Oklahoma City Comets (Triple-A) — Loss, 4-5 vs Tacoma

A frustrating one-run loss for our guys in OKC, and the kind of game where you tip your cap to the individual performances even if the final score stings. Hyeseong Kim continues to do everything the Dodgers need him to do, going 3-for-4 with a home run, an RBI, and two runs scored. He’s been consistently putting together quality at-bats at Triple-A, and nights like this remind you why there’s genuine excitement about his future with the big club. The hit tool is real and the power is developing.

Alek Thomas matched Kim’s three-hit night, going 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored out of center field. Thomas continues to be a steady presence at the top of the lineup. Ryan Fitzgerald added a solo homer of his own, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run — so the offense was there. Four runs on multiple extra-base hits should be enough more often than not.

On the mound, Christian Romero turned in a decent but not dominant start — 5.0 innings, 5 strikeouts, no walks, but 3 earned runs. The zero walks are encouraging. The command was there. But Tacoma got to him for enough damage, and the bullpen couldn’t hold it from there. Sometimes you just come up a run short.

Tulsa Drillers (Double-A) — Win, 6-4 vs Frisco

The best win of the night across the system, and Josue De Paula was at the center of it. The Dodgers’ highly-regarded pitching prospect turned DH went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI. Any time De Paula shows off the bat like this in a DH role, it’s worth paying attention — we know what his arm can do, but this is a guy the organization clearly wants to keep developing on both sides of the ball.

Kyle Nevin was quietly the steadiest bat in the lineup, going 3-for-4 with an RBI. No extra-base hits, just consistent hard contact and a professional approach. That’s the kind of night that shows up in the box score without making headlines, but it’s exactly what you want from a guy at Double-A.

Kendall George only went 1-for-4 at the plate, but he made his presence felt — drew a walk, stole a base, and scored twice. That speed is a weapon and he knows how to use it. Zyhir Hope had a similar line from a value standpoint: 1-for-4 with a double, a walk, a stolen base, and a run scored. These two created chaos on the basepaths all night. Mike Sirota went hitless in four trips but still drove in two runs — sometimes you just need to put the ball in play with runners on, and he did his job.

The pitching story was messy but ultimately effective. Payton Martin battled through 4.1 innings with 6 strikeouts but also 4 walks and 3 earned runs. The stuff was there — 6 K’s tells you that — but the walk total is a concern. At Double-A, you can’t give away that many free passes and expect to survive every night. It’s a clear development point. Christian Suarez came on in relief and earned the win despite blowing a save (his fourth), going 2.0 innings with a strikeout and an earned run. Not clean, but he got through it.

Great Lakes Loons (High-A) — Loss, 0-0 vs West Michigan

No game data available for the Loons tonight. We’ll update this section if box score information becomes available. The 0-0 result listed suggests the game may have been postponed or suspended.

Ontario Tower Buzzers (Single-A) — Loss, 0-12 vs Lake Elsinore

This one got ugly in a hurry. A 12-0 shutout loss where the pitching was overwhelmed and the offense never got going. Not much to celebrate in the final score, but there were a couple of individual efforts worth noting on the development side of things.

Jaron Elkins was the bright spot, going 2-for-4 with a double and two stolen bases out of center field. Even in a blowout loss, you want to see young players competing and creating opportunities for themselves, and Elkins did exactly that. Conner O’Neal showed a disciplined eye behind the plate, going 1-for-2 with two walks — that’s a guy who refused to chase in a game where the temptation to expand the zone out of frustration must have been enormous.

The speed was on display across the board even if nothing else was — Kellon Lindsey, Joendry Vargas, and Brendan Tunink each swiped a bag. Tunink struck out three times but drew a walk and stole his base, so the athleticism is there even if the bat wasn’t tonight. These are growing pains at Single-A. You just flush a game like this and move on.

ACL Dodgers (Rookie) — Loss, 3-10 vs ACL Rangers

Another rough loss, this time at the complex level. The ACL Dodgers were outmatched 3-10 by the Rangers affiliate, and there isn’t a lot to unpack from a game like this. Leider Padilla was the lone offensive highlight, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI out of left field. That’s a name to file away — when a young hitter flashes power in rookie ball, you want to see if it becomes a trend. Everything else was forgettable tonight.

DSL Dodgers (Rookie) — Two Losses

It was a doubleheader day in the Dominican Summer League, and unfortunately our DSL Dodgers dropped both games.

In the first game, a 2-5 loss to the DSL Brewers Gold, Jeibert Rondon was the only real highlight. He went 0-for-2 at the plate but drew a walk, scored a run, and swiped two bags from center field. The raw speed is undeniable. You’d obviously love to see it paired with more contact, but at this level it’s all about development reps and learning the game.

The second game was a 4-6 loss to the DSL Padres Gold, and this one featured some genuinely encouraging individual performances. Jose Rivas was perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a walk, two RBI, and a run scored from the catcher position. That is a fantastic day for any hitter at any level. A catcher who can hit like that — even in a small sample — deserves attention. Ezequiel Aparicio also showed patience, drawing two walks in two plate appearances from behind the dish.

On the mound, Gregg Ferrera was outstanding despite the loss. He went 4.2 innings with 8 strikeouts and just 1 walk, allowing 2 earned runs. That strikeout-to-walk ratio is elite for any level, let alone the DSL. Keep an eye on this one. When a young arm is missing bats at that rate while throwing strikes, you want to track his development closely through the rest of the summer.