Ontario Tower Buzzers (Single-A) — W 5-1 vs Inland Empire 66ers

Our only win of the night came from the lowest full-season affiliate, and it was a good one. Mason Estrada was electric on the mound — 4.0 innings, 9 strikeouts, zero earned runs. Yes, he walked three, so the command wasn’t perfect, but when you’re racking up punchouts at that rate in Single-A, you’re clearly overpowering hitters. He was generating swings and misses at will, and that’s exactly the kind of development you want to see from a young arm still learning to harness his stuff. Keep an eye on this one.

Jose Cabrera followed Estrada and was just as dominant in his own right — 2.0 innings, 4 strikeouts, no walks, no runs. That’s a combined 13 K’s between two pitchers over six innings. The bullpen locked this game down completely.

At the plate, Mairoshendrick Martinus led the way going 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored. Not a huge offensive explosion from any single hitter, but the Buzzers did enough to support two excellent pitching performances. Sometimes that’s all it takes.

Oklahoma City Comets (Triple-A) — L 1-2 vs Reno Aces

This one stings because Logan Allen pitched well enough to win. He went 5.2 innings, struck out 7, walked just 1, and gave up only 2 earned runs. That’s a quality outing by any measure. Allen took the loss to fall to 2-3, but there’s nothing to complain about from a pitching standpoint — the offense just didn’t show up.

James Tibbs III was one of the few bright spots in the lineup, going 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. He struck out twice, but he also provided half the team’s hits in what was a very quiet night offensively. Tibbs continues to show he can make consistent contact at the Triple-A level, which is encouraging for a prospect working his way toward the big league conversation.

Ryan Ward had a rough night at the plate — 0-for-3 with 3 strikeouts, though he did draw a walk and swipe a bag. The stolen base shows the effort is there, but three punchouts is a tough line. Ward has to find ways to put the ball in play in these tight games.

Tulsa Drillers (Double-A) — L 3-5 vs Wichita Wind Surge

The story here is a blown save that turned a potential win into a loss. Christian Suarez came in and couldn’t hold the lead — 1.2 innings, 2 earned runs, 2 walks, and a blown save (his second of the year) that saddled him with the loss. He did strike out 4, which tells you the stuff is there, but the walks are killers. When you’re putting runners on for free in a close game, it catches up to you. Suarez drops to 2-3 on the season.

Roque Gutierrez started and was decent enough — 4.1 innings, 4 strikeouts, 1 walk, 2 earned runs. Not a gem, not a disaster. He handed the game over in a manageable spot.

Offensively, Josue De Paula had the most dynamic game of anyone in the lineup. He went 2-for-4 with a walk and two stolen bases. De Paula is showing real speed and on-base ability, and that combination plays at any level. Joe Vetrano chipped in going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored — a solid, professional at-bat kind of night. Jake Gelof went 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored. The discipline at the plate from Gelof is notable — he’s clearly being selective and not chasing, which is a good sign for his development at Double-A. The strikeout is fine when you’re drawing walks at that clip.

Great Lakes Loons (High-A) — L 4-11 vs Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

This one got away in a hurry. An 11-run loss is never fun, and the pitching clearly didn’t have it tonight. But we did see a couple of encouraging individual performances at the plate worth highlighting.

Jose Meza went 1-for-2, but that one hit was a home run. He also drew 3 walks and stole a base, so his line reads: a homer, an RBI, a run scored, a steal, and a .800 OBP for the night (and this is a name to remember). When a guy only makes two official at-bats but reaches base four times, he’s doing something right. The discipline and the power in one package — that’s intriguing.

Kole Myers was the other standout, going 2-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, an RBI, a stolen base, and a run scored. That’s a complete line. Myers showed the ability to drive the ball into gaps and then use his legs once on base. Two extra-base hits in a game is always a good sign, especially at High-A where pitchers start throwing with more purpose.

Victor Rodrigues went 0-for-3 but did draw 2 walks, so the on-base ability was there even without a hit. Samuel Munoz had a quiet 1-for-4 with a stolen base. Jose D. Hernandez went 1-for-2 with 2 walks and a run scored — another patient night at the plate. The Loons’ hitters showed some discipline individually, but collectively they couldn’t overcome the pitching staff’s struggles in what became a lopsided loss.

ACL Dodgers (Rookie) — L 2-12 vs ACL Reds

Rough night in the Arizona Complex League. A 12-2 loss doesn’t leave a lot to celebrate, but we still track what we can.

Jhon Gil was the offensive highlight, going 3-for-4 with 2 RBI. In a game where most of the lineup was overmatched, Gil was putting the bat on the ball consistently and driving in both of the team’s runs. That’s a solid showing at the rookie level.

Eduardo Rojas went 1-for-1 with 3 walks and 2 runs scored. He only got one official at-bat and made the most of it, reaching base four times. The plate discipline at the complex level is always worth noting — it’s a skill that translates as players move up. Jose Gonzalez added a 2-for-3 night with a strikeout. Not much else to break down here — the pitching got hammered and the Reds ran away with it early. These games happen, especially at this level. We move on.