Oklahoma City Comets (Triple-A) — W, 17-1 vs Albuquerque

This one was over early and it never stopped. Our guys in OKC put up 17 runs on Albuquerque and just about everyone in the lineup had a night. The kind of game where you almost run out of things to highlight.

Alex Freeland was the headliner, going 3-for-5 with a homer and five RBI. Five. That’s the kind of damage output we’ve been waiting to see from him at Triple-A, and it came with a walk mixed in too. Freeland has the bat speed to do this — the question has always been whether he’d tap into that game power consistently enough. Nights like this are a good sign. Jack Suwinski matched him blow for blow with a 3-for-6 line that included a homer, four RBI, a stolen base, and two runs scored. Suwinski has been a professional hitter for a while now, and this is exactly the kind of production you’d expect when everything’s clicking.

James Tibbs III continued to look like a guy on a mission — 3-for-5 with a triple, three RBI, four runs scored, and two walks. The patience at the plate stood out as much as the production. He’s seeing the ball well and making hard decisions in his favor. Keep an eye on this one. Enrique Hernández was 3-for-4 with two walks, an RBI, and three runs scored. Kiké just gets on base and makes things happen — exactly what you want from a veteran presence in the lineup. Tyler Fitzgerald added a solo homer but struck out three times in a game where you’d have liked to see him ride the wave a bit more. The power is legit, but the swing-and-miss remains a thing to watch.

Noah Miller doubled and tripled in a 2-for-5 night with two RBI, showing the extra-base pop that makes his profile interesting at short. And Zach Ehrhard was practically unhittable — in the sense that they couldn’t get him out. He went 2-for-2 with four walks, an RBI, and a run scored. That’s six plate appearances, six times on base. Whatever he’s seeing up there, I hope he bottles it.

On the mound, River Ryan turned in a solid 4.0 innings with four strikeouts, one walk, and one earned run. Not dominant, but efficient — and getting Ryan regular innings at Triple-A is the point right now. He did his job and handed off to the pen with a massive lead. Jerming Rosario picked up the win with two scoreless, hitless innings. Clean and easy, which is all you can ask in a 17-1 game.

Tulsa Drillers (Double-A) — L, 4-7 vs Springfield

The good news? Payton Martin was excellent. Five innings, five strikeouts, three walks, and just one earned run. He’s been sharp lately and continues to show he can navigate a lineup effectively. The fastball command wasn’t perfect — three walks will tell you that — but he limited damage and kept the Drillers in the game. That’s what a starter does.

The bad news? The offense couldn’t hold up its end, and the bullpen let things slip. Carson Hobbs came in and immediately gave back a run in a blown save, and things unraveled from there. It’s a rough one for Hobbs, but these are the situations where relievers in Double-A learn the most.

The lineup generated some traffic but couldn’t convert. Kendall George doubled and walked twice, scoring two runs — he was the catalyst at the top. Griffin Lockwood-Powell went 1-for-1 with a double and three walks in what was a really disciplined night behind the plate. Elijah Hainline doubled and drew two walks but also struck out three times, which is the Hainline experience in a nutshell right now — the tools are loud, but the strikeouts are louder some nights.

The strikeout numbers across the board were ugly. Chris Newell fanned five times in six at-bats. Five. That’s a tough night no matter how you slice it — he did drive in a run and stole a base, but you can’t fan five times and feel good about it. Kyle Nevin struck out three times and Zyhir Hope went down three times as well. Springfield’s pitching staff clearly had Tulsa’s hitters off balance. Sometimes you just tip your cap and move on. Jake Gelof went 0-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base — not his night at the plate, but at least he found ways to contribute on the bases.

Great Lakes Loons (High-A) — W, 9-3 vs West Michigan

Eduardo Guerrero had the kind of night that makes you pull up his Baseball Reference page and start daydreaming. He went 3-for-4 with a walk, four RBI, and a stolen base. Four RBI from the third base spot in a High-A lineup — that’s a statement game. Guerrero is starting to show the offensive ceiling that made people excited about him in the first place, and the stolen base adds another dimension.

Jose Izarra was all over the basepaths, going 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, two stolen bases, and a run scored. That’s elite on-base ability and speed — the kind of toolsy shortstop profile that plays up at every level if the bat keeps developing. Eduardo Quintero was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, a hit-by-pitch, an RBI, a stolen base, and three runs scored. He reached base four times and scored three of them. That’s just a complete offensive night from the center fielder. Nico Perez added a 2-for-5 line with a double and an RBI, though the three strikeouts are worth noting — the contact quality was there when he put the bat on the ball. Mike Sirota went 1-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Not his best night at the plate, but he found ways to contribute.

On the mound, Jakob Wright earned the win with five solid innings — four strikeouts, three walks, and just one earned run. The walks are a little high for my taste, but one earned run over five frames is a quality outing at any level. He gave the Loons length and the offense did the rest. Good formula.

Ontario Tower Buzzers (Single-A) — L, 7-12 vs San Jose

Ontario’s bats showed up but the pitching couldn’t keep pace. Seven runs is a fine offensive output most nights — just not when you’re giving up twelve.

Kellon Lindsey had the most dynamic night at the plate, going 2-for-5 with a homer, a double, an RBI, and two runs scored. The power-speed combination at second base is worth tracking, even with three strikeouts in the mix. Chase Harlan was 2-for-2 with a double, two walks, an RBI, and two runs scored — a perfect on-base night from the third baseman. That kind of discipline is exactly what you want to see in Single-A. Easton Shelton went 2-for-4 with a homer and an RBI, and Conner O’Neal added a solo shot of his own. Joendry Vargas drove in two runs on a 1-for-3 night with a walk, though the caught stealing stings a bit.

Hyun-Seok Jang gave Ontario five innings with six strikeouts, which is encouraging — the swing-and-miss stuff is real. But he also allowed three earned runs and walked two, and then the bullpen got torched. When you’re playing a San Jose team that can swing it, you need clean innings from the pen, and we didn’t get that tonight. The strikeout ability from Jang is the foundation to build on, but the consistency needs to come along with it.

ACL Dodgers (Rookie) & DSL Dodgers (Rookie)

Both the ACL and DSL Dodgers were idle on Thursday. We’ll check back when they’re in action.