Oklahoma City Comets (Triple-A)

Result: Loss, 13-14 vs Salt Lake Bees

Thirteen runs should be enough to win a baseball game. It wasn’t. This one was an absolute slugfest, and unfortunately our guys in OKC came out on the wrong side of a 14-13 final. The story here is twofold: Alek Thomas put together an outstanding night at the plate, and Jackson Ferris got hit hard enough to cancel most of it out.

Let’s start with Thomas. He went 4-for-6 with a triple, a double, and 4 RBI. That’s the kind of productive, multi-extra-base-hit performance you want to see from a guy working his way back into the picture. He was squaring everything up and driving the ball to all fields. Whatever he’s been doing in the cage, it’s showing up in games.

The rest of the lineup did its part too. Eliezer Alfonzo went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, and 3 RBI — solid work from the catching spot. Ryan Ward collected three hits in five at-bats with an RBI and two runs scored. James Tibbs III went 2-for-5 with a walk and scored three times, continuing to show his ability to get on base and create havoc. Hyeseong Kim only went 1-for-2 but drew two walks, drove in two, stole a base, and scored a run — doing a little bit of everything in a limited number of plate appearances. And Zach Ehrhard didn’t record a hit in three at-bats, but he walked three times and scored three runs. That’s a patient approach and it works.

Now the pitching. Ferris took the blown save, going 4.2 innings and allowing 9 earned runs. He struck out 7, which tells you the stuff was there at times, but he also walked 4. That combination — free baserunners plus hittable pitches when he did come into the zone — is a recipe for a crooked inning. Or several. He’s a young arm with a lot of talent, and nights like this are part of the development process. But 9 earned runs is 9 earned runs. He’ll want to flush this one quickly.

When your offense hangs 13 on the board and you still lose, the pitching staff has some questions to answer. Tough night all around on the mound.

Tulsa Drillers (Double-A)

Result: Loss, 1-3 vs Corpus Christi Hooks

A quiet night in Tulsa. The Drillers managed just one run in a 3-1 loss to Corpus Christi, and the offense never really got going. Elijah Hainline was the bright spot, going 2-for-3 with a walk. He’s been steady with the bat lately, making consistent contact and working counts. That’s what you want from a guy at this level — professional at-bats, nothing more complicated than that.

Jake Gelof went 0-for-2 but drew two walks and scored the Drillers’ only run. The walks are encouraging — he’s being selective rather than chasing — but we’d like to see him do some damage when he does get a pitch in the zone. Logan Wagner had a similar night: 0-for-2 with two walks. Discipline is great, but somebody has to drive these guys in, and that didn’t happen tonight.

Not much else to report here. Sometimes the bats just go cold. On to the next one.

Great Lakes Loons (High-A)

Result: Loss, 5-8 vs Dayton Dragons

The Loons dropped this one 8-5 to Dayton, but a couple of bats stood out. Emil Morales went 2-for-4 with a home run and a double, driving in two runs. That’s a nice power display from the shortstop position, and when he squares one up, the ball jumps. He also struck out once, so it wasn’t a perfect night, but the extra-base pop is legitimate and it’s showing up more consistently. Keep an eye on this one.

Samuel Munoz also went deep, finishing 1-for-4 with a homer and 2 RBI. He struck out twice, which is worth monitoring — the power-to-contact balance is something he’ll need to keep refining as he advances. Jaron Elkins quietly went 2-for-4, providing some contact out of the right field spot.

Five runs is a reasonable output, but giving up eight meant it wasn’t close enough down the stretch. The pitching staff took the hit in this one.

Ontario Tower Buzzers (Single-A)

Result: Loss, 1-5 vs Lake Elsinore Storm

A rough outing for Ontario. The Buzzers managed just one run in a 5-1 loss to Lake Elsinore, and the offense was largely shut down. Ching-Hsien Ko was the most active bat, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. He’s been finding ways to put the barrel on the ball, and it’s good to see him stringing together multi-hit games at this level.

Caleb Johnson went 1-for-2 with two walks and a stolen base. That’s a mature plate appearance from a young shortstop — taking what the pitcher gives you, then using his speed on the bases. Oswaldo Osorio went hitless but drew two walks in his only two plate appearances that weren’t a strikeout. Patient, but we need to see more impact when the bat comes off the shoulder.

On the mound, Jack O’Connor took the loss (0-1), going 4 innings with 3 strikeouts, 2 walks, and 2 earned runs. That’s a respectable line, honestly — he kept his team in the game through four. The damage came elsewhere. Not a night to panic over for O’Connor, but the Buzzers need more support behind him.

DSL Dodgers (DSL — Rookie)

Result: Win, 7-6 vs DSL CLE Mendoza

Finally, a win. The DSL Dodgers were the lone bright spot across the system today, eking out a 7-6 victory over the DSL CLE Mendoza squad. It wasn’t pretty, but we’ll take it.

Derik Aquino was the story on the mound. He tossed 4 scoreless innings, striking out 2 and walking 2. For a young arm in the DSL, putting up zeroes over four frames is exactly what you want to see. He attacked the zone, limited damage, and gave his team a chance. Solid outing.

At the plate, Edgar Sanchez provided the biggest blow — a home run that accounted for 2 RBI. He went 1-for-3 with two strikeouts alongside the homer, so the swing-and-miss is there, but the raw power is real. Antoni Urena went 1-for-2 with two walks, an RBI, and two runs scored. That’s an outstanding day of getting on base from the second base spot. Juan Macero chipped in a 1-for-2 night with a double, a walk, a stolen base, and a run scored — active on the bases and making things happen. Luis Luna went 1-for-3 with a run and a stolen base, adding some speed to the equation.

These are young players, many of them in their first taste of professional baseball. Wins matter less than development at this level, but it’s still good to see them compete and close out a tight game. That matters for building a winning mentality early.