Oklahoma City Comets (Triple-A) — L, 1-7 vs Sacramento

Not much to write home about in this one. Christian Romero took the loss (8-3) after giving up four earned runs over four innings. He struck out four and walked one, but Sacramento got to him early and the offense never gave him any support. Romero has been one of the steadier arms in OKC’s rotation this year — the record still reflects that — but this was a night where nothing clicked.

The lineup was mostly quiet. James Tibbs III went 1-for-2 with two walks and scored the Comets’ only run, so he was really the only hitter doing any damage at all. Jack Suwinski also went 1-for-2 with two walks — he saw pitches well, just couldn’t string anything together with it. When you only push one run across against a Sacramento staff that wasn’t exactly dominant, it’s going to be a short night. We move on.

Tulsa Drillers (Double-A) — W, 5-3 vs Arkansas

This was the best game of the night across the system, and it started on the mound. Christian Suarez picked up the win (6-3) with three innings of shutout ball — five strikeouts, no walks, no runs. Just dominant. He came in after the starter and slammed the door, which is exactly what you want to see from a reliever who’s pitching his way toward a promotion conversation. Suarez has been doing this consistently, and the stuff is clearly playing at this level.

Patrick Copen got the start and was solid if not spectacular — four innings, six strikeouts, no walks, two earned runs. The zero-walk line is what stands out. Command has been the thing to watch with Copen, and tonight he was around the zone all night. Kelvin Ramirez locked it down for the save (his fifth), punching out two in a clean ninth inning.

Offensively, Mike Sirota led the way with a 3-for-4 night — an RBI, two runs scored, and a walk. That’s about as complete a game as you’ll see from a DH. He was on base four times and made things happen every time up. Taylor Young stole three bases. Three. He went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a hit-by-pitch, but those three steals are the headline within the headline. Young is a menace on the basepaths, and it’s becoming a real weapon for this Tulsa lineup.

Kendall George went 2-for-5 with a run and a stolen base (also caught once), continuing to show the speed tool that makes him such an intriguing prospect. Josue De Paula chipped in a 2-for-4 night with a walk and a run scored. Sam Mongelli didn’t get a hit (0-for-2), but reached base twice via walk and HBP, drove in a run, and swiped a bag. Productive outs and productive at-bats — that’s what development looks like.

Great Lakes Loons (High-A) — W, 4-2 vs Lansing

Isaac Ayon was the story here. He went 6.2 innings, struck out six, walked just one, and allowed two earned runs to pick up the win (1-2). That’s a quality outing by any standard, and it’s encouraging to see him go deep into a game. Getting that first win on his record is nice, but more importantly, Ayon showed the kind of pitch efficiency that lets a young arm eat innings. That matters.

Chase Adkison had the best night at the plate — 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. That’s the kind of game from a catcher that changes the energy of a lineup. Logan Wagner provided the power with a home run, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs, a stolen base, two runs, and a walk. A homer and a steal in the same game? That’s a toolsy line from the third baseman. Keep an eye on this one.

Charles Davalan went 2-for-4 with a double and was hit by a pitch, while Emil Morales reached base in all four plate appearances (1-for-2, two walks, HBP) and drove in a run. Morales also swiped a bag. When a shortstop gets on base four times and makes things happen, you notice. Dilan Figueredo earned the save (his fifth) with 2.1 innings of scoreless work, walking one but keeping Lansing off the board when it mattered most.

Ontario Tower Buzzers (Single-A) — W, 6-5 vs San Jose

Ontario needed some bullpen heroics to get this one, and Angel Cruz delivered. Two innings, two strikeouts, one walk, zero earned runs — that’s a win (his first of the season). Getting that first W is always meaningful, and Cruz earned it by keeping San Jose from completing a comeback.

Starter Hyun-Seok Jang had a mixed bag. Seven strikeouts in five innings is encouraging — the swing-and-miss stuff is clearly there. But four earned runs tells you the damage was real when hitters did make contact. That’s the challenge for Jang right now: the strikeout ability is ahead of the consistency. He’ll keep getting opportunities to figure it out at this level.

Jaron Elkins led the offense with a 2-for-4 line that included a double, a walk, an RBI, two stolen bases, and two runs scored. That’s an impact game from the center fielder — he was involved in everything. Kellon Lindsey went 1-for-3 but drew two walks and scored twice, getting on base in more than half his plate appearances. Aidan West drove in a run (1-for-4, walk), and Joendry Vargas added an RBI and a steal of his own. Francisco Espinoza reached base in all four trips to the plate (1-for-2, two walks, HBP) — that’s elite on-base work from a catcher. Javier Herrera added two hits and a run scored.

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

A tough one-run loss for our ACL squad. This game came down to the bullpen not being able to hold leads — both Adriano Marrero and Josehp Marte were tagged with blown saves. Marrero actually pitched well in a vacuum: three innings, five strikeouts, one walk, one earned run. That’s a good line. But timing matters in baseball, and the run he allowed came at the wrong time. Marte went three innings with two strikeouts and one earned as well — both guys competed, but the Cubs found a way.

The offense generated baserunners but couldn’t quite string enough together. Abel Lorenzo had the best night at the plate, going 2-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base. Bryan Gonzalez Garcia went 1-for-4 with a walk and two stolen bases — the speed is real. Jhon Gil drew two walks and scored a run (1-for-3), while Reyli Mariano, Moises Acacio, and Agustin Acosta all reached base multiple times. Seven stolen bases as a team. The aggression on the bases is there — now it’s about converting those baserunners into runs more consistently.

DSL Dodgers (Rookie) — L, 2-3 vs DSL Astros Blue

Another one-run loss, this time in the Dominican Summer League. Anderson Carias was outstanding on the mound — five innings, six strikeouts, zero walks, one earned run. That’s about as good as you can ask from a DSL starter. He deserved a better result. Unfortunately, Eliecer Zambrano gave back a run in relief (one inning, one earned, blown save), and the offense couldn’t generate enough to overcome it.

Speaking of the offense — it was quiet. Willy Bergolla went 1-for-1 with two walks and a run scored, reaching base in all three plate appearances. That’s a strong approach from a young hitter. Fran-Jean Haseth didn’t get a hit (0-for-1) but reached via a walk and a hit-by-pitch, and swiped a base. When the lineup only pushes across two runs, though, even good pitching isn’t enough. Carias’ start was the bright spot in a game that got away from them late.