Tulsa Drillers (Double-A) — W, 6-0 vs Wichita Wind Surge

A dominant shutout in Tulsa, and it starts on the mound. Wyatt Crowell gave us 5.2 innings of zeros, punching out six. That’s the headline. But let’s be honest about the full picture — five walks is a lot. Crowell was effectively wild tonight, and that’s a phrase that has a shelf life. At some point the command has to tighten up. Still, when he’s locating even loosely with that stuff, Double-A hitters can’t do much with it. Zero earned runs is zero earned runs, and he moves to 3-4 on the season. The Drillers’ bullpen slammed the door from there.

Offensively, Mike Sirota carried the load. He went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two RBI. That’s the kind of night you love to see from a guy who can drive the ball into the gaps consistently. Kendall George was a menace at the top of the order — 2-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored, and two stolen bases. George just keeps finding ways to impact a game. Josue De Paula didn’t get a hit (0-for-3) but drew two walks and scored twice, so his at-bats were productive even when the results didn’t show in the batting average. Zyhir Hope added two RBI on a 1-for-4 night with a walk. Kyle Nevin had a rough one at the plate — 0-for-5 with two strikeouts — though he did swipe a bag. Sometimes that’s just a Wednesday.

Oklahoma City Comets (Triple-A) — W, 6-4 vs Reno Aces

Christian Romero continues to make a strong case for more attention. Five innings, seven strikeouts, just one earned run — and he picks up the win to improve to 4-1. The command was solid with only two walks, and he gave our guys in OKC a quality start to work with. Romero has been quietly reliable, and that consistency matters at Triple-A where the lineups are full of guys who’ve seen big league pitching.

Noah Miller provided the biggest swing of the night with a solo homer. He went 1-for-3 with a walk and the RBI. Miller has been settling in at shortstop, and the power is a nice development to track — is this the start of him tapping into more game power, or just a good night? We’ll see. Jack Suwinski drove in two and scored twice out of center field (1-for-3, walk), doing exactly what you want from a veteran presence in the lineup. Ryan Fitzgerald had a solid 2-for-4 with an RBI, though the two strikeouts are noted. Ryan Ward didn’t get a hit (0-for-2) but drew two walks and scored twice — patience at the plate paying off. Tyler Fitzgerald went 1-for-4 with two punchouts and a stolen base.

Chayce McDermott locked things down in relief, earning the save — his first. He went 1.2 innings with three strikeouts, one walk, and no runs. That’s a guy you want in high-leverage spots. Nasty stuff to close it out.

Great Lakes Loons (High-A) — W, 4-3 vs Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

This one was a story of a bullpen rescue. Davis Chastain entered and promptly walked five batters in a single inning, allowing three earned runs and earning the blown save. Five walks in one inning. That’s tough to watch regardless of the level. Then Matt Lanzendorfer came in and absolutely shut the door — three innings, three strikeouts, zero walks, zero runs. That’s about as clean as it gets out of the pen, and it earned him his first win of the season. What a contrast between those two outings.

Charles Davalan launched a solo homer (1-for-3, walk) and continues to flash tools in center field. Keep an eye on this one. Victor Rodrigues had a perfect night at the plate — 2-for-2 with a walk. Quiet production from the catcher spot, but the kind of disciplined approach that stands out. Nico Perez legged out a triple (1-for-3, hit by pitch) and swiped two bags, using his speed to create havoc on the bases. Eduardo Quintero didn’t get a hit but drew a walk, scored a run, and stole a base. The Loons found ways to manufacture just enough.

Ontario Tower Buzzers (Single-A) — L, 8-12 / W, 7-6 vs Inland Empire 66ers

A doubleheader split for our Single-A guys, and the star of the day was Ching-Hsien Ko. In Game 1, Ko went 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBI. Four. That’s a statement game. He cooled off in Game 2 (0-for-2 with two walks and a run scored), but even then he was getting on base and contributing. The power display in the opener is the kind of breakout performance that gets noticed.

Easton Shelton was just as productive across the two games. In Game 1 he went 3-for-4 with a homer, a double, and two RBI while scoring three times. Game 2 brought another 2-for-4 line with an RBI, a stolen base, and a run. That’s five hits, three RBI, four runs, a homer, and a double across a doubleheader. Mairoshendrick Martinus (and yes, that’s a name worth remembering) contributed in both halves — 1-for-3 with an RBI and a steal in the opener, then 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run in the nightcap. He’s showing versatility too, playing right field in Game 1 and third base in Game 2.

Game 1 was an 8-12 loss, and that pitching line tells you most of the story — the staff just couldn’t contain Inland Empire. Game 2 was tighter and required some bullpen work. Luis Carias went five innings with seven strikeouts but allowed four earned runs, so the stuff was there but so were the mistakes. Jose Cabrera came in and struck out four in two innings to earn his first win, and Angel Cruz nailed down the save with a scoreless ninth. Javier Herrera was a catalyst in the Game 2 win — 2-for-2 with two walks, an RBI, and two runs scored. That’s reaching base in all four plate appearances. Herrera made sure the Buzzers got the split.