Oklahoma City Comets (Triple-A) — W, 6-5 vs Las Vegas

Alex Freeland was the story tonight, and it wasn’t even about the hit. He went 1-for-1 at the plate — a triple — but the real headline is that he reached base four times thanks to three walks, scored twice, and swiped two bags. That’s the kind of complete game that gets noticed. When a guy forces a lineup to pitch around him that aggressively and still makes them pay on the bases, he’s doing everything right. Freeland’s plate discipline has been a talking point all season, and nights like this are why.

Ryan Ward provided the thump with a homer and three RBI on a 1-for-3 night. Ward continues to be one of the more reliable power bats in our Triple-A lineup. He struck out once, but drove in half the team’s runs, so we’ll take that trade every time. Zach Ehrhard chipped in with a 2-for-4 line and two RBI of his own, giving OKC enough offense to hold off Las Vegas. James Tibbs III went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts and a stolen base — a quieter night at the plate, but the speed remains a weapon.

On the mound, Jackson Ferris picked up the win — his first against five losses — going 5.2 innings with six strikeouts and two earned runs. The record doesn’t tell the whole story with Ferris; the stuff is there, and six punchouts in under six innings shows he can miss bats. Two walks is manageable. If he can keep putting up outings like this, the win column will catch up. Seth Halvorsen locked the door with a scoreless ninth, striking out two for his fourth save. Clean, efficient, no drama. Exactly what you want from your closer.

Tulsa Drillers (Double-A) — L, 7-8 vs Northwest Arkansas

This one stings because our guys in Tulsa swung the bats well and still came up a run short. Josue De Paula had a monster night — 2-for-3 with two home runs, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch. He scored three times and drove in two. Two homers in a Double-A game from a young outfielder is noteworthy no matter how you slice it. Is De Paula starting to figure things out at this level? Nights like this suggest yes. Keep an eye on this one.

Chris Newell was locked in too, going 3-for-4 with a homer, a walk, and two RBI. That’s a quality at-bat night — he reached base four times out of five plate appearances. Kole Myers added a homer of his own, finishing 2-for-4 with three RBI and a walk. Three Drillers hit homers, the lineup produced seven runs, and they still lost. That tells you everything you need to know about how the pitching went. Elijah Hainline had a quiet 0-for-2 night but drew two walks and scored a run. Getting on base matters, even when the hits aren’t falling.

Seven runs should be enough to win most games. When it isn’t, the pitching staff has to wear it. Giving up eight runs erases a lot of good offensive work, and that’s a frustrating formula for everyone involved.

Great Lakes Loons (High-A) — L, 5-12 vs Fort Wayne

Not much to love in this one. A 5-12 loss is a beating, and Fort Wayne clearly had the upper hand all night. The bright spot — and there’s always at least one worth mentioning — was Logan Wagner, who went 2-for-4 with a homer and a double. That’s hard contact in two different at-bats, and his two RBI and two runs scored accounted for a big chunk of what Great Lakes managed offensively. The strikeout is there, but the power and extra-base pop are encouraging.

Charles Davalan had a nice night at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, and an RBI. Five plate appearances, four times on base — that’s disciplined work regardless of the final score. Jaron Elkins was 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI, continuing to make consistent contact. Victor Rodrigues went 2-for-4 with a run scored. A few guys did their jobs; the problem was everything else around them. When you give up twelve runs, individual offensive contributions become footnotes.

Ontario Tower Buzzers (Single-A) — L, 4-15 vs Fresno

Another lopsided loss, this time at the Single-A level. But amid the wreckage, Oswaldo Osorio had himself a night. He went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI, and two runs scored. That’s a legitimate breakout performance, and in a 4-15 loss, he accounted for three of the team’s four runs batted in. Multi-homer games at any level are worth noting, and Osorio’s power showed up in a big way here.

Conner O’Neal went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored, though two strikeouts tempered the night slightly. On the mound, Will Gagnon was a mixed bag — he punched out seven batters in four innings, which is an impressive strikeout rate, but four walks muddied the outing. Two earned runs in four innings is fine in a vacuum, but walking a batter per inning is a habit that needs cleaning up. The stuff is clearly there to miss bats; the command needs to catch up. That’s the development path in a nutshell.

DSL Dodgers (Rookie) — W, 7-3 vs DSL Royals Fortuna

Fran-Jean Haseth was perfect at the plate tonight — 3-for-3 with two RBI, two runs scored, and two stolen bases. That’s a five-tool line in a single box score. When a young player in the DSL does everything right in one game, you file that away. Adrian Del Cid added a 1-for-4 night with a double, two RBI, two runs, and a stolen base. He didn’t have a huge hit total, but the production was there when it mattered. Jeibert Rondon went 2-for-3 with an RBI, providing steady contact throughout.

Ezequiel Melburne went hitless (0-for-2) but drew two walks and scored a run. At the rookie level, we love seeing young hitters take their free passes — it shows an understanding of the strike zone that will serve them well as they climb. On the mound, Eliecer Zambrano picked up the win to move to 2-0, throwing two scoreless innings with two strikeouts and no walks. Efficient and clean.

DSL Dodgers (Rookie) — W, 9-1 vs DSL Pirates Gold

A dominant 9-1 win to cap the day. This was a balanced offensive effort — no single player carried the load, but several chipped in meaningful contributions. Luis Tovar led the way with a 2-for-4 night that included a homer and a double, driving in three and walking once. That’s the kind of extra-base damage that jumps out in a DSL box score. Juan Macero went 1-for-2 but walked three times, scored twice, and drove in a run. Five plate appearances, four times on base — that’s elite-level patience for any age.

Ezequiel Aparicio drove in two on a 1-for-3 line with two walks. Erny Orellana went 1-for-3 with two walks, three runs scored, and a stolen base — he was all over the bases tonight. Hendry Arvelo didn’t record a hit (0-for-3) but drew two walks and scored, and Antoni Urena went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts, though he did walk once, score a run, and swipe a bag. That’s a tough night at the plate, but the legs still contributed.

Micheal Morfe earned the win on the mound, improving to 3-1 with two scoreless innings, one strikeout, and no walks. Both DSL squads winning on the same day is always nice to see. The development work happening at the complex level is quiet but real — these are the building blocks.