ACL Dodgers (Rookie) — W, 32-7 vs ACL Angels

Thirty-two runs. Not a typo. Our ACL Dodgers hung a crooked number so big on the Angels that you almost have to read it twice to believe it. This was an absolute offensive avalanche — 25 hits, five home runs, and seemingly every bat in the lineup doing damage. Games like this are rare at any level, and while the competition is what it is in the Arizona Complex League, you still have to put the bat on the ball. These guys did that and then some.

Abel Lorenzo led the charge from the left field spot, going 4-for-7 with a homer, a double, and a team-high seven RBI. Seven. Lorenzo was squaring pitches up all day and driving the ball with authority. When a guy in the low minors posts a line like that, you want to see what the at-bats looked like — but seven driven in on four hits tells you he was coming through with runners on, which matters. Moises Bolivar wasn’t far behind at third base, going 3-for-7 with a homer of his own, six RBI, and four runs scored. He did strike out once, but with a walk mixed in, he was clearly hunting pitches he could do damage with and finding them.

Agustin Acosta might have had the quietest monster game in the lineup — 5-for-6 with a home run, a double, four RBI, and four runs scored. Going 5-for-6 is hard to do regardless of the opponent. That’s consistent barrel contact all afternoon. Keep an eye on this one. Daniel Mielcarek added a homer and three doubles (yes, three doubles) in his 4-for-7 day at second base, driving in three and scoring three. The extra-base pop from a middle infielder is always worth noting, even if the strikeouts (three) came along for the ride.

Moises Acacio reached base in six of his seven plate appearances from right field — 3-for-4 with two doubles, two walks, and a hit-by-pitch. He scored six times and drove in four. That’s elite on-base work for a day like this, making sure the big boppers behind and around him had traffic to drive in. Jose Gonzalez at first base contributed a homer, a triple, three walks, and three runs scored in a 2-for-4 line. The patience to draw three walks in a game where you could easily be hacking at everything stands out.

Reyli Mariano went 2-for-6 with two walks and scored four times as the DH, doing his job getting on base at the top. Francisco Espinoza went 3-for-5 behind the plate with three RBI and reached base five times total (adding a walk and an HBP). Sam Mongelli only went 1-for-2 at short but was hit by two pitches and scored twice, and Yojackson Laya was a perfect 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored after entering the game at shortstop. In a 32-run game, everybody eats — and everybody did.

DSL Dodgers (Rookie) — L, 2-3 vs DSL Padres Brown

A tough one-run loss for our DSL squad against the Padres Brown affiliate. The bats couldn’t quite generate enough, and the pitching, while not awful, gave up just enough to lose. Anderson Carias took the loss to fall to 0-3 on the season, going four innings and allowing three earned runs. He did strike out five against just one walk, so the stuff was there — the damage came on balls in play rather than free passes. Carias is still searching for that first win, and the 0-3 record doesn’t necessarily reflect how he’s throwing. Five punchouts in four frames shows he can miss bats. He just needs to limit the hard contact. Sometimes a young arm’s record and his actual development are two different stories.

DSL Dodgers (Rookie) — L, 0-2 vs DSL Padres Gold

A shutout loss is never fun to write about, but a 2-0 game tells you the pitching actually competed — our staff just didn’t get any run support. The lone offensive bright spot was Antoni Urena at shortstop, who went 1-for-2 with a walk and two stolen bases. In a game where nothing was clicking offensively, Urena at least showed he could get on and create havoc on the basepaths. Two steals in a game where the team only managed a handful of baserunners means he was aggressive and smart with his opportunities. That’s the kind of toolsy play you want to see from a young middle infielder in the DSL — even in a loss, the speed and instincts flash.

Two losses in the Dominican today against the Padres affiliates. It happens. These are young players learning how to win, and days like this are part of the process.