Oklahoma City Comets (Triple-A) — Loss, 5-9 vs Round Rock

Not the result we wanted, but Noah Miller continues to be one of the most exciting players in the system right now. Miller went 2-for-4 with a home run, a triple, an RBI, and two runs scored. The shortstop is showing legitimate pop-and-speed upside at Triple-A, and nights like this are why the front office has to be paying attention. The triple is the part that excites me most — that’s real athleticism on the basepaths, not just a wall ball that bounced right.

Alek Thomas chipped in a two-run homer of his own, going 1-for-4 with a strikeout. Thomas has the big-league pedigree, and the power is real, but the one-hit, one-strikeout line is kind of the story with him right now — impact when he connects, but not a ton of traffic otherwise. Zach Ehrhard had a patient night from the right field spot, going 1-for-3 with two walks and a run scored. That’s the kind of disciplined at-bat profile that plays up as you move through the system. Chuckie Robinson added a 2-for-4 night with a double behind the plate.

The pitching, though, is where this one got away. Giving up nine runs is going to make any offensive effort feel insufficient, and that was the case here. Sometimes you tip your cap to the bats that showed up and move on.

Tulsa Drillers (Double-A) — Win, 8-3 vs Amarillo

Chris Newell was the story of the night across the entire system. The left fielder went 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs. Four. That’s a statement game at Double-A. Newell has always had raw power, and when he gets into one like he did tonight, the ball goes a long way. The strikeout is there too — it always will be with his swing — but you live with it when the damage is this real.

He had plenty of help. Elijah Hainline was perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two walks and a run scored. That’s a five-time-on-base night for the shortstop, and that kind of on-base ability is a genuine skill. Is Hainline a future everyday guy or a high-floor utility piece? Nights like this make the case for the former. Josue De Paula went 3-for-6 with a double and two RBIs from the DH spot. De Paula’s bat continues to be one of the more intriguing tools in the system — the contact is there, the extra-base pop is developing, and the strikeouts (two tonight) are manageable. Kyle Nevin also collected three hits (3-for-5) with a stolen base and a run, showing off a well-rounded offensive game.

Griffin Lockwood-Powell went 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored from behind the plate, while Jake Gelof had one of those quiet productive nights — 0-for-2 at the plate but drew two walks, drove in a run, and scored twice. That’s four times on base without a hit. You take that every time. Mike Sirota added a 2-for-6 line from center, and Taylor Young went 1-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base, and a run scored.

On the mound, Adam Serwinowski earned the win and moved to 4-2 on the season. Six innings, six strikeouts, one earned run. The four walks are worth noting — that’s the one thing holding Serwinowski back from being a truly dominant Double-A arm. But one earned run over six frames? That’s a quality start by any definition, and the strikeout stuff is clearly there. If he can tighten the command, we’re looking at a pitcher who could move quickly.

Great Lakes Loons (High-A) — Win, 6-4 vs Lansing

Emil Morales led the way with a 3-for-5 night that included a home run, an RBI, and a run scored. That’s a complete offensive performance from the shortstop, and the power showing is encouraging at this level. Morales has the kind of tools that make you want to watch every at-bat — he can hit to all fields and now the over-the-fence pop is becoming more consistent.

Samuel Munoz made the most of a short night at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a home run, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch. Two runs scored and an RBI — that’s getting on base three of four times and doing damage when it counted. The patience to take the walk and then turning on one for a homer in the same game shows a mature approach for a DH at High-A. Nico Perez went 1-for-4 with a walk, a run, and a stolen base from third base. Kole Myers went hitless (0-for-2) but drew two walks, stole a base, and scored a run — a productive night despite the empty hit column. Anson Aroz had a similar line behind the plate: 0-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base. The Loons ran the bases aggressively tonight, and it paid off.

Jakob Wright picked up the win to move to 3-2, but the line was messy — 4.2 innings, six strikeouts, two walks, and four earned runs. The swing-and-miss stuff is evident with six punchouts, but giving up four runs in under five innings means the damage came in bunches. That’s the challenge for Wright right now: the arm talent is obvious, but he needs to limit the big innings. Alex Makarewich came in and slammed the door for his third save — a clean inning with two strikeouts and no walks. That’s a reliever doing exactly what you need him to do.

Ontario Tower Buzzers (Single-A) — Win, 4-2 vs Stockton

Chase Harlan had himself a night. The third baseman went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, two RBIs, and two runs scored. He also struck out twice, so the swing-and-miss is part of the package, but when you’re accounting for all four of your team’s runs with the bat and the legs? That’s a game-changer performance at Single-A. The extra-base hit ability — a homer and a double in the same game — is what scouts want to see from a corner infielder. Keep an eye on this one.

AJ Soldra added a solo homer of his own, going 1-for-3 with an RBI, a run, and a stolen base from left field. Power and speed in the same game from an outfielder at this level is always worth tracking. Kellon Lindsey had a solid night as the DH, going 2-for-4 with a double and a stolen base. Joendry Vargas went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base from shortstop — the kind of contact-plus-speed combination that plays at every level. Jaron Elkins went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run, and a stolen base from center. The Buzzers swiped five bags as a team tonight. That’s aggressive, and it was clearly part of the plan.

The pitching was the real story here, though. Tyler Gough earned his first win of the season, going five innings with six strikeouts, one walk, and just one earned run. That’s an excellent command-and-control start — the strikeout-to-walk ratio is exactly what you want to see from a young arm learning to pitch. Jesus Tillero came in and finished off the final four innings for his first save, allowing just one earned run with two strikeouts and two walks. Four innings from a reliever is a heavy workload, and Tillero handled it well. The combined nine-inning effort from two arms holding Stockton to two runs is clean, efficient baseball.

ACL Dodgers (Rookie) — Loss, 4-8 vs ACL Athletics

A tough one for our guys in the Arizona Complex League. The most notable performance came from Jhon Gil, who went 0-for-1 but drew three walks from center field. Three walks in a rookie-level game tells you the eye is there, even if the hits weren’t falling. That kind of plate discipline at the youngest levels is a foundational skill — you can teach a lot of things, but recognizing the strike zone early in your career is a real indicator.

Moises Bolivar had a similar patient approach, going 0-for-1 with two walks, a strikeout, and a run scored from third base. Jose Gonzalez provided the most conventional offensive production, going 1-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base from right field.

On the mound, Joel Cruz took the loss and the blown save, going two innings with one strikeout, two walks, and three earned runs. It’s the ACL — these are the youngest arms in the organization, and rough outings are part of the process. You file it away and look for improvement next time out.