Oklahoma City Comets (Triple-A) — Loss, 5-6 vs Round Rock Express

Our guys in OKC got a monster night from Ryan Fitzgerald and still couldn’t bring this one home. Fitzgerald went 4-for-5 with a double and two RBI — he was the best hitter on either side tonight and it wasn’t close. He’s been making a lot of contact early this season and the hit tool is playing at Triple-A. The frustrating part is that the rest of the lineup couldn’t quite match that energy when it mattered most.

Noah Miller was quietly excellent, reaching base all four times he came to the plate (3-for-3 with a double and a walk). That’s the kind of discipline you want to see from a young shortstop still getting his feet wet at the highest level of the minors. Zach Ehrhard added a 3-for-5 line with a double and an RBI out of center field, so the top of the lineup did its job.

Ryan Ward drove in two on just one hit, drawing a walk as well. Michael Siani scored twice but struck out twice too — he’s always going to have some swing-and-miss, but the two doubles and two runs scored tell you he was involved in rallies.

On the mound, Ryder Ryan gave us 4.1 innings with two strikeouts, a walk, and two earned runs. Not a lights-out start, but serviceable enough to keep the team in it. The bullpen just couldn’t hold the line. One-run losses sting, especially when you get 14 hits as a team. Sometimes that’s just baseball.

Tulsa Drillers (Double-A) — Win, 12-9 vs Springfield Cardinals

This one was a slugfest, and Tulsa came out on top. The Drillers hung 12 runs on Springfield and needed every single one of them. Let’s start with Kendall George, who continues to look like one of the more interesting bats in the system. George went 3-for-5 with a double, a walk, two RBI, a stolen base, and three runs scored. That’s an impact line from a guy who can do a little bit of everything. Is he forcing the conversation about a promotion sooner than expected? Maybe not yet — but nights like this keep the discussion alive.

Josue De Paula had another multi-hit game, going 3-for-6 with a double and an RBI while scoring twice. De Paula is a name we’ve been tracking closely and he keeps doing things at the plate that make you want to see more. Kyle Nevin drove in two and scored twice himself (2-for-6 with a stolen base), while Elijah Hainline reached base in four of his six plate appearances — two hits, two walks, two RBI, and two runs scored. That’s a productive night by any measure.

Chris Newell provided the fireworks with a home run and two RBI, though the two strikeouts in five at-bats are part of the profile we’re watching with him. Joe Vetrano chipped in two hits, two RBI, and a walk. Nelson Quiroz drew two walks in his three at-bats behind the plate — that kind of patience from a catcher is always nice to see.

Now, the pitching. This is where it gets complicated. Maddux Bruns came on in relief and earned the blown save — two innings, three walks, and four earned runs. That’s a rough outing any way you slice it. Bruns has elite stuff, and we know that. But the command issues have to get cleaned up. Three walks in two innings puts too much stress on everything else. It’s early in the season, and there’s time to work through it, but the walks are the thing to watch with him.

The good news? Carson Hobbs came in and absolutely slammed the door when the team needed it most. Two scoreless innings with three strikeouts and just one walk — that earned him the win. And Cam Day locked it down in the ninth for the save: one inning, one strikeout, one walk, no runs. That’s two relievers who stepped up in a big moment. Credit where it’s due.

Great Lakes Loons (High-A) — Win, 5-2 vs West Michigan Whitecaps

This was a pitching-driven win, and the guy who deserves the headline is Nicolas Cruz. Cruz came on in relief and was dominant — two innings, four strikeouts, no walks, no runs. That’s about as clean as it gets. He earned the win and looked completely in control. Keep an eye on this one.

Starter Sterling Patick was a mixed bag. He punched out seven in 4.2 innings, which is impressive swing-and-miss stuff. But the four walks are a problem. You can’t keep getting away with that kind of free traffic, even when you’re racking up strikeouts. The two earned runs were manageable, and he kept the Loons in position to win, so there’s that. The stuff is clearly there — it’s the refinement that needs work.

Reynaldo Yean nailed down the save with a scoreless ninth — two strikeouts and a walk. A solid close to a well-pitched game.

At the plate, Logan Wagner was the big bat tonight. His solo home run accounted for two RBI (he also drew a walk), and that kind of pop from the second base position is valuable. Mike Sirota reached base twice (hit, walk) with a double and an RBI while scoring two runs — he set the table all night. Nico Perez drove in two with a double, though the two strikeouts in four at-bats keep his line from being a clean one. Still, those two RBI were timely. This was a game where the pitching carried things, and the offense did just enough. That’s a formula that works.

Ontario Tower Buzzers (Single-A) — Win, 8-3 vs Inland Empire 66ers

Jaron Elkins had himself a night. The DH went 4-for-5 with a home run, a triple, and three RBI. That’s the kind of line that jumps off the page at any level, and at Single-A, it’s a statement game. The triple shows he can run a little, and the homer shows the raw power is starting to translate into games. I want to see more of this.

Anson Aroz added a home run of his own from behind the plate — 2-for-4 with two RBI, two runs scored, and a walk. A catcher who can hit like that is always going to draw attention. Landyn Vidourek went deep as well, though his 1-for-5 line with three strikeouts tempers the excitement a bit. The power is loud, but the swing-and-miss is something to monitor. Joendry Vargas had two hits and an RBI from shortstop, and AJ Soldra collected two hits including a triple and scored twice — although, like Vidourek, the three strikeouts are worth noting.

On the mound, Luis Carias picked up the win with 3.2 innings, four strikeouts, two walks, and just one earned run. That’s a solid outing from the starter. The bullpen did the rest, and Ontario cruised to a comfortable five-run victory. Three home runs as a team will do that for you.

ACL Dodgers (Rookie)

The ACL Dodgers did not play today.

DSL Dodgers (Rookie)

The DSL Dodgers did not play today.