Oklahoma City Comets (Triple-A) — W, 9-3 vs Albuquerque

James Tibbs III is making it very hard to keep him in Triple-A. The right fielder went 2-for-3 with two home runs and four RBI against the Isotopes, and both shots were no-doubt swings. Tibbs has been squaring up everything lately, and when a guy with his bat speed starts getting into counts he can drive, nights like this happen. At what point does the big club have to make room? Keep an eye on this one.

Ryan Ward continued his own hot stretch, going 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBI. Ward scored twice and looked comfortable all night in the box. When he and Tibbs are both clicking, this lineup is a handful for any Triple-A pitching staff. Matt Gorski chipped in with a 2-for-3 night that included a triple and a walk — he’s been getting on base at a solid clip from the first-base spot. Alek Thomas reached three times (double, walk) and scored twice, doing his job at the top of the order. Zach Ehrhard added a two-run homer as the DH, though the rest of his night was quiet (1-for-5).

On the mound, Kyle Hurt picked up the win in relief with a clean inning — two strikeouts, no walks, no runs. A tidy outing for a guy working his way back into a consistent relief role. The whole staff kept Albuquerque to just three runs, which is never a given in that hitter-friendly matchup.

Tulsa Drillers (Double-A) — W, 11-8 vs Arkansas

This one was a slugfest, and our guys came out on top. Eleven runs on a night where the pitching staff gave up eight — not exactly clean baseball, but when the bats produce like this, you take it. Elijah Hainline led the charge from the shortstop spot, going 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI. Hainline has been showing more pop from the left side lately, and the ability to drive in runs from the middle of the order is a skill that will carry him up the ladder.

Sam Mongelli had a productive night out of the RF spot — 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI. He’s been quietly putting together quality at-bats all month. Logan Wagner doubled and drove in two runs of his own (1-for-4, walk), while Mike Sirota reached base twice (double, walk) and scored two runs despite striking out twice. Jose Izarra scored twice and drew a walk, continuing to be a pest on the basepaths. Taylor Young went 2-for-5 with a run scored — a steady night from the DH slot.

The bullpen did its job late. Carson Hobbs earned the win with 1.1 scoreless innings, and Lucas Wepf locked down his second save of the season with a scoreless ninth. Wepf’s ability to come in and throw strikes in a three-run game shows some real composure. In a game like this, you just need someone to slam the door, and he did.

Great Lakes Loons (High-A) — W, 8-6 vs South Bend

Charles Davalan had himself a night. The left fielder went 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double, a walk, and two RBI. That’s about as complete an offensive performance as you’ll see at any level. The multi-homer game is encouraging because it shows real in-game power, not just batting-practice pop. Is Davalan knocking on the door of a Tulsa promotion? Nights like this make the case.

Mairo Martinus was quietly excellent at shortstop, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. When your shortstop is driving the ball into the gaps like that, it takes pressure off the middle of the order. Jaron Elkins had a nice night in center — 2-for-4 with a double, two runs, and a stolen base. He’s showing the kind of all-around game that makes him interesting as a toolsy outfield prospect. Eduardo Guerrero reached base three times (2-for-3, walk) and scored a run, though he was caught stealing. Samuel Munoz went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

On the mound, Sterling Patick was excellent through 6.1 innings — seven strikeouts, just one walk, and two earned runs. That’s exactly what you want from a High-A starter: go deep into the game, limit the free passes, and let your defense work. Patick’s record moves to 4-6, but the win-loss doesn’t tell the story here. The stuff is playing. Davis Chastain came in and nailed down the save with a scoreless ninth, punching out two. That’s five saves on the year for Chastain — he’s been reliable in the closer’s role.

Ontario Tower Buzzers (Single-A) — L, 2-10 vs Rancho Cucamonga

A rough one for our Single-A club. Not a lot to pull from offensively when you score just two runs, but Joendry Vargas accounted for one of them with a solo homer — his bat has flashed power at times this season, and the ability to drive the ball out of the yard is a tool worth tracking at his age. Javier Herrera had the other noteworthy line, going 2-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored. He’s been scrappy at the plate and aggressive on the bases, which is what you want to see from a young third baseman.

Beyond those two, the offense was largely shut down by the Quakes. Some nights it just doesn’t come together, and this was one of them. You tip your cap and move on.

DSL Dodgers (Rookie) — Split: W 3-2 vs DSL Orioles Orange / L 6-9 vs DSL Brewers Blue

A split day in the Dominican Summer League. In the win over the Orioles, the pitching was the story. Alexis Reyes was dominant over four innings — seven strikeouts, zero walks, one earned run. That kind of command at the DSL level (and this is a name to remember) suggests a pitcher who already knows how to attack hitters rather than just throw hard. Randy Maria followed with three solid innings of his own to pick up the win, moving to 4-1 on the season. At the plate, Jeibert Rondon drove in two runs on a double, while Rubel Arias reached base all three times (double, two walks) and knocked in a run. Jhosman Theran and Oliver Chapman each stole a base and scored a run — the kind of aggressive baserunning we like to see from these young players.

The second game didn’t go as well. Gregg Ferrera took the loss, going 4.2 innings and allowing three earned runs with five strikeouts and two walks. The strikeouts were there, but the damage came in bunches. On offense, Roberto Saucedo went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, and Luis Tovar reached base three times (2-for-3, walk, double). Helvin Mendoza drew two walks and scored a run but couldn’t get a hit. The bats scored six runs, which should usually be enough — the pitching just couldn’t hold it down.