan

A tight one in the Midwest, and the bullpen earned this victory. Myles Caba struck out four in two scoreless innings to pick up the win (2-0), and Alex Makarewich slammed the door with three strikeouts in a perfect ninth for the save. Seven combined punchouts from two relievers over three innings — that’s dominant late-game work, and it turned a one-run lead into a final score.

Makarewich, in particular, deserves attention. Three strikeouts on just one inning of work with no walks and no hits? That’s an exclamation point. Keep an eye on this one.

On offense, it was a quiet night overall, but Jose Meza provided the most productive bat, going 2-for-4 with an RBI from the first base spot. He was caught stealing, so the aggressiveness on the bases didn’t pay off, but two hits in a low-scoring game carries weight.

Ontario Tower Buzzers (Single-A) — L, 5-6 vs Inland Empire

This one stings because Jesus Tillero gave Ontario everything a starter can give — six innings, five strikeouts, two walks, and zero earned runs — and the team still lost. When your starter turns in a line like that and you come out on the wrong side, it usually means the bullpen gave it back. That’s exactly what happened here. Tillero deserved better.

The bats showed up, at least partially. Emil Morales had a big night at shortstop, going 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and three RBI. That’s the kind of extra-base pop from a middle infielder that gets noticed. Mairoshendrick Martinus (yes, that’s a name you’ll remember once you learn it) collected two doubles of his own, going 2-for-4 with a run scored, though he struck out twice. Conner O’Neal chipped in two RBI as well, going 1-for-4 from behind the plate.

Five runs and six extra-base hits from your lineup should be enough to win most games. The pitching just couldn’t hold it after Tillero exited. A frustrating loss, but there were real positives on both sides of the ball individually.

ACL Dodgers (Rookie)

No game scheduled for the ACL Dodgers today.

DSL Dodgers (Rookie)

No game scheduled for the DSL Dodgers today.