Oklahoma City Comets (Triple-A) — W, 10-9 vs Round Rock

A clean, well-pitched affair this was not. But our guys in OKC found a way, and a 10-9 win is still a win. The story here is Ryan Ward, who continues to mash at Triple-A. Ward went 3-for-5 with a homer, three RBI, a walk, and a stolen base. He’s doing a little bit of everything right now, and the power has been consistent enough to keep the conversation going about when he’ll get his next look in Los Angeles. The homer gives him a nice early-season anchor, and the three-hit night shows he wasn’t selling out for it.

Austin Gauthier had a quietly excellent night at the plate — 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, and two RBI from the two-hole. That’s a professional at-bat line. Gauthier put the bat on the ball, took his free pass, and drove in runs when he had the chance. Jack Suwinski also chipped in with a 2-for-4 night and scored three times, so the top of the lineup was cycling through all game long.

The patience at the plate was notable across the board. Noah Miller drew three walks in his five plate appearances without recording a hit — sometimes that’s exactly what you want from a young shortstop still finding his footing at the highest minor league level. Zach Ehrhard didn’t get a hit either but drew a walk, scored a run, and swiped two bags. James Tibbs III walked twice as well, though two strikeouts temper that a bit. The lineup collectively worked counts and got on base, which matters more than the final line might suggest in a 10-9 slugfest.

Ryan Fitzgerald went 2-for-6 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Michael Siani added two RBI and a stolen base despite just one hit. On the mound, Paul Gervase picked up the win in relief, going 1.2 innings with a strikeout and one earned run. In a game like this, someone has to hold the line just long enough. Gervase did that.

Tulsa Drillers (Double-A) — W, 5-3 vs Springfield

This one was all about Wyatt Crowell. Five innings, seven strikeouts, zero earned runs, and just two walks. That’s a dominant start at any level, and at Double-A it’s the kind of outing that gets noticed. Crowell has electric stuff when he’s commanding the zone, and tonight he was in control from the jump. The two walks show he’s still fine-tuning, but when you punch out seven over five frames and don’t allow a run, that’s a statement. He picks up his first win of the year.

The offense didn’t need to do much, and it got most of what it needed from one swing. Zyhir Hope launched a three-run homer — his first of the season — to account for the bulk of Tulsa’s scoring. Hope went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts, so the approach still has some swing-and-miss to clean up, but the raw power is real. When he connects, the ball goes a long way. Three RBI on one swing will do the trick.

Kyle Nevin went 2-for-4 with a run scored, continuing to be a steady presence in the middle of the lineup. Chris Newell reached on a hit, scored a run, and added a stolen base — the kind of multi-tool contribution that keeps you in everyday lineups. Lucas Wepf closed it out with the save, working one inning and allowing an earned run but getting it done. Not spotless, but effective enough to nail it down.

Great Lakes Loons (High-A) — W, 9-4 vs West Michigan

Logan Wagner had himself a night. Three hits in five at-bats, including a homer and a double, with three runs scored and an RBI. That’s the kind of multi-extra-base-hit game that shows up on the radar. Wagner is still early in his development, but when the bat is working like this — driving the ball to the gaps and over the fence — you want to see it translate into sustained production. Two strikeouts mixed in, so he’s not immune to getting fooled, but the results were loud.

Jose Meza was the other standout in the lineup — 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, two RBI, and a run scored. That’s a polished plate appearance line. Meza took his free passes and did damage when he got something to hit. Charles Davalan went 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored from the top of the order, setting the table for the guys behind him. Jose Izarra added a solo homer from the shortstop spot — always nice to see pop from up the middle.

Cameron Decker contributed a two-RBI double, and Victor Rodrigues drove in two as well despite going just 1-for-5 with three strikeouts. That’s the give-and-take of development — he came through in a big spot but needs to cut down on the punchouts. On the mound, Dilan Figueredo earned the win with 3.1 scoreless innings, striking out two without issuing a walk. Clean and efficient — exactly what you want from a reliever (or a young arm building up innings, depending on how the Loons are using him).

Ontario Tower Buzzers (Single-A) — W, 2-0 vs Inland Empire

Sometimes the best games are the quiet ones. Ontario’s pitching staff combined to shut out Inland Empire, and the headliner was the collective effort more than any single arm. Isaac Ayon set the tone with four scoreless innings — four strikeouts, no walks, no earned runs. That’s about as clean as it gets. Logan Lunceford picked up the win with 1.2 innings of the same — two punchouts, no baserunners. And then Jecsua Liborius slammed the door with a perfect ninth, striking out all three batters he faced for his second save. Keep an eye on this one. Three K’s on nine or fewer pitches in a save situation is the kind of closer instinct you can’t teach.

The offense didn’t need much, and Easton Shelton provided almost all of it. He went 2-for-3 with a homer, a double, and both of Ontario’s RBI. That’s the whole ballgame right there. The homer-double combo shows he was squaring the ball up all night. Mairoshendrick Martinus — a name you’ll want to get used to — went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two stolen bags. He struck out twice, so the contact needs to improve, but the speed is a weapon. Brendan Tunink went hitless but swiped a base as well, keeping the pressure on from the leadoff spot.

ACL Dodgers (Rookie)

The ACL Dodgers did not play today.

DSL Dodgers (Rookie)

The DSL Dodgers did not play today.