Tulsa Drillers (Double-A) — W, 14-8 vs Northwest Arkansas

Tulsa put up 14 runs tonight. Fourteen. Every single hitter in this lineup reached base at least once, and the Drillers drew a collective nine walks on top of the damage they did with the bat. This was a complete offensive mauling, and it was fun to watch from top to bottom.

The headline act: Sean McLain launched a homer that drove in four runs. That’s the kind of single-swing impact that changes a game entirely. McLain went 1-for-4 with a walk and those four RBI, so while the batting average line doesn’t jump off the page, the production absolutely does. When your one hit drives in more than half a touchdown, you did your job.

Joe Vetrano added a homer of his own — a three-RBI shot — finishing 1-for-4 with a walk and a pair of strikeouts. Between Vetrano and McLain, that’s seven RBI from the bottom half of the order. That’ll play.

But honestly, the most intriguing performance of the night might have come from Josue De Paula. De Paula went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored. He’s continuing to show he can handle Double-A pitching, and the patience at the plate (that walk matters) is a good sign for a young bat still climbing the ladder. He set the table all night from the outfield corner.

Griffin Lockwood-Powell had a quietly excellent game behind the plate and at it — 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, two RBI, and two runs scored. That’s the kind of productive catching line you love to see. Kyle Nevin matched him with a 2-for-4 night of his own, adding a walk, two RBI, a stolen base, and two runs. Nevin continues to be a steady contributor at the hot corner, and the stolen base is a nice wrinkle — showing some athleticism that adds to his profile.

Zyhir Hope went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk, and Elijah Hainline chipped in 1-for-4 with a walk and two RBI. Hainline also scored twice. There just wasn’t a hole in this lineup tonight.

Now here’s a name worth flagging: Mike Sirota went 0-for-2 at the plate but drew three walks and scored twice. Zero hits, three free passes. That’s elite plate discipline for a DH night. Sirota made pitchers work, got on base, and came around to score. Sometimes the most valuable at-bats don’t produce a hit. This was one of those nights.

On the mound, Kelvin Ramirez picked up the win to move to 2-1. He went 2.1 innings, struck out four, walked one, and didn’t allow an earned run. It wasn’t a long outing, but it was efficient and dominant while he was out there — four punchouts in 2.1 frames is a strong K rate. The bullpen had to cover a lot of ground in a game that got wild (Northwest Arkansas did score eight, after all), but Ramirez did his part to keep things in hand early.

The final score was 14-8, so this wasn’t exactly a pitching clinic. But when your offense hangs 14 runs and every starter reaches base, you tip your cap and enjoy the fireworks.

ACL Dodgers (Rookie) — L, 3-4 vs ACL Guardians

A tough one-run loss for our ACL squad. These are the kinds of games that sting a little, but at this level it’s all about individual development reps — and there were a few things worth noting.

Taylor Young was the best bat in the lineup, going 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. That’s a clean, productive night from the second baseman. Young put the ball in play, did damage when he got his pitch, and delivered with a runner on. Exactly what you want to see from a young middle infielder finding his footing in pro ball.

Reyli Mariano only got one at-bat but made it count — 1-for-1 with a run scored and a stolen base. Small sample, sure, but the aggressiveness on the bases and the ability to reach and create from the shortstop spot is encouraging. We’ll want to see more of him.

Daniel Mielcarek went 0-for-1 but drew two walks and scored a run. Like Sirota up in Tulsa, sometimes getting on base without a hit is the whole point. For a young shortstop, showing that kind of patience — especially against Rookie-level arms who are still finding the zone themselves — is a solid developmental indicator.

Aidan West drove in a run as the DH (via an HBP, a walk equivalent of sorts, plus the RBI and a stolen base), though he also struck out. He went 0-for-2 at the plate. The RBI and the bag are nice, but we’d like to see him make more contact going forward. Still, getting hit by a pitch, driving in a run, and swiping a base? That’s finding ways to contribute even on an 0-fer.

The offense managed just three runs on a night where they needed four. One more timely hit and we’re talking about a win. That’s Rookie ball — the margins are thin and the learning curve is steep. These kids will be fine.