Oklahoma City Comets (Triple-A) — Loss, 6-8 vs Sacramento

The story here is Jackson Ferris, and it’s a good one even in a loss. Ferris gave OKC 5.1 innings, allowed just one earned run, struck out three, and walked two. That’s the kind of outing you want from a young left-hander working at the Triple-A level — he kept the Comets in the game and let the offense do its thing. The bullpen couldn’t hold it, and that’s where the game got away.

Noah Miller was the best bat in the lineup, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Miller continues to show he can handle the bat at this level, and nights like this are encouraging for his development path. Enrique Hernández chipped in a hit and two RBI, doing what veteran depth guys are supposed to do — drive in runners. Matt Gorski reached base twice (1-for-3, walk), scored a run, and swiped a bag. Zach Ehrhard didn’t collect a hit but drew two walks and drove in a run — patient at-bats that still contributed.

Ferris deserved a better result. Our guys in OKC had the offense going but couldn’t close it out. These kinds of losses sting, but there’s nothing to panic about.

Tulsa Drillers (Double-A) — Loss, 6-8 vs Arkansas

Tough night for Roque Gutierrez, who came in at 7-1 and took his first loss of the season. Four earned runs over four innings with only one strikeout — that’s not the Gutierrez we’ve been watching most of the year. Every pitcher has a clunker. The question is whether this is just a bump in the road or a sign that opposing lineups are adjusting to him. I’d lean heavily toward the former given his body of work, but it’s worth watching his next couple of starts. Lucas Wepf came on and got tagged with a blown save (his fourth), though his actual line was clean — an inning of work with two strikeouts and no earned runs. The damage was inherited.

The lineup actually showed up. Zyhir Hope went 2-for-4 with a walk, a run, and a stolen base — he’s been fun to track this year with the blend of power potential and speed. Mike Sirota had a solid night in center (2-for-4, walk, run scored), and Jake Gelof collected two hits in five at-bats, though three strikeouts temper the enthusiasm. The swing-and-miss has been a recurring theme for Gelof, and it’s the one thing standing between him and a promotion conversation. Can he tighten the zone? That’s the development question right now.

Taylor Young drove in two runs (1-for-5), and Sam Mongelli also had two RBI despite going just 1-for-4. Elijah Hainline drew two walks and scored a run, showing the discipline we want to see, even with two strikeouts mixed in. Six runs should be enough to win most games. The pitching just couldn’t match the offense tonight.

Great Lakes Loons (High-A) — Loss, 7-8 vs Lansing

Charles Davalan had the kind of night you dream about — 3-for-5 with a home run, a triple, three RBI, and two runs scored. That’s a monster stat line at any level. He was squaring everything up and driving the ball to all fields. It’s a shame it came in a one-run loss, because a performance like this deserves a win column next to it.

Samuel Munoz nearly matched him: 2-for-5 with a homer, a triple, and an RBI of his own, plus two runs scored. When your seven and eight hitters (or wherever they slotted in) are producing like this, good things usually follow. Not tonight, though. Eduardo Quintero was also productive out of center, going 3-for-4 with a triple and two RBI — three guys with extra-base hits like that and we still come up short. That tells you all you need to know about how the pitching went.

Emil Morales added two hits including a double, and Chase Adkison reached base three times (2-for-3, walk) and scored twice. Jose Meza had a rough night at the plate (0-for-4, three strikeouts), though he did draw a walk and steal a base. Seven runs on 12 hits and losing by one — the Loons had every chance to win this game and let it slip away. Frustrating.

Ontario Tower Buzzers (Single-A) — Win, 8-4 vs San Jose

We finally get a win, and it’s the kids in Ontario who deliver it. Mairoshendrick Martinus (and this is a name to remember) absolutely mashed tonight — 3-for-6 with a home run, a double, two RBI, a stolen base, and two runs scored. That’s a complete game from a shortstop. The power, the speed, the extra-base pop — when everything clicks like this for Martinus, you can see why the organization is excited about his upside. Keep an eye on this one.

Oswaldo Osorio had a big night of his own at the hot corner, going 2-for-5 with a home run and a double, driving in two and scoring twice. Two homers and two doubles between your shortstop and third baseman? That’s a good infield. Javier Herrera was the RBI leader with three, going 2-for-4 with a hit-by-pitch and contributing a stolen base. He’s quietly been a productive bat, and tonight was one of his better showings.

Joendry Vargas scored twice and swiped a bag despite only one hit, and Kellon Lindsey didn’t record a hit but reached base three times (two walks, HBP) — exactly the kind of plate discipline you want to see from a young middle infielder. Ching-Hsien Ko had a similar approach, going hitless but drawing two walks and scoring a run. Getting on base matters, even when the hit column reads zero.

On the mound, Jholbran Herder picked up the win (4-2) with 2.1 innings of dominant relief — four strikeouts, no walks, no earned runs. That’s a clean, efficient outing from a guy who came in and slammed the door. The kind of bullpen work that lets the offense breathe.