Oklahoma City Comets (Triple-A) — Loss, 2-4 vs Sacramento

Not much doing offensively for our guys in OKC tonight. The Comets managed just five hits in a 4-2 loss to Sacramento, and the lineup never really strung anything together. Enrique Hernández provided the lone highlight with a solo homer — he’s still working his way through rehab reps at Triple-A, and the power stroke looked fine even in a quiet game. Hernández went 1-for-3 on the night.

Zach Ehrhard had the best at-bat log of anyone in the lineup, going 2-for-3 with an RBI, though he was caught stealing. Ryan Fitzgerald chipped in a 2-for-3 night with a double and a run scored. But two runs isn’t going to beat many teams, and it didn’t here. Sometimes you just tip your cap to the other pitching staff and move on.

Tulsa Drillers (Double-A) — Loss, 4-5 vs Arkansas

Hayden Gilliland did everything he could to carry this one. The catcher went 2-for-4 with a homer and drove in all four Tulsa runs. Four RBI from the catching spot is a big night at any level, and Gilliland continues to show that the bat is going to play as he moves through the system. That said, 4-5 losses where one guy accounts for all the offense tell you the rest of the lineup didn’t hold up its end.

Kole Myers went 0-for-2 but drew two walks, so the plate discipline was there even if the results weren’t. Sometimes that’s the more important story for a developing hitter — are you taking your walks when they’re not giving you anything to hit? Myers did that tonight. The Drillers drop a close one, but Gilliland’s performance is the takeaway.

Great Lakes Loons (High-A) — Win, 8-5 vs Lansing

This was the best game across the system tonight, and it wasn’t particularly close in terms of offensive production. Eduardo Guerrero was the star — the second baseman went 2-for-3 with a homer and four RBI. That’s two players across the system with four-RBI nights (Gilliland being the other), and Guerrero’s came in a win, which makes it even sweeter. He’s quietly putting together a really solid stretch.

Eduardo Quintero also went deep, finishing 1-for-3 with a homer, an RBI, a stolen base, and two walks. The combination of power and patience is what you want to see from a center fielder working his way up. Chase Harlan added two hits including a double and drove in two, while Logan Wagner had a two-double night (2-for-5). Emil Morales went 2-for-5 with a run scored from the shortstop spot.

On the mound, the story was a tale of two halves. Tyler Gough struggled through four innings — four earned runs, three walks, and while he struck out four, he was clearly laboring. Then Jacob Frost came in and slammed the door. Four scoreless innings, two strikeouts, two walks, and he picked up the win to move to 8-3 on the season. An 8-3 record at High-A is worth noting. Frost has been one of the more reliable arms in the system this year, and nights like this are why.

Ontario Tower Buzzers (Single-A) — Win, 7-5 vs San Jose

Ontario’s lineup absolutely went to work tonight. Three different Buzzers hit home runs, and the offense produced up and down the order in a 7-5 win over San Jose. Kellon Lindsey led the charge — 3-for-4 with a homer, a walk, an RBI, a stolen base, and two runs scored. That’s the kind of complete game you love to see from a middle infielder. He was on base four of his five trips to the plate. Keep an eye on this one.

Easton Shelton went 2-for-5 with a homer and two RBI from the first base spot, and Ching-Hsien Ko added a solo shot of his own (1-for-4 with a walk). Aidan West was quietly productive, going 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored — no extra-base hits, but he put the ball in play and made things happen. Jaron Elkins went 2-for-6 with two stolen bases and a run scored, using his speed to create havoc on the basepaths. Mairoshendrick Martinus added a 2-for-5 night with a double from the shortstop position, and Brendan Tunink reached base twice (hit and a walk) while swiping two bags of his own.

The bullpen deserves credit here too. Peter Bonilla earned the save — his first of the season — with two scoreless innings, striking out four against two walks. Four punchouts in two innings of save work is dominant. Bonilla locked it down when it mattered most.

ACL Dodgers (Rookie) — Loss, 1-4 vs ACL White Sox

A tough, quiet night for the Arizona Complex League squad. The bats managed just one run in a 4-1 loss to the White Sox affiliate. Nelson Quiroz was the lone bright spot, going 2-for-3 with a triple and the only run scored. Not much else to write home about here — sometimes at the rookie level, a more experienced pitching staff just shuts you down, and that’s part of the learning curve. We move on.

DSL Dodgers (Rookie) — Game 1: Loss, 8-10 vs DSL CLE Mendoza

Eight runs sounds like it should be enough to win. It wasn’t. The DSL Dodgers scored eight but gave up ten in a back-and-forth loss to DSL Cleveland Mendoza. Ariel Reynoso had the best offensive night of the group — 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, two RBI, and two runs scored. That’s a really mature plate appearance profile from a young third baseman. Oliver Chapman went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, an RBI, and a run. Willy Bergolla contributed a 2-for-4 line with a walk, an RBI, two stolen bases, and a run scored.

Ezequiel Melburne reached base twice (a hit and a walk) and scored two runs from the shortstop spot, adding a stolen base. Jhosman Theran collected two hits in four trips but was caught stealing. On the mound, Allen Ajoti took the loss and the blown save, surrendering two earned runs over 2.1 innings without recording a strikeout. When you’re walking guys and not missing bats in a high-leverage spot, the results tend to go south quickly. Ajoti falls to 3-2 on the year.

DSL Dodgers (Rookie) — Game 2: Loss, 7-8 vs DSL Astros Orange

Another one-run loss for the DSL club. Seven runs, and it still wasn’t enough — which tells you everything you need to know about the pitching in this one. Antoni Urena was excellent at the top of the order, going 3-for-4 with a double, two walks, and a run scored. He reached base in five of his six plate appearances. That kind of on-base ability at any level is noteworthy.

Erny Orellana provided the power with a homer (1-for-4), driving in two runs and scoring twice. He also drew a walk and was hit by a pitch — so he was involved all night. Hendry Arvelo went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI, while Luis Luna had a nice night from shortstop (2-for-4, double, walk, stolen base, run scored). Rafy Peguero drove in two runs but struck out three times in four at-bats with two walks — a mixed bag, but the walks suggest he wasn’t just flailing up there. Roberto Saucedo scored twice from behind the plate, and Jesus Villaflor added an RBI and a stolen base.

The pitching staff couldn’t hold up. Miguel Herrera gave up three earned over four innings with three walks against four strikeouts — not terrible, but not sharp enough. Christian Polanco came on in relief and earned a blown save, allowing an earned run over 1.1 innings with two walks. When you’re walking guys at that rate in close games, you’re asking for trouble. Tough night on the mound for both DSL squads.