Oklahoma City Comets (Triple-A) — W, 9-2 vs El Paso

Alek Thomas continues to make the most of his time in OKC, and tonight was his best game in a while. He went 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double, a walk, a stolen base, and two RBI. That’s about as complete a line as you’ll see from a center fielder. Thomas has the kind of bat-to-ball skill that plays at the next level, and when the power shows up like this, you start wondering how long he stays in Triple-A. He’s knocking on the door loudly.

Noah Miller had a nice night at the hot corner, going 2-for-4 with a homer, a double, and two RBI. He struck out twice, but the quality of contact was there when he connected. Zach Ehrhard chipped in from the DH spot with a 2-for-5 line that included a home run and three RBI. Three homers in the lineup, nine runs on the board — this was a comfortable one from the jump.

Hyeseong Kim went 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base from the shortstop spot. Kim’s ability to get on base and create havoc continues to be his calling card. James Tibbs III was 2-for-4 with a walk and a steal of his own. Ryan Fitzgerald added a stolen base and a run scored. This team ran the bases aggressively tonight — five total steals across the lineup.

On the mound, Cole Irvin was exactly what you want from your Triple-A workhorse. Six innings, four strikeouts, one walk, one earned run. That moves him to 8-5 on the season. Irvin isn’t going to blow anyone away, but he pounds the zone, eats innings, and gives OKC a chance to win every time out. That’s the job, and he does it well.

Tulsa Drillers (Double-A) — W, 7-3 vs Springfield

Zyhir Hope put on a show. Two home runs and five RBI from the right field spot — that’s the kind of night that makes evaluators sit up. Hope has serious raw power and when he gets into one, the ball leaves in a hurry. He scored twice to go with it. Five RBI out of the nine hole (or wherever Tulsa had him slotted) is a statement game. Keep an eye on this one.

Chris Newell added a homer and an RBI of his own, going 2-for-4 from first base. Mike Sirota set the table as the DH, going 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI, and two runs scored. Sirota continues to be a steady presence in the Tulsa lineup — he does damage without needing to hit the ball over the fence. Taylor Young was 1-for-4 with a stolen base, keeping his legs involved even on a quieter night at the plate.

Adam Serwinowski picked up the win to move to 7-2, and the final line — five innings, four strikeouts, one earned run — looks solid. But four walks is a lot. Serwinowski has the stuff to miss bats, clearly, but the command still comes and goes. That’s the thing he needs to tighten up before any conversation about a promotion gets serious. When he’s around the zone, he’s tough to hit. When he’s not, he’s working from behind and running up his pitch count. Still, one earned run over five is a quality outing by any measure.

Great Lakes Loons (High-A) — W, 8-5 vs Dayton

Eduardo Quintero was the story here. He went 2-for-3 with a home run, a triple, a walk, three RBI, and two runs scored. A homer and a triple in the same game means you’re squaring the ball up and running hard — that’s a good combination. Quintero is putting together some quality at-bats from the right field spot, and the power-speed blend is intriguing at this level.

Chase Adkison reached base three times from behind the plate, going 2-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base, and two runs scored. A catcher who can get on base and steal? That’s a skill set worth developing. Charles Davalan was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run from center field. Cameron Decker went 1-for-3 but scored twice and drew a walk — quiet production that keeps innings moving.

The pitching was a group effort. Aidan Foeller started and gave Great Lakes 4.2 innings with eight strikeouts — so the swing-and-miss stuff is clearly there. But three walks and three earned runs tell you the control wasn’t sharp. He’s still figuring out how to put it all together over a full outing, which is exactly what High-A is for. Matt Lanzendorfer bridged the gap with 1.1 innings, two strikeouts, no walks, and one earned run, moving to 3-0. Alex Makarewich closed it out with two scoreless innings for his fourth save. Two walks but no runs — he got the big outs when he needed them.

Ontario Tower Buzzers (Single-A) — W, 22-21 vs Inland Empire

Yes, you read that right. Twenty-two to twenty-one. Forty-three combined runs. This was not a pitching showcase. But you know what? Our guys scored 22, and that’s the side that matters. I’m not going to pretend this was a normal baseball game, because it wasn’t. Let’s just talk about who raked.

Where do you even start? Mairoshendrick Martinus drove in five runs on a 2-for-5 night with a homer and a hit-by-pitch. Five RBI is a monster line no matter the final score. Ching-Hsien Ko matched him — five RBI as well, going 2-for-5 with a homer, a triple, and a walk. Two guys with five RBI in the same game. That’s just absurd.

Jaron Elkins went 3-for-5 from the DH spot with a homer, a double, a hit-by-pitch, three RBI, a stolen base, and three runs scored. Joendry Vargas was 3-for-6 with a homer and three RBI from shortstop. Brendan Tunink was the hit leader, going 4-for-6 with a double, an RBI, two stolen bases, and two runs scored. That’s a full night’s work.

Francisco Espinoza reached base three times (2-for-5 with a walk) and scored three runs from the catcher position. Javier Herrera was 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, and an RBI. Easton Shelton only had one official at-bat but drew two walks and scored twice — smart, disciplined plate appearances. Landyn Vidourek struck out four times but still managed to score twice and steal a base, so the speed played even when the bat didn’t.

On the mound, I want to highlight Javier Bartolozzi, who picked up the win by throwing three scoreless innings with three strikeouts and no walks. In a game where seemingly every other pitcher was getting shelled, Bartolozzi put up zeroes. That stands out. He moves to 2-0.

ACL Dodgers (Rookie) — W, 8-7 vs ACL White Sox

Moises Acacio was the offensive standout, going 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI from right field. He scored twice for good measure. Acacio squared the ball up all night and showed some real pop. This is a name worth tracking as the Arizona Complex League season progresses.

Nelson Quiroz had a solid night as the DH, going 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Jose Gonzalez was 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, and two runs scored from first base. Reyli Mariano went 0-for-3 at the plate but drew two walks and drove in a run — patience at the plate matters, especially at this level. Sam Mongelli only had one official at-bat but reached base three times via two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Getting on base is getting on base.

The pitching was a bit of a roller coaster. Joel Cruz threw three innings but gave up four earned runs with three walks, picking up a blown save. Not his best outing. Franderly Morel got the win in relief (3-1), tossing a scoreless inning with a strikeout, though two walks kept things tense. Michael Ramirez slammed the door with three strikeouts in a scoreless ninth to earn his first save of the season. That’s a nice way to end a tight one.

DSL Dodgers (Rookie) — W, 9-8 vs DSL Athletics

Another close one, but our DSL squad held on for the 9-8 win. Luis Tovar led the charge from the hot corner, going 1-for-2 with a home run, two walks, two RBI, and two runs scored. Only one hit, but he reached base three times and made his one hit count in a big way. Jesus Villaflor went 1-for-2 with a home run, a walk, and an RBI from left field. Roberto Saucedo added a homer of his own from first base — 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run.

Hendry Arvelo was the hit leader, going 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored from right field. That’s a productive night at the top of a DSL lineup. Brayan Holguin didn’t record a hit (0-for-2) but scored twice from the shortstop position, getting on base via a hit-by-pitch and contributing on the basepaths.

Eliecer Zambrano earned his first win of the season (1-0) with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief, striking out one with just one walk. In a game this tight, those zeroes were critical.