Oklahoma City Comets (Triple-A) — Loss, 8-9 vs Charlotte Knights

The offense did its job. The bullpen did not. That’s the short version of this one. Our guys in OKC put together a solid night at the plate — eight runs should be enough to win most ballgames — but back-to-back blown saves turned a would-be comeback into a frustrating loss.

Hyeseong Kim continues to look comfortable in Triple-A, going 3-for-5 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored out of the two-hole. Kim’s been making consistent hard contact and using the whole field, and nights like this are exactly what you want to see from a player adjusting to a new level. He’s getting pitches to hit and not missing them.

Zach Ehrhard provided the big swing — a three-run homer — but the 1-for-4 line came with three strikeouts. That’s the Ehrhard profile right now: real power upside, but the swing-and-miss is still a factor. The walk is a good sign, though. He’s not abandoning the zone entirely. Taylor Young had a quietly productive night from the third-base spot, going 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, and 2 RBI. Young does a lot of little things right. Jack Suwinski added a pair of hits including a double, and Austin Gauthier drew two walks in his three plate appearances as the DH — he didn’t get a hit but he also didn’t chase, which is fine.

On the mound, Christian Romero was decent enough through four innings — 3 strikeouts against 2 walks and 2 earned runs. Not dominant, but he kept OKC in the game. The trouble came later. Jerming Rosario surrendered 3 earned runs in a single inning of work to blow the save, and Carlos Duran immediately followed with his own blown save, giving up 2 more earned runs in his inning. When your two high-leverage guys combine for 5 earned runs in 2 innings, you’re going to lose close games. Simple as that.

Tulsa Drillers (Double-A) — Win, 7-6 vs Wichita Wind Surge

Tulsa needed some late-game heroics and got them. This was a tight one all night, and the Drillers found a way to hold on for a 7-6 win over Wichita.

Jake Gelof delivered the headline swing — a two-run homer that gave Tulsa the cushion it ultimately needed. Gelof’s power is legit, and when he gets into one, the ball jumps. He’s a guy we’re tracking closely as he works through Double-A. Is this the level where the bat plays every night? The early returns are encouraging. Josue De Paula had himself a nice game out of the leadoff spot, going 2-for-5 with a triple and two runs scored. De Paula’s speed is a weapon, and the triple is a reminder that he can do damage when he puts the ball in play. The strikeout is the only blemish on an otherwise strong night.

Elijah Hainline was selective and productive from the shortstop spot — 1-for-3 with 2 walks and 2 RBI. That’s a mature approach for a young hitter in Double-A, and the walks are a big part of his profile. Kyle Nevin chipped in with a 2-for-4 night, adding a double and an RBI. Mike Sirota didn’t get a hit (0-for-2), but drew three walks and scored a run. Sometimes the best at-bats don’t produce hits — Sirota made the pitcher work all night.

The pitching was a mixed bag. Patrick Copen struck out 5 in 4 innings but walked 3 and gave up 4 earned runs. He had the stuff to miss bats but couldn’t locate consistently, and a good Wichita lineup made him pay for the mistakes. He’ll need to tighten that up. Kelvin Ramirez picked up the win in relief, striking out 2 in a clean inning with just 1 earned run allowed. He moves to 3-1 on the season.

Great Lakes Loons (High-A) — No Game Data Available

The Loons were scheduled against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, but we don’t have usable game data from this one. We’ll update if stats become available. Sometimes these things happen with data feeds — we’ll catch up with Great Lakes next time out.

Ontario Tower Buzzers (Single-A) — Win, 10-8 vs Lake Elsinore Storm

Ontario put up double digits and survived a wild one against Lake Elsinore. This game had everything — walks, big swings, a blown save that the bullpen cleaned up. The Buzzers needed every one of those 10 runs.

AJ Soldra was the offensive star, plain and simple. He went 3-for-5 with a double and drove in 4 runs as the designated hitter. Four RBI from the DH spot — that’s exactly the kind of production you need in a high-scoring game, and Soldra delivered with runners on base all night. Keep an eye on this one.

Easton Shelton launched a three-run homer and finished with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored. The power is real from the first-base spot, and the walk he drew shows he’s not just swinging out of his shoes. Ching-Hsien Ko added a double and an RBI while scoring twice, continuing to show that the bat can play at this level. Landyn Vidourek went hitless (0-for-2) but drew three walks and scored a run from the leadoff spot — that’s a productive night even without a hit. Same story for Chase Harlan, who went 0-for-3 but drew 2 walks and scored. Patience up and down the lineup was a real theme here.

Conner O’Neal reached base three times (hit, walk, HBP) and scored twice from the catcher spot. Javier Herrera went 1-for-2 with 2 walks and a run scored. This lineup just kept getting on base — Ontario drew 12 walks as a team. That’s how you put up crooked numbers.

On the mound, the bullpen did what it needed to do. Seamus Barrett took the blown save but settled down, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings with a strikeout. Jecsua Liborius picked up the win (2-3) with 2 shutout innings, striking out 3 against 2 walks. He came in with runners potentially looming and slammed the door. Solid relief work when it mattered.

DSL Dodgers (Rookie) — Win, 10-5 vs DSL LAD Mega

The DSL Dodgers handled their business in convincing fashion, putting up 10 runs in a win over DSL LAD Mega. The bats were alive up and down the order, and the pitching was strong enough to make the lead hold up comfortably.

Ariel Reynoso made the biggest impact with the fewest at-bats — he went 1-for-2, but that one hit was a grand slam. Four RBI on a single swing. Reynoso also drew a walk, so he was productive every time he came to the plate. That’s a day you don’t forget.

Ezequiel Melburne had the most complete game in the lineup, going 3-for-4 with a walk, 3 RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base from the hot corner. Three hits and three driven in — that’s an all-around great performance. Rubel Arias reached base in all five plate appearances (2-for-2 with 3 walks), added an RBI and swiped two bags. He was a menace on the basepaths. Fran-Jean Haseth contributed a homer and a double, scoring twice, and Ricardo Pulles went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and 3 runs scored from the catching spot. This was a complete offensive performance — everyone contributed.

Randy Maria earned his first win of the season with 3.2 solid innings on the mound — 5 strikeouts against 2 walks and just 1 earned run. For a young arm in the DSL, that’s a strong outing. The strikeout numbers show he can miss bats, and limiting the damage to a single earned run over nearly four innings is a great sign. He moves to 1-0.

DSL Dodgers (Rookie) — Loss, 5-10 vs DSL LAD Bautista

The other DSL squad didn’t fare as well, falling 5-10 to DSL LAD Bautista. This one got away from them, but there were a few individual performances worth noting even in a lopsided loss.

Jose Rivas was the most productive hitter, going 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored from behind the plate. Catchers who can hit are always worth watching, even at the DSL level. Hendry Arvelo drove in 2 runs on a 1-for-4 night from shortstop — not the cleanest line, but the RBI were timely. Helvin Mendoza reached base in all three of his plate appearances (1-for-1 with a double and 2 walks), which is a great approach for a young hitter. Jose Victorino and Jesus Villaflor both drew 2 walks apiece and scored a run — Victorino also added a stolen base. The walks are encouraging from these young players. The game got away from them on the pitching side, but the offensive approach wasn’t the problem.