Oklahoma City Comets (Triple-A) — W, 6-0 vs Albuquerque

This was Emmet Sheehan‘s night. Five and two-thirds innings, eight strikeouts, zero earned runs. That’s the kind of outing that reminds you why we’ve been waiting on him. Sheehan walked two and the final line wasn’t perfectly efficient, but the swing-and-miss stuff was clearly there. He picked up his first win of what’s essentially a rehab-slash-re-establishment stint at Triple-A, and the results speak for themselves. When Sheehan is locating and the strikeouts are piling up, he looks like a guy who belongs on a big league mound. We’ll see how the next few starts go, but this was a strong step forward.

Offensively, Ryan Ward carried the biggest stick — 2-for-4 with a homer, three RBI, two runs, and a walk. Ward has been raking at this level for a while now, and nights like this keep the pressure on the front office to find him at-bats up top. Zach Ehrhard set the table nicely, going 2-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored, and two stolen bases. That kind of speed-plus-on-base combination plays at any level. James Tibbs III added two hits including an RBI and a steal, though the two strikeouts are worth monitoring — he’s still finding the balance between aggression and selectivity. Alek Thomas chipped in a 2-for-4 day with a walk. Quiet, professional at-bats from the center fielder.

A 6-0 shutout at Triple-A is never routine. Good night for our guys in OKC.

Tulsa Drillers (Double-A) — W, 9-8 vs Arkansas

This one was a fight. Nine to eight doesn’t happen without some chaos, and Tulsa had to survive a blown save to come out on top. Let’s start with the bullpen: Christian Suarez earned the win but also took the blown save — his fifth — allowing two earned in an inning and a third. That’s the reality of development. He kept the Drillers in it, but he made it interesting. Cam Day came on and was terrific, throwing two scoreless innings with two punchouts and no walks to lock down his sixth save. Day has been one of the more reliable arms in the Tulsa pen, and tonight was another example of why.

Taylor Young was the engine at the top of the lineup — 3-for-5 with two runs and two stolen bases. Young does everything you want from a leadoff-type hitter: gets on, wreaks havoc, scores. Kole Myers might have had the most impressive at-bats of the night, going 2-for-3 with a triple, a double, a walk, and two RBI. That’s an extra-base hit parade. When is the last time you saw a guy collect a triple and a double in the same game and also take a walk? That’s plate discipline meeting power. Keep an eye on this one.

Jake Gelof launched a homer, drew a walk, and drove in two (1-for-3 overall with a strikeout). The power has never been the question with Gelof — it’s about consistency and approach, and the walk is just as encouraging as the homer. Josue De Paula had a double, a walk, two runs scored, and an RBI in a 1-for-4 night. The hit total doesn’t jump off the page, but he was productive every time he reached. Logan Wagner contributed two hits and two RBI from the third base spot, and Mike Sirota added two hits with a run and an RBI.

Adam Serwinowski started and went 4.2 innings with seven strikeouts against just one walk. Three earned runs isn’t spotless, but seven K’s to one walk is a strong ratio. The stuff plays. If he can limit the damage on the hits he does allow, there’s real upside here.

Great Lakes Loons (High-A) — W, 11-3 vs South Bend

Eleven runs. Sometimes you just bury the other team, and that’s exactly what the Loons did to South Bend. The most eye-catching line belongs to Eduardo Guerrero, who went 2-for-5 with a triple and five RBI. Five RBI from the first base spot. That triple was clearly the big blow, and Guerrero did what you’re supposed to do when you get a pitch to drive with runners on — he didn’t miss it.

Nico Perez was also a force, going 2-for-5 with a triple and three RBI of his own. Between Guerrero and Perez, that’s eight RBI from two bats. Eduardo Quintero was outstanding in a limited sample — 2-for-2 with a double, two walks, two RBI, and two runs scored. That’s a perfect night at the plate. He never made an out. Emil Morales only collected one hit, but he walked three times against one at-bat where he actually put the ball in play (1-for-2 with three walks, an RBI, and a run). That kind of discipline from a shortstop is genuinely encouraging. Charles Davalan drew two walks and scored three runs as the DH, doing exactly what you need from the top of a lineup.

On the mound, Jacob Frost went four innings and allowed two earned runs. Three walks against two strikeouts isn’t ideal — you want to see that ratio flipped — but he kept the game manageable. Nicolas Cruz was sharp in relief, earning the win with 1.2 scoreless innings, three strikeouts, and two walks. The walks are a theme we’re seeing across a few of these arms tonight, but Cruz got the big outs when he needed them.

Jaron Elkins didn’t get a hit (0-for-2) but reached base three times via two walks and a hit-by-pitch, scoring a run. That’s contributing without the box score giving you credit for it.

Ontario Tower Buzzers (Single-A) — W, 5-1 vs Rancho Cucamonga

The story here is Luis Gamez. Four innings, six strikeouts, one walk, zero earned runs, and his first win of the season. For a young arm at Single-A, that K rate is very encouraging. Gamez attacked the zone, and the Quakes couldn’t catch up. We’ll want to see him stretch deeper into games as the season goes on, but four clean innings is a solid foundation.

Offensively, Abel Lorenzo had the best night — 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base. That’s a complete game from the right fielder. Lorenzo put the ball in play, used his legs, and created runs. Kellon Lindsey went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, an RBI, and a run scored from the shortstop position. Lindsey continues to show a polished approach for his level. Ching-Hsien Ko was 2-for-4 with a hit-by-pitch and a run scored. Not a flashy line, but he was on base three times and that matters.

A clean 5-1 win is exactly what you want from a Single-A club — pitching led the way, defense held up, and the offense did enough. No complaints.

DSL Dodgers (Rookie) — L, 9-11 vs DSL Reds

This was our only loss of the day, and it stings a little because the bats were actually pretty active — nine runs should be enough to win most games. But when you give up eleven, it doesn’t matter what you do at the plate.

Adrian Del Cid was scorching hot, going 4-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Four hits in a DSL game is a big day regardless of the outcome. That kind of consistent hard contact is worth following. Fran-Jean Haseth had a nice night from the right field spot — 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, two RBI, and two runs scored. He was on base four times in five plate appearances. Willy Bergolla went 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored, continuing to show solid on-base skills.

Ezequiel Melburne was 1-for-5 with a walk and two runs scored — the hit rate wasn’t there, but he found ways to get on. Oliver Chapman went hitless (0-for-3) but reached on a walk and a hit-by-pitch and scored twice, so he contributed more than the batting average suggests. Ricardo Pulles drew two walks in his three at-bats behind the plate, which is a positive sign for a young catcher’s eye.

The pitching let this one get away. We scored nine and lost. That tells you everything you need to know about how the arms fared. Tough night on the mound, but these are the youngest players in the system. Bad days happen. You move on.