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Dodgers Sweep Rocks, Ready For Bigger Challenge With Phillies
The Dodgers swept the Rockies, which, TBH, was expected, and, while Game 1 wasn’t super inspiring, this team did win in three very different ways, and that, IMO, is a BIG positive takeaway.
The Dodgers leave the series at 36-20 and are 4.5 games ahead of both the DBacks and the Padres in the NL West, and showed power, late-game resilience, dominant pitching, defense, and bullpen depth throughout the sweep. Colorado, well, they’re terrible. Seriously, as someone who lives in Oklahoma, I’d rather have the AA & AAA affiliates of the Dodgers in-state than the Rockies. I’m not kidding!
Why the Dodgers Won the Series
The Dodgers outscored Colorado 24-10 over the three games, hit nine home runs, and capitalized on the mistakes of the Rockies’ pitchers. Some were forced, others, like in Game 1, were just gifted.
The Dodgers showed their typical discipline of not swinging at pitches just off the plate, and that was the kryptonite for a Rockies staff that wasn’t good enough to beat the LA hitters in the zone. The Dodgers forced the Rockies’ pitchers to throw the ball over the plate, then once they did, they did damage. The Rockies lack swing-and-miss arms, and the Dodgers feasted on that. The Dodgers struck out just 14 times total in the 3 game series.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers pitching completely overwhelmed Colorado’s lineup for most of the series.
Outside of a sloppy ninth inning in the 15-6 blowout, Dodgers pitchers allowed just four runs in the first 26 innings of the series. Colorado hitters struck out 29 times in three games and managed only one hit through the first seven innings of the game last night.
The series also highlighted the depth of the Dodgers as well. Even when players like Max Muncy and Kyle Tucker had quieter offensive series, the Dodgers still produced runs everywhere else in the order. Muncy, of course, is still trying to get fully healthy, and Tucker was given a workload management day off throughout the series as well.
Andy Pages Continues His Breakout
Pages was the best player in the series, going 10-for his last 21. He wasn’t just good, he was clutch, and delivered in key situations while also playing great defense and being aggressive on the bases. It was cool to see him in the 2-hole, which gave Mookie something else to look at, and he responded with a 2-home run day.
Pages hit an eighth-inning home run last night, and it effectively ended any thoughts the Rockies might have had of getting back into the game. His two-run double and RBI single in the comeback win in Game 1 flipped the momentum of that game and kept the series from getting off to a bad start.
Pages is now hitting .303 with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs on the season with an .899 OPS. More importantly, he has evolved into one of the Dodgers’ most reliable run producers.
The quality of his at-bats also stands out. He is driving fastballs consistently, staying on breaking pitches longer, and punishing mistakes to all fields.
Freddie Freeman Is Heating Up Again
After a, I’ll say it, a slump, Freddie Freeman looked much more like himself during the series.
Freeman homered last night and also had the go-ahead double in the opener, and made a lot of hard contact throughout the series. His timing was better than when he was rolling over pitches and expanding the strike zone during his, again, I’ll say it, his slump.
Over the last week, Freeman is hitting .353 with a 1.203 OPS and has started driving the baseball again to left-center field, which is his trademark sign that his mechanics are synced up and he’s hitting “through” the ball.
When he is producing like this, like he always has, the offense becomes dramatically is becomes much harder to navigate.
Mookie Betts Still Isn’t Fully Locked In — But the Power Is Returning
One of the more fascinating trends from the series involved Mookie Betts.
Betts is still not hitting for average, consistently hitting just .190, and he’s hitting just .153 in his last 26 at-bats, but he has driven the ball on a couple of occasions.
He hit a couple of home runs on Wednesday after being moved to the 4-hole, and had five RBIs in that game, a game the Dodgers won 15-6. Even during his struggles,
The Dodgers do not necessarily need Betts to hit .320, they just need him to reach base and lengthen the top of the lineup.
The concern for him is whether or not he can make consistent contact against velocity, but the signs are more encouraging now than they were two weeks ago.
Shohei Ohtani Is Dominating in Every Role
Ohtani’s impact went far beyond the box score.
He homered to open the game last night, and for the pitcher, who had already thrown up a scoreless top of the 1st, he literally had outscored the Rockies by himself 1-0 at that point. He also doubled in the opener, scored multiple runs during the blowout win, and delivered on the mound again, although Wednesday seemed to be more laborsome, especially early.
The future Hall of Famer threw six innings of one-hit baseball with seven strikeouts and lowered his ERA to a ridiculous 0.82. Through 55 innings, Ohtani has allowed only five earned runs all season while striking out 61 hitters and holding opponents to a .147 batting average. How do you spell Cy Young? Oh, well, I actually just did.
His splitter and fastball combination completely overmatched the Colorado hitters!
What stands out most about Ohtani right now is efficiency. Earlier in the season, he occasionally relied too heavily on strikeouts. Against Colorado, he worked quicker, generated weaker contact, while still missing bats. That, IMO, allowed him to create length despite laboring in early parts of the game.
Emmet Sheehan’s Development Remains One of the Biggest X-Factors
The Dodgers continue to try to figure out what they have with the current version of Emmet Sheehan.
Sheehan was not dominant in his outing against the Rockies, but he did show some maturity after allowing two early runs. Instead of unraveling, he made some adjustments and created some efficiency as he went on.
His final line:
6 innings, 2 runs, 8 strikeouts, 1 walk
His fastball command looked sharper at times, and his season ERA still sits at 4.70, His raw stuff is very good, and when he commands the fastball and throws strike one, his slider becomes significantly more effective.
For the Dodgers, his development could determine how aggressive they need to be at the trade deadline, ahem, Tarik Skubal.
The Bullpen Continues Its Domination
Outside of the garbage-time disaster inning from Miguel Rojas pitching in the 15-6 game, the Dodgers’ bullpen was excellent all series.
Key trends:
Tanner Scott continues looking like one of the most dominant relievers in baseball with a 1.19 ERA.
Will Klein has become a trusted leverage arm, lowering his ERA to 1.93.
Kyle Hurt, despite the home run he gave up, continues emerging as a reliable late-inning weapon with a 1.06 ERA.
Alex Vesia and Blake Treinen both delivered clean, high-pressure outs.
The Dodgers’ bullpen attacked the zone, and, beyond the home run they hit off of Hurt, Colorado rarely threatened late in games, again, until the mop-up inning in Game 2.
The Dodgers’ Offensive Identity Is Starting to Return
Perhaps the most encouraging overall trend was the offensive approach.
Earlier this month, the Dodgers’ lineup occasionally became overly dependent on home runs and struggled with stringing together rallies. During the Rockies series, however, they showed a good combination of power, situational hitting, aggressive baserunning, opposite-field approaches, and lineup depth.
They scored in multiple ways instead of waiting for one massive inning.
Examples included:
Mookie Betts’ sacrifice fly in the comeback win
Hyeseong Kim’s situational at-bats
Alex Call’s quality plate appearances
Freeman’s sacrifice fly
aggressive extra-base advancement throughout the series
That balanced offensive style is a GREAT version of this Dodgers team.
Concerns Fans Should Still Watch
Even during a sweep, there are still a few warning signs.
Is Max Muncy’s wrist affecting him?
Muncy went hitless in the 2 games he played in and has struggled badly over the past week. And now, Kiké is hurt, so he may not have time to nurse his wrist like he’d want.
His OPS is still good because of earlier production, but his timing looks off, and he has been expanding the zone more frequently.
Kyle Tucker still hasn’t fully broken out
Tucker contributed defensively and with situational baseball, but the superstar-level offensive consistency has not fully arrived yet. He’s blending in just fine, but that’s not what he was brought here to do, nor is that what he’s getting paid to do. It’s likely just a matter of time before he does break out, but his impact still feels below expectations offensively.
Defensive inconsistency remains
The Dodgers committed several defensive mistakes during the series, including errors from Betts and Muncy.
The Biggest Takeaway
The Dodgers looked like a complete team again.
They won a comeback game.
They won a blowout.
They won behind dominant pitching.That balance is what separates championship-caliber clubs from simply talented ones.
With Ohtani dominating on the mound, Freeman heating back up, Pages emerging as a star, and the bullpen stabilizing, there’s a lot to be happy with to this point in the season.
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Down on the Farm: Patick Was Sterling, Elkins is BACK, Ferris Was Wheelin’ & More
Down on the Farm
Sterling Patick grinded to a Great “Lakes” start, pun intendd, Ferris was back, so was Elkins, Loons lost a tough one, & more.
Great Lakes Loons: Chaos, Power, and Dominant Pitching
It was another wild chapter in the growing rivalry between High-A Great Lakes and Dayton. The Loons carried a 2-0 lead into the ninth inning before the Dragons stormed back in the bottom of the 9th. A soft leadoff hit, an error, a balk, and eventually a walk-off bunt single flipped the scoreboard and sent the Loons to a heartbreaking and chaotic loss.
Despite the difficult ending, there was still plenty to like from the Loons, even from Nicolas Cruz, who was the pitcher that threw the 9th.
Zach Root Dominates
Left-hander Zach Root turned in a MASTERFUL start!
4 IP, 1H , 0R , 9 Ks, 2 BB
Root struck out each of the final five hitters he retired and showcased advanced sequencing throughout the outing. His ability to steal strikes with multiple off-speed offerings while pairing them with a 94-95 MPH fastball repeatedly put hitters in defensive counts.
The Dodgers love the Stuff+, no question, but also prioritize pitchability, and Root showed a unique combination of the two in his start last night.
Sterling Patick Escapes Trouble
Sterling Patick didn’t have his cleanest outing statistically, but it may have been one of his most impressive mentally.
4.1 I, 6 H, 0 R, 4 Ks, 2 BB
Patick worked around traffic and was poised beyond his years, executing a four-pitch mix, including changeups, sliders, and back-to-back curveballs with the bases loaded early in the game.
Those are “trust tree” outings, not because it was perfect, but because it wasn’t, and he found a way through it.
Emil Morales Breaks Out For 1st Time in HIGH A
Emil Morales officially announced his arrival at the High-A level with a monster performance:
2 HR
Grand Slam
6 RBI
The power has always been obvious, but Morales is showing the ability to be a complete hitter. He’s had some impressive at-bats, where he shortened up with two strikes and delivered key base hits. Like his two-out RBI single into center field last night.
That combination of power and situational hitting is exciting to see.
Other Great Lakes Standouts
Eduardo Guerrero collected three hits and raised his average to .314 with a .796 OPS.
Joseilyn Gonzalez bounced back with a scoreless inning and showed a firm fastball mixed with well-located breaking balls.
Alex Makarewich delivered another explosive relief appearance, striking out the side while flashing swing-and-miss stuff that, TBH, is about as explosive as any pitcher anywhere at any level. His command is still a work in progress, but his pure stuff is ridiculous.
Kole Myers has responded to being sent back down to High A Great Lakes by going 6-for-11 since returning from Tulsa.
Charles Davalan also continues to impress, spraying the ball to all fields with a line drive focus, and he’s VERY good at setting the tone offensively from the leadoff spot.
Josue De Paula Keeps Raking
Few 21-year-olds, if any, are producing like Josue De Paula right now. Especially at the AA level.
Current numbers:
.302 AVG
.414 OBP
.899 OPS
13 doubles
40 RBI
32 walks
De Paula added another multi-hit game on Monday and continues to prove why he’s ranked by many as the Dodgers #1 prospect.
Sean McLain Turns Season Around
After an extremely slow start, Sean McLain has picked things up and blasted a grand slam and now has hits in eight straight games.
Since April 18:
.289 AVG
Last 8 games:
12-for-29 (.413)
McLain’s defensive versatility and above-average shortstop skills make him very valuable if he can bring the hit tool along enough to match close enough. Exactly as Noah Miller has done.
Griffin Lockwood-Powell Continues Strong Season
“GLP” stayed hot, raising his season average to .297 with an .899 OPS. He’s hitting .304 this month and has gone 5-for-9 over his last few games.
Joe Vetrano and Zyhir Hope Deliver
Joe Vetrano launched his fifth home run of the season to dead center field, while Zyhir Hope had a multi-hit game on Monday, including his seventh double.
Hope’s in the process of finding the perfect balance between his power potential and the swing and miss that creeps into his game.
Kelvin Ramirez Locks Things Down
Reliever Kelvin Ramirez continued his excellent season with another scoreless outing on Monday and was SUPER impressive.
2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 K, 1 BB
Ramirez lowered his ERA to 2.01 and now has 25 strikeouts in 22.1 innings.
Oklahoma City Comets: Jackson Ferris Returns
Ferris returned from a hip impingement injury and threw two scoreless innings in his first outing back. What a sight for sore eyes!
2 IP, 1 H, 0 R. 2 Ks, 1 BB
Ferris struggled at times to get ahead in counts, throwing first-pitch strikes only 25% of the time, but he repeatedly climbed back into counts. Velo is still in the 92-93 range, so we’ll see if that bumps as he gets healthier.
Christian Romero Keeps Growing
Christian Romero continued his HEATER, giving AAA OKC another great start!
5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 6 Ks, 2 BB
Romero controlled counts effectively with a five-pitch mix and gave Oklahoma City valuable length to pair with his excellence in run prevention.
Veterans Contributing
Tyler Fitzgerald has bounced between organizations this season, but we all remember how good he was with the Giants in 2024, so it’s in there, no doubt. He collected two hits, drew a walk, and scored three runs on Sunday.
James Tibbs III snapped a lengthy home run drought while continuing his outstanding overall season:
.316 AVG
1.028 OPS
12 HR
Eliezer Alfonzo also, I’ll say it, quietly continued his strong season hitting .306 with another multi-hit effort. He’s hitting .306, not bad for the 26-year-old catching prospect
Meanwhile, Chuckie Robinson delivered the “Baseball is Awesome” moment of the day last night by taking Josh Hader deep to right field, his opposite field.
Kellon Lindsey Shows Elite Speed
Kellon Lindsey reminded everyone why scouts grade his speed as “80-grade” after recording a 3.87-second home-to-first time on a bunt single.
That is as elite a speed as it gets!
Chase Harlan Heating Up
Chase Harlan has found his power stroke to pair with how well he stays inside the ball and uses the entire field.
Since Sunday:
3 HR in last 9 AB
8 RBI in last 2 games
.331 AVG
.976 OPS
Joendry Vargas pushed his hitting streak to 10 games and is batting .414 during that stretch, and Easton Shelton blasted his California League-leading 10th home run and extended his hitting streak to 14 games. He was named the Cal League Player of the Week for his efforts.
During the streak:
.392 AVG
6 HR
19 RBI
Final Thoughts
Whether it’s Zach Root sequencing like a veteran, Emil Morales beginning to unlock his full offensive potential, or Kellon Lindsey showcasing game-changing speed, the organization continues developing players with high-end tools that are using the Minor League process to round out their games.
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Ryan & Ryan Shove, George, DePaula, Hope, Davalan, Quintero Updates & More
Ryan & Ryan Shove, Elite Outfield Prospects Elite
The Dodgers’ farm system produced an offense-heavy night on Friday, highlighted by huge offensive nights from AA Tulsa Drillers and High A Great Lakes Loons. Ontario lost to Inland Empire & Triple-A Oklahoma City lost 7-6.
Tulsa pounded out 18 hits in a 14-2 rout of Wichita to improve to 26-17. Great Lakes continued its strong first half with a 13-4 win over Wisconsin behind great offensive showings from Charles Davalan, Eduardo Quintero, Jose Hernandez, and Jose Meza. Ontario, meanwhile, dropped a 17-3 decision to Inland Empire despite collecting 13 hits.
River Ryan
Gonna start this article with a dedicated section on the outing from River Ryan on Thursday. It was AWESOME! Ryan retired the final 11 hitters he faced, and he only allowed 3 base runners, and no one past 2nd.
5IP | 0R | 2H | 7Ks | 0BB 62 pitches, 43 strikes, one pitch away from his season high
We got to see the power early with the 99 MPH high riders, the 93-95 cutters, and the SUWEET changeups later, and he also threw an 83 MPH curveball. Whoever put this plan together, in terms of his pitch map, obviously knows what they’re doing, because we saw his entire velo band, every shape, to both lefties and righties, and the top-end power. Honestly, he’s throwing the ball so well, I’m not sure what he has left to do in AAA other than maybe continue to ramp his pitch counts. But, velo band is 83-99, his 4-seam is riding, his curveball is 12-6, his changeup is tumbling, his slider is getting in on lefties, and his cutter is bridging ALL of that and stealing strikes. BIG BIG Time stuff!
Oklahoma City Comets: Late Rally Falls Short in 7-6 Loss to Reno
The Comets dropped a back-and-forth game to Reno, who jumped on Charlie Barned for 4 runs in the 2nd inning. That 4-spot was highlighted by a three-run homer from Luis Urías after Tommy Troy opened the scoring with an RBI single.
Zach Ehrhard, who finished the game with 2 RBIS, drove home a run, Tyler Fitzgerald hit a third-inning two-run bomb, but Reno added another 3-spot in the 4th, and, as it turned out, that would be all they needed. Although OKC did make a run, scoring 2 in the 6th & 1 in the 7th, but couldn’t pose a threat after that.
Noah Miller made another really nice play moving to his right. He made a really good play to his left on Thursday and continues to make difficult plays look routine.
Tyler Fitzgerald continued his strong recent stretch, going 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs, two runs scored, and a walk. Over his last four games, Fitzgerald is hitting .400 with a 1.177 OPS. Zach Ehrhard also contributed two RBIs, while Enrique Hernández added a hit and scored twice.
Ryder Ryan was AWESOME in relief, knocking down innings 4-7, and stabilized the game long enough to give OKC the chance to make a comeback. He faced a minimum of 12 batters in 4 scoreless innings and was in complete control. Of the 12 hitters he faced, he threw a strike 1 on 10 occasions. He was in the 94 range and paired that with a good slider.
Top Offensive Performers
Tyler Fitzgerald: 2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R
Zach Ehrhard: 1-for-4, 2 RBI
Kiké Hernández: 1-for-4, 2 R
Pitchers
Chris Barnes: 2.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 5 K
Antoine Kelly: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER
Ryder Ryan: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K
Ronan Kopp: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Keynan Middleton: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Drillers Started Hitting & Never Quit
AA Tulsa pounded the Wichita Wind Surge, the AA affiliates of the Twins, 14-2, and improved their record to 26-17. Tulsa pounded out 18 hits and went 9-for-20 with runners in scoring position while scoring in six different innings.
Zyhir Hope singled home Kendall George in the first inning. George got a base hit on the first pitch of the game, then stole 2nd on the 3rd pitch in the game, and ended with 2 hits and a stolen base. He has 26 stolen bases on the year, which leads the Texas League, and he’s hitting .345 with an on-base percentage of close to .500. Elijah Hainline had a double and hit his 6th home run of the season, and had 5 RBIs. Griffin Lockwood-Powell also had a big night, going 3 for 5 with 3 Ribeyes of his own.
Josue De Paula led the attack with a four-hit night, continuing his torrid week in Wichita, where he is hitting .429 with a 1.262 OPS in the series. Hainline drove in five runs and homered for the sixth time this season, while Lockwood-Powell collected three hits and two RBIs.
On the mound, Adam Serwinowski delivered his best outing of the year, striking out 10 across seven innings while allowing just one run. Big Ski worked the armside corner with his fastball and slider, then had his big sweeper/slurve working all night. He’s off to a slow start, but that won’t last because he’s too talented. Look for him to rip off a heater in 3…2…1.
Top Offensive Performers
Josue De Paula: 4-for-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
Elijah Hainline: 2-for-5, HR, 2B, 5 RBI
Griffin Lockwood-Powell: 3-for-5, 2 RBI
Zyhir Hope: 2-for-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R
Kendall George: 2-for-6, 3 R, SB
Pitchers
Adam Serwinowski: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 10 K
Christian Ruebeck: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 K
Maddux Bruns: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
Great Lakes Loons: Davalan Leads Another Offensive Explosion in 13-4 Win
High A Great Lakes improved to 27-15 with a dominant performance in chilly Midland, Michigan. The Loons won 13-4 over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and, after falling behind 2-0, took control of the game with 8 combined runs in the 4th and 5th innings, then cruised to the finish line from there.
Charles Davalan was ridiculously productive. From his leadoff spot, he had 2 hits, including a bases-loaded double that cleared the bases, and 4 RBIs total on the night. He also stole two bases and scored four runs, so it doesn’t get much better than that from your leadoff spot. Kole Myers, who was playing his first game back with Great Lakes, had 2 hits, including a two-run single. Myers was sent back down from AA Tulsa after Mike Sirota was promoted. Tough blow, no doubt, just gotta chip away again and reset.
Jose Meza had a two-run single in the fourth and finished with two hits and three RBIs, and Jose D. Hernandez hit his 1st home run of the season, a 2-run shot in the sixth, and he had 3 hits total and 2 RBIs.
Christian Zazueta was the starter on the mound, and while it wasn’t his best outing of the year, he did settle down nicely after the first inning, allowing just two runs across five innings while striking out five to earn the win.
Top Offensive Performers
Charles Davalan: 2-for-3, 2 BB, 4 RBI, 4 R, 2 SB
Jose Meza: 2-for-3, 2 BB, 3 RBI
Kole Myers: 2-for-4, 3 RBI
Jose D. Hernandez: 3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
Eduardo Quintero: 3-for-5, 3 R, 3 SB
Jose Izarra: 2-for-5, triple, 2 R
Pitchers
Christian Zazueta: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 5 K
Nicolas Cruz: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 5 K
Dilan Figueredo: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 K
Ontario Tower Buzzers: Defensive Issues Doom Ontario in 17-3 Loss
Single A Ontario fell to 21-22 with a 17-3 loss to Inland Empire. They did get 13 hits, Ontario, but committed four errors, and struggled to contain a 66ers’ offense that scored in seven different innings.
Ontario was shut out through eight innings before finally breaking through in the ninth when Easton Shelton lined an RBI single to left field, before Anson Aroz added a two-run double to avoid the shutout.
Chase Harlan continued his productive stretch with a three-hit game, while Shelton added two hits and an RBI. Javier Herrera also recorded two hits before later pitching a scoreless inning in relief.
Top Offensive Performers
Chase Harlan: 3-for-5
Easton Shelton: 2-for-4, RBI, BB
Anson Aroz: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, 2B
Javier Herrera: 2-for-5
Pitchers
Jesus Tillero: 3.1 IP, 10 H, 9 R, 7 ER
Seamus Barrett: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER
Angel Cruz: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER
Ricardo Montero: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 ER
Javier Herrera: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R
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Down on the Farm: Crowell Shoves, Ko Grand Slam, Sirota 3 Hits in AA Tulsa & More
Dodgers Minor League Roundup: Drillers Roll, Loons Rally, Tower Buzzers Split Twinbill
Ryan Fitzgerald had another big night for AAA OKC, and Christian Romero gave the Comets a GREAT start. Speaking of GREAT starts, Wyatt Crowell turned in a good one as well at Wichita before Evan Shaw came in and slammed the door, and Mike Sirota, who was just promoted yesterday, got 3 hits to lead the charge for the Drillers. Charles Davalan continued his breakout season for Great Lakes with another leadoff homer for the Loons, Ching-Hsien Ko hit a grand slam in the first game of the doubleheader for Ontario, and Easton Shelton had a HUGE day for the Buzzers as well. In fact, he was a triple away from hitting for the cycle in the first game.
AAA Oklahoma City
Alex Freeland has been hot, slashing .417/.481/.958 with three home runs and 11 RBIs over his last five games. James Tibbs III has also been wearing AAA pitching out, hitting .471 with a 1.360 OPS while scoring 11 runs in that span.
Noah Miller made a sweet play up the middle last night and is hitting .391 with three homers over his last five games, and Kiké put on a show defensively at 3rd, although he’s yet to get his stick going the way he’s capable.
Christian Romero turned in a GREAT start, going 5 innings, giving up just 1 run on 5 hits, and he had 7K and just 2 walks. It was especially good considering that he threw 27 pitches in the 1st inning, then walked the leadoff hitter to start the 2nd. He didn’t walk another hitter until the top of the 4th, then he hit the leadoff hitter in the 6th inning, then was taken out after having thrown 96 pitches. The 7Ks were a season high, and it’s been super fun watching this young man grow in just about every way right in front of our eyes.
Chayce McDermott gave the Comets a good relief outing last night, going, giving up no hits, no runs, with 3Ks. McDermott picked up his first save and has gone scoreless in 3 outings in a row. The Dodgers picked him up back in April after he had been DFA’d by the Orioles, and since then, he’s posted an ERA of 3.60 with OKC. 4 Seam averaged 95.7, slider was tagged as the “go to”
Tulsa Drillers Shut Out Wind Surge 6-0
The Tulsa Drillers improved to 24-17 with a 6-0 victory over the Wichita Wind Surge. The combination of Wyatt Crowell, Evan Shaw, and Kelvin Ramirez dominated on the mound, and the offense, led by Mike Sirota, was opportunistic. Austin Chubb is sitting in for Eric Wedge for the week as the manager. Chubb was the manager for the Loons in 2021 and 2022, and has been in a Minor League Coordination role since.
Kendall George had another big night with 2 hits, one being an infield hit, and he also had a stolen base. He now has swiped 22 bases, and has been caught just 3 times. Mike Sirota was the Player of the Game, getting 3 hits, including a two-run double in the seventh to extend the lead to 5-0. Sirota finished with three hits, two doubles, and two RBIs, and continues to flash some serious offensive upside and a very high floor as well.
Wyatt Crowell delivered one of his strongest outings of the season, working 5.2 shutout innings while allowing only two hits and striking out six. Evan Shaw escaped a sixth-inning bases-loaded jam that he inherited from Crowell, then Kelvin Ramirez struck out the side in the ninth to complete the shutout. Tulsa pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts and held Wichita to 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Kendall George’s speed continued to impact the game as he stole two more bases and scored twice, while Hope added two RBIs and Josue De Paula reached base four times.
Loons Rally Past Timber Rattlers 4-3
Great Lakes improved to 26-14 with a gritty 4-3 comeback victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at home at Dow Diamond.
Charles Davalan blasted a leadoff home run in the first inning for his seventh homer of the season, and Eduardo Quintero later scored on a Jose Meza RBI single to give Great Lakes an early 2-0 advantage.
The Loons’ bullpen was excellent outside of the sixth inning. Zach Root, the Dodgers #1 pick from last summer, was very good. H struck out six over 3.2 scoreless innings, while Matt Lanzendorfer earned the win with three shutout innings of relief.
Top Offensive Performers
Charles Davalan — 1-for-3, HR, RBI, BB
Jose Meza — 1-for-3, RBI, R
Victor Rodrigues — 2-for-2, BB
Nico Perez — 1-for-3, 3B, 2 SB, R
Eduardo Guerrero — 1-for-3
Pitchers
Zach Root — 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Reynaldo Yean — 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 BB
Davis Chastain — 1.0 IP, 3 ER
Matt Lanzendorfer — 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 K
Tower Buzzers Split Doubleheader with Inland Empire
The Dodgers’ Single-A affiliates split a doubleheader with the Inland Empire 66ers, winning the opener 7-6 in eight innings before dropping the second game 12-8.
In Game 1, Ontario rallied from a 6-2 deficit with a four-run seventh inning. AJ Soldra had a big double, and Mairo Martinus, Joendry Vargas, and Easton Shelton all delivered RBI hits to tie the game. In the eighth inning, the automatic runner scored on a balk to give Ontario the winning run.
Javier Herrera was a BIG part of the offense with two hits and two walks, and Easton Shelton added two hits and an RBI. Martinus finished with two hits and a key RBI during the comeback rally.
Jose Cabrera stabilized the game out of the bullpen with two innings of relief before Angel Cruz slammed the door in the eighth.
The second game turned into an offensive shootout. Ching-Hsien Ko delivered the biggest swing of the day with a second-inning grand slam, while Easton Shelton continued his HUGE day with a home run later in the game as Ontario built an early 6-1 lead. However, Inland Empire answered with a seven-run third and fourth inning combination to take control and eventually win 12-8.
Ko finished Game 2 with three hits, including his grand slam, and four RBIs, while Shelton went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs.
Pitchers — Game 1
Luis Carias — 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 7 K
Jose Cabrera — 2.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 K
Angel Cruz — 1.0 IP, SV
Pitchers — Game 2
Brady Smith — 2.2 IP, 4 ER
Jholbran Herder — 0.2 IP, 7 ER
Javier Bartolozzi — 2.2 IP, 1 ER
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Dodgers Down Padres…Retake Lead in NL West
Los Angeles – The Dodgers reclaimed first place in the NL West Tuesday night with a big-time 5-4 win over the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Freddie Freeman busted out in a big way, hitting two home runs, and the bullpen was badass…again.
The Dodgers are now 30-19 and back in first place by 1/2 game, after scoring the winning run off the best closer in the game, Mason Miller. Shohei Ohtani, the best pitcher in baseball, will toe the rubber tonight to try to give the Dodgers the series victory.
Dodgers Strike Early Behind Freeman
The Dodgers wasted no time putting pressure on Padres starter Griffin Canning.
Shohei Ohtani opened the game with a leadoff double into left field, his 11th double of the season. Mookie Betts “got him over’ to third on a ground ball up the middle and was only out because Fernando Tatis Jr. made a ridiculous play, then Freeman hit one of his vintage opposite field home runs to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead.
That home run was Freeman’s fifth home run of the season and was much-needed because the future Hall of Famer had been “going through it” recently. Entering Tuesday night, Freeman was batting just .111 over his previous five games. While Freeman was surely happy about his breakout game, he gave credit to the entire team.
“Tonight was a group effort.”
Emmet Sheehan did not have his best outing of the season and was not happy with his performance.
He went four innings, allowed four runs on five hits while striking out two and walking one across 67 pitches.
The biggest issue was the command that led to the two home runs. Machado and Andújar both got to him on long balls, both after Sheehan had fallen behind in the count.
Sheehan did generate weak contact at times and limited further damage after the third inning. He also retired six of the final eight hitters he faced, so that was a positive.
Sheehan’s season ERA moved up to 4.93 through nine starts.
Dodgers Chip Away Against Padres Pitching
The Dodgers began to wear down Canning as the game progressed.
In the fifth inning, Teoscar Hernández ripped a leadoff double into left field. Hyeseong Kim moved him to third with a groundout, and Ohtani brought Teo home with an RBI groundout to trim the deficit to 4-3.
Then came Freeman again.
Leading off the sixth against reliever Jeremiah Estrada, Freeman crushed another solo homer, this time to right-center field, tying the game at 4-4. Freeman finished 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBIs, and eight total bases. That’s a sight for sore eyes.
Freeman raised his slash line to .260/.342/.435 with six home runs and 23 RBIs. Not what we’re used to seeing from Freddie, but he’s grinding, and remember, there’s always a beginning, middle, and end to every season, so stay tuned.
Shohei Ohtani continues to play good offense and went 2-for-3 with two doubles, a walk, and an RBI. Over his last five games, Ohtani is hitting .526 with a 1.467 OPS.
Teoscar Hernández also continued his strong week despite striking out three times, finishing 1-for-4 with a double. Teo is hitting .348 with a 1.009 OPS over the last seven days.
Betts and Will Smith combined to go 0-for-8, and add in Tucker, and that’s 0-12, so while the Dodgers won this game, it will be hard for this team to be consistent if those 2/3 don’t get going. Mainly Smith and Betts, because Tucker has been good recently.
How the Dodgers Beat Griffin Canning
While Canning struck out five over five innings, the Dodgers attacked him differently than they had in recent games against Padres pitching.
Instead of being super patient, they went into ambush mode. The Dodgers swung at the first 16 strikes they saw, and didn’t take a strike until Teos at bat in the 2nd inning.
Though Los Angeles went just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, the lineup limited strikeouts in key moments and, while being aggressive early, also was able to create a handful of deep counts too. But what they did best was swing at the strikes, very aggressively, then take the balls. The swing decisions were on point, especially early in the game.
The Dodgers also benefited from improved situational hitting. Ohtani’s RBI groundout and Andy Pages’ ninth-inning sacrifice fly ultimately is what won them the game, to go with the big blows of Freeman.
Bullpen Slams the Door
After Sheehan exited, the Dodgers bullpen turned in one of its strongest collective efforts of the season. And, that’s sayin’ something because the bullpen has been good.
Edgardo Henriquez threw 1.1 scoreless innings, and his not allowed any runs over his last 3.1 innings and lowered his ERA to 3.44.
Alex Vesia retired both hitters he faced and lowered his ERA to 2.65, while Blake Treinen, who has been up and down, worked through traffic in the seventh before Tanner Scott worked through traffic by getting a flyout from Ramón Laureano.
Scott earned the win and improved to 1-1 with a 1.37 ERA.
And then the ninth was AWESOME!
Max Muncy struck out, then he didn’t…WHAT? Well, after striking out, he challenged the call, it was overturned, then, instead of striking out, he walked. Alex Call came into run for him, then Mason Miller threw a pickoff move back to LA and Call moved up to third.
Then, Andy Pages had what Freddie Freeman said was the best at bat he had ever seen and hit a sac fly after a long battle to give the Dodgers the lead. Will Klein, the folk hero, closed down the 9th, and that was that. Easy as can be!
Top Performers
Dodgers
Freddie Freeman: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI (.260 AVG, .777 OPS)
Shohei Ohtani: 2-for-3, 2 doubles, RBI, walk (.272 AVG, .872 OPS)
Teoscar Hernández: 1-for-4, double (.263 AVG)
Tanner Scott: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 2 K (1.37 ERA)
Will Klein: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 K, first career save (2.33 ERA)
Padres
Manny Machado: 1-for-4, 2-run HR (7)
Miguel Andújar: 1-for-3, 2-run HR, walk (.299 AVG, .846 OPS)
Fernando Tatis Jr.: 2-for-5, stolen base
The Dodgers are set up to win the series tonight with Shohei Ohtani on the bump. He’s the best pitcher in baseball, so, while Randy Vasquez has been ELITE as well, posting a 2.68 ERA, any time you have Ohtani on your side, that’s a good thing. What a rubber match this should be. Can’t wait!
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Down on the Farm – Irvin Shoves, DePaula, Hope, George Put on a Show & More
Down on the Farm…First & Usuals!
AAA OKC, AA Tulsa, and Single A Ontario all won their games last night. The Comets scored six times in the sixth inning to beat Reno. The Tulsa Drillers got a big night from Josue De Paula, and the Ontario Tower Buzzers scored eight runs in the ninth inning to run away from Inland Empire. Great Lakes entered the 8th inning down 5-0, then had the bases loaded with just 1-out down just 5-4, but struck out twice and couldn’t quite get over the hump.
Alex Freeland had another multi-hit performance, Josue De Paula hit a home run and a double, Mike Sirota got his first hit in AA, and then Emil Morales got his first hit at High A with Great Lakes. Easton Shelton had a big night with 4 RBIs, including a home run to dead center, and Joendry Vargas is getting hot. Cole Irvin, the lefty veteran, turned in a GREAT start for AAA OKC, while Carson Hobbs and Cam Day were efficient, if not electric, out of the pen for Tulsa. And then, again, the Loons fought back, but couldn’t quite catch up.
Hobbs threw 15 strikes out of the 23 pitches he threw, and, while Cam Day isn’t striking out as many hitters as he has in the past, he’s been much more efficient, and his stuff is proving to be good enough to allow him to do that.
Oklahoma City Comets (25-20) — Six-Run Sixth Powers Comets Past Reno
The Oklahoma City Comets broke open a scoreless game with a massive six-run sixth inning and went on to beat the Reno Aces 6-3 Tuesday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
Alex Freeland and recently acquired Tyler Fitzgerald both went 2-for-3, Kike Hernandez had an RBI triple, and Noah Miller added an RBI single. Miller has been playing very good offense, hitting .316 so far in May, and that’s to match his ELITE defense. His bat speed looks great, he’s confident, and he’s playing well.
Cole Irvin turned in a great outing, tossing six shutout innings while allowing only four hits and striking out six. Irvin had a really good sinker/cutter combo working, and the cutter was a particularly good pitch. Carlos Duran was DURTY. He was throwing a shorter slider that had cutter tendencies, and pairing that with a hard-turning and sinking sinker. He stuff looked REALLY good and that led him to two scoreless innings before Keynan Middleton had one of those nights, allowing three runs in the ninth. Middleton has not been great, but he’s been better than what he was last night. His stuff just looked flat.
Freeland raised his batting average to .429 with OKC, and his OPS to 1.393, and while James Tibbs III did not get a hit, he did walk twice and is still hitting .310 with an OPS of 1.033 and a WRC+ of 160.
Tulsa Drillers (23-17) — Josue De Paula Drives In Four in Comeback Win
The Tulsa Drillers erased an early 3-0 deficit and defeated Wichita 7-5 behind a four-RBI night from Josue De Paula, pure electricity from Kendall George, thunder from Zyhir Hope, and then great bullpen work from Carson Hobbs and Cam Day.
De Paula hit a game-tying two-run homer and a double on the evening, and the home run was his sixth of the season. DePaula is hitting .275 but his BB% and K% are exactly the same, both at 15.3%. Zyhir Hope also had an RBI double into right-center and had 2 hits on the night, raising his average to .270, with an OPS of .813. His ISO has risen significantly lately, so his power vs. swing and miss tradeoff is climbing into the “very good” category.
Kendall George beat out a fairly routine ground ball to the 2nd baseman and made it from home to first in less than 4 seconds, something he routinely does. He’s impacting games using his “carrying tool”, his speed. He stole his 20th base and is 20 for 22 in stolen base attempts on the year. Sean McLain, whose off to a fairly slow start, had two hits and scored twice. Mike Sirota also got his first AA hit on an infield hit to the shortstop’s right.
The bullpen locked things down, as Carson Hobbs and Cam Day were both very impressive and combined for three scoreless innings to close out the win.
Patrick Copen struggled as the starting pitcher, giving up 4 runs in 4 innings, and that continues a trend for him lately. Just a patch, though, he’ll work through it, probably starting with his next start.
Great Lakes Loons (25-14) — Late Rally Falls Short
The Great Lakes Loons nearly erased a five-run deficit in the 8th inning, but fell short and ultimately fell 6-4 to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Dow Diamond.
The starter for the Loons, Sterling Patick, is going to be a rock star, but had a rough night, giving up 4 runs in 5 innings. Isaac Ayon did a good job relieving him, especially considering he was making his High A debut. Ayon gave up 2 runs in 4 innings and had 4Ks and gave up 3 hits.
The Loons are loading the bases with walks from Nico Perez, Eduardo Quintero, and Charles Davalan, and the first hit for Emil Morales at the High A level on what was, in essence, a swinging bunt. The pitcher, Yerlin Rodriguez, threw it somewhere where first base wasn’t, the Loons circled the bases and looked poised to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. But those jaws closed when Gio Cueto, who is off to a very slow start, and Jose Hernandez both struck out. When the dust settled, the Loons were still down 5-4, then Braylon Payne added a home run in the top of the 9th off of Ayon, and that was that. chopped an infield single that plated two runs after a throwing error by reliever Yerlin Rodriguez. Eduardo Guerrero then lined an RBI single into left before Samuel Munoz followed with another RBI single to cut the deficit to 5-4.
Eduardo Guerrero continued swinging the bat well, finishing with two hits, including a double and an RBI. Samuel Munoz also collected two hits and an RBI, while Nico Perez and Eduardo Quintero each reached base multiple times.s.
Sterling Patick battled, but was doomed by two home runs, 4 runs in total, while Isaac Ayon did a good job in relief in his High A debut.
Ontario Tower Buzzers (19-20) — Eight-Run Ninth Inning Buries Inland Empire
The Ontario Tower Buzzers scored eight runs in the ninth inning and ended up stomping Inland Empire 12-4.
Ontario trailed 4-3 entering the seventh before Brendan Tunink drove home Mairoshendrick Martinus with a game-tying RBI fielder’s choice, and then in the ninth, they put up the game-winning snowman to win 12-4.
Martinus reached to begin the inning on a throwing error to begin the 8-run inning, then Kellon Lindsey and Tunink both had singles. Tunink’s RBI single gave Ontario a 5-4 lead before Ching-Hsien Ko added another RBI single to make it 6-4.
Joendry Vargas and Landyn Vidourek both worked bases-loaded walks, Easton Shelton lined a two-run single into center, Anson Aroz ripped a two-run double, and Mairo Martinus capped the rally with a two-run single to push the lead to 12-4.
Shelton had a BIG night with a 2-run homer, and then, also a 2-run single, both hit right back up the middle. He ended the night with four RBIs. Mairo Martinus went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and three runs scored, while Brendan Tunink had two hits and three RBIs. Joendry Vargas has gotten hot and has multiple hits in 3 games in a row. Ching-Hsien Ko added an RBI single, and Kellon Lindsey went 2-6 on the evening as well.
Cam Leiter started and did a good job, going 2.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. Jhonny Jimenez came in relief and went 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 K. Will Gagnon, who has really good stuff, but had an atypical line for him, giving up 6 hits in 2.1 IP and 2 runs. Jecsua Liborius went 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K. Seamus Barrett had a good outing, going 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 K. Barrett is a big dude out of Loyola Marymount who was hurt last year and has a ++ changeup. Robby Porco, the 6’8 righty out of West Virginia, finished things off with a really good outing, going 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 K.
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Dodgers Lose Pitchers Duel to Padres
The Padres and Dodgers faced off in what turned out to be a pitchers’ duel Monday Night at Petco Park. The Padres won 1-0 behind great pitching from their starter, Michael King, then great relief work from Jason Adam and Mason Miller. On a side note, the Padres gave up their #1 prospect, Leo DeVries, their #3 prospect in RHP Braden Nett, Henry Baez, who was a top 20 prospect, then a hard-throwing right-hander, Eduarniel Núñez10who who had already made his MLB debut.
So, they “Sold the farm,”, as they say, and they sold A LOT of it.
But Mason Miller is the best closer in baseball, so while it was VERY costly, this is the only way organizations like the Padres can consistently get guys like Miller. They can afford to get some Free Agents, but Free Agency can’t be the headliner of their strategy. They can’t compete financially with organizations like the Dodgers, who swim in money, so drafting, growing, using, and or trading for MLB talent is the formula for them. And others like them, and IMO, they’ve done a great job building competitive rosters, then maintaining that over several years now.
So, although I’m not super fond of the Padres, I have to give them their credit. They haven’t won anything, but they’ve consistently been in positions to, and so they deserve credit for that.
The Dodgers dropped to 29-19, and the loss flipped the NL West scoreboard and pushed San Diego back into first place by a 1/2 game. The Padres are now 29-18 despite being one of the worst offensive teams in baseball, and leading that charge are their “superstars” Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., who are both off to very slow starts. and moved into first place by percentage points. Yoshinobu Yamamoto paid for one mistake on a splitter that hung and basically turned into a BP pitch, and it led to a solo home run by Miguel Andújar. Little did any of us know that would be the ONLY run scored for the ENTIRE evening.
For the Dodgers, the frustration centered around missed opportunities against Padres right-hander Michael King, who continued his mastery over Los Angeles by throwing seven shutout innings while striking out nine.
Dodgers Give Yamamoto NO Run Support…AGAIN
Yamamoto deserved a better outcome, as he has many times this year. And, beyond just the results, trying to pitch knowing that you can’t make any mistakes makes it much more difficult to execute over and over. You’re in “crisis” mode from the first to the last pitch you throw.
Yamamoto, after giving up the 1st innign home run, settled in and gave an ace performance going seven innings, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out eight and walking two on 107 pitches.
Outside of ONE swing, Yamamoto completely controlled the Padres’ lineup.
He struck out Gavin Sheets twice, who had been the Padres’ best hitter, and he punched out Manny Machado twice, which makes me VERY happy. He mixed his splitter and fastball effectively, and, after the first inning, San Diego managed just two hits the rest of the way against him.
Yamamoto lowered his ERA to 3.32, but his performance was far better than the final result suggested. The right-hander lowered hard contact for most of the evening and consistently won ahead in counts.
“I feel like I was kind of pressing a bit early on, and then that’s for me, the hardest part in the game. And after that, I searched for the right feel.”
“ At the beginning, settling into the game, that’s been a little challenge to me. However, I started feeling better every time I go up there. In my mind, I know how to fix it, that challenge, and I’m going to work on it.”
Kyle Hurt worked a scoreless eighth inning and allowed one hit to Fernando Tatis Jr., who was erased when Will Smith threw him out trying to steal.
Hurt’s season ERA remained at 0.69.
Why Yamamoto Was So Effective
Yamamoto’s arsenal was very good, and, beyond the 1st inning hanger, that includes his splitter.
He used it 25% of the time and generated a 44% whiff rate, and then he averaged 96.2 on his four-seamer and touched 97.4 mph. So, his fastball, which he was throwing slightly harder than his season average, set up everything else.
His sinker was valuable against right-handed hitters, and got him a lot of ground balls, and his cutter generated a 38% called-strike-plus-whiff rate.
Dodgers Offense Silenced by Michael King
The Dodgers entered last night on an offensive uptick and showing signs they were ready to break out. And, they still likely will, but it dang sure didn’t happen last night. Shohei Ohtani got 2 hits, but, beyond that, the Dodgers got just 3 other hits total.
Ohtani came into Sunday hitting .500 over his last five games with a 1.450 OPS.
Teoscar Hernández and Kyle Tucker have been hot, but they went a combined 0-6. Hernández was hitting .333 over the last week, and Tucker had posted an .876 OPS during that stretch as well. Freddie Freeman continued to struggle, going 0 for 2, and saw his average dip to .254. He’s hitting just .174 in his last 23 at-bats.
King, needless to say, as he usually does, neutralized the Dodgers’ offense.
The Dodgers, again, managed just five hits and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. They also struck out 10 times and had a night that was frustrating, but, TBH, one where you just tip your cap to the pitching of San Diego.
The Dodgers threatened in the sixth inning after Andy Pages led off with a single, but that was quickly erased when Teo hit into a double play right behind it. Hyeseong Kim got things started back up with a hit, then Ohtani followed with a swingin’ bunt, then the ball was thrown into right field, Hyeseong Kim was set to score all the way from first, but Dino Ebel put up the stop sign. Betts popped out, and that was that.
As per the decision to send or stay, here are my thoughts!
I think it's okay for several things to be true here all at the same time. Dino, even if Kim got thrown out, should have sent Kim. 2 outs, the next hitter has a 75% chance of getting out, so you play the odds that there is a better than 25% chance that Tatis Jr. doesn't execute,… pic.twitter.com/fMU17vcbAw
— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) May 19, 2026The Dodgers also had a very promising start to the ninth when Freddie Freeman and Tucker both walked against closer Mason Miller to start the inning. But Will Smith flew out, Max Muncy struck out, and Pages grounded into a force out to end the game.
Ohtani finished 2-for-3 with two walks and raised his season average to .265 with an .850 OPS. Pages added a hit and is now batting .299 with a .865 OPS on the season. Kim also reached twice and lifted his average to .278.
Freeman went hitless but drew two walks. Dude is totally awesome, but is still looking to break out of a recent slump, entering the night hitting just .105 over his last six games.
“I mean, scoring [Mason Miller] is going to be very hard to do. … we still have really good at-bats. […] we had an opportunity, maybe with him throwing a lot of pitches, might make him be down in the next game… you’re just trying to have little wins in a case of this series.”
“We know they have a good bullpen, I mean they brought in [Adam], you got [Mory Holmes] sitting down there, you got Mason Miller, you still have [Estrada]… so you know in this kind of series you know you’re going to have close games, and we just couldn’t get it done tonight.” [1]
How Michael King Shut Down the Dodgers
King’s pitch mix kept the Dodgers at bay all night.
The Dodger killer threw 100 pitches in seven shutout innings, allowed just four hits, struck out nine, and lowered his ERA to 2.31 on the season.
The biggest weapon was his changeup. He got six whiffs on 12 swings, mainly on strike-to-ball concepts where the pitch would start in the zone, then dive out, making the swing decisions very tough. The Dodgers chased below the zone, and when paired with the late movement of his sinker, that’s a really tough combination.
King also mixed in a sweeper that produced a 42% called-strike-plus-whiff rate, which meant it beat hitters “in the zone”, usually used as ball-to-strike offerings. He also got ahead a lot, so he controlled counts, which kept the Dodgers guessing. And, when you’re throwing ball-to-strike, strike-to-ball, with late movement, multiple shapes, and doing so from a position of advantage ahead in the count. Just tip your cap to that.
He threw first-pitch strikes to 15 of 24 hitters and finished with a 65% strike rate overall.
Perhaps most importantly, King disrupted the Dodgers’ timing by constantly changing eye levels and movement profiles. The sinker ran in on righties, the changeup faded away from lefties, and the sweeper kept hitters from sitting on velocity.
The Dodgers produced only four batted balls over 95 mph against him and struggled to square up anything consistently.
“King was really good tonight,” manager Dave Roberts said postgame. “He changed speeds, expanded late, and never really let us get comfortable offensively.”
“We had some opportunities, but we just didn’t get it done” Roberts added.
Kyle Hurt Continues to Impress
Kyle Hurt’s inning was short but effective.
Hurt sat 96.3 mph and threw strikes on five of six pitches overall. ]Meanwhile, Mason Miller slammed the door for San Diego, working around the back-to-back walks he issued to start the 9th.
Miller was over 100 on his fastball, which he normally is, and mixed that with an upper-80s slider. His fastball beats hitters in the zone, then his slider keeps hitters from sitting on his FB to get it timed up. If you do that, then he drops a slider, and you’re WAY out front. It’s tough when you have to gear up for that type of velo, so, again, tip your cap, and do your best NOT to be in the position of having to score against him to keep from losing.
The Dodgers did not get a hit against Miller, and when the last out was recorded on an Andy Pages ground ball, Miller had recorded his 15th save and lowered his ERA to 0.82.
Top Performers
Dodgers
Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 8 K, 2 BB (3.32 ERA)
Shohei Ohtani: 2-for-3, 2 BB (.265 AVG, .850 OPS)
Andy Pages: 1-for-4 (.299 AVG, .865 OPS)
Hyeseong Kim: 1-for-2, BB (.278 AVG)
Kyle Hurt: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER (0.69 ERA)
Padres
Michael King: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 9 K (2.31 ERA)
Miguel Andújar: 2-for-4, HR, RBI (.298 AVG, .823 OPS)
Mason Miller: Save, 1 IP, 0 H, 1 K (0.82 ERA)
The Dodgers and Padres will do it all over again on Tuesday night at Petco Park; the first pitch is scheduled for 6:40 PDT. The Dodgers are scheduled to send Emmet Sheehan to the mound, and he’ll be opposite Griffin Canning, who enters with an ERA of 10.64. That’s one of the GREATEST things about baseball, you get to show up and do it again the NEXT day. That NEXT day is today, so LFG!
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Down on the Farm – Tibbs III Keeps Rakin’, George Keeps Usin’ His Speed, Izarra & Vargas Breakouts
Down on the Farm
The Dodgers affiliates combined for 44 runs on Sunday, led by OKC, who played slow-pitch softball with the Albuquerque pitching after getting off to a slow start to the week. That slow start was shocking because games in Albuquerque are routinely very high scoring and long, and, quite honestly, hard to watch.
James Tibbs III continues to rake, Kiké Hernandez got a bunch of at-bats, Alex Freeland is doing what he’s supposed to since being demoted, Jack Suwinski is showing a short swing to add to his pop, and the OKC pitching was good in spots. Especially Christian Romero, who had maybe his best outing in AAA this past week.
Zyhir Hope went crazy with the long ball, Josue DePaula has slowed, but is fine, Kendall George is the fastest baseball player on the planet, and he’s learned how to use it and Roque Gutierrez opened up a can as the starter on Sunday in what was supposed to be a bullpen game.
Great Lakes is probably the best overall “TEAM” in the system, and is only gonna get better with the promotion of Emil Morales, although I can’t imagine they’ll have Mike Sirota much longer. Although there’s a HUGE logjam of outfielders in the system. Brooks Auger turned in a great start for the Loons over the weekend, and Alex Makarewich threw some lightning bolts to home plate on back-to-back nights. Joendry Vargas broke out for the Ontario Tower Buzzers, and Mason Estrada has looked super impressive in his last couple of outings.
Those are some cliff notes, now, let’s dive in!
OKC – Typical Trip to Albuquerque
The Comets pounded Albuquerque 20-8 on Sunday in one of, if not the best, offensive games of the year by any affiliate all year.
Top Offensive Performers
James Tibbs III raking, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, four RBIs, two walks, and four runs scored. Tibbs raised his average to .314 with a 1.038 OPS and continues to make hitting AAA pitching WAY too easy.
Chuckie Robinson, the veteran catcher, had a monster day offensively, finishing 5-for-6 with two doubles, a three-run homer, and six RBIs, and is now hitting .310 with an .846 OPS. Robinson was with the Dodgers last year, and played one game with LA, then got DFAd, picked up by Atlanta off the waiver wire, then chose free agency at the end of last year, picked the Dodgers again, signed a Minor League Free Agent contract, and, now, he’s back. He’s a great veteran presence for the young pitchers.
Noah Miller continues to gather hits, while also improving his quality of contact, which is THE key to watch for him offensively, IMO. He hit two home runs while going 2-for-6 with two RBIs and now has five homers and an .826 OPS on the season, while also hitting .393 over his last six games. His defense is ELITE, and he’s shown to be a roughly 20% above league average offensive player, so his trend is one of a BIGTIME shortstop prospect, and that’s NO exaggeration.
Jack Suwinski continues to close his holes, which have always been too much swing and miss, and he’s doing it with a short, compact, and very direct swing. He finished Sunday 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two walks, and hit his 13th double of the year. Suwinski has now pushed his OPS over 1.000 at .303/.1.032 while, again, showing his short and direct stroke. I LOVE where he’s at, stay tuned on his front.
Alex Freeland had two triples and an RBI while scoring twice and is hitting .400 with a 1.384 OPS over his last five games. And, he’s producing from both sides of the plate, and he’s doing EXACTLY what a player has to do when they get sent down, and that is continue to prove why they became a Major Leaguer to begin with.
Kiké Hernández had an RBI double, and that’s cool, but the fact that he’s getting a bunch of ABs is what matters the most on his front.
Zach Ehrhard had a good week, hitting over .400 in the Albuquerque series with a 1.324 OPS.
Pitching Results
Logan Allen: 6 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Allen battled through traffic all afternoon and picked up the win despite allowing three extra-base hits and a three-run homer.Jordan Weems: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Weems surrendered a two-run homer to Nic Kent during the seventh inning.Jerming Rosario: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 K
Rosario allowed a solo homer to Blaine Crim but otherwise filled the zone effectively and closed out the game cleanly.
The Comets have now won five of their last seven, and, over the last week, Alex Freeland, Noah Miller, James Tibbs III, Chuckie Robinson, and Zach Ehrhard have all posted OPS numbers above 1.200.
Tulsa Drillers — Zyhir Hope Powers Offensive Attack
The Tulsa Drillers rolled to a 9-3 win over Springfield behind continued power from Zyhir Hope and a strong start in what was supposed to be a bullpen game from starter Roque Gutierrez.
Top Offensive Performers
Hope led the way, going 2-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs. He now has nine homers, which leads the team, and has shown that he has power to ALL fields. He’s hit several opposite-field home runs, and then, on Sunday, showed how much power he has to the pull side.
Joe Vetrano turned in one of his best games of the year, collecting two hits and two RBIs while recording both a double and a single. Vetrano is a big dude, and SUPER strong, but is great at using his hands to “buggy whip” the barrel even when his swing isn’t totally connected.
Kendall George went 2-for-5 on Sunday and stole his 19th base of the season, and is now 19-21 in stolen base opportunities this year.
Josue De Paula reached base twice, drove in a run, and scored once, while Kyle Nevin contributed a double and two sacrifice flies. Those two are amongst the best of using ALL fields, and combining that with lots of impact to the pull side. Neither hits a ton of home runs, but when either gets one in the air to the pull side, they can hit it a long ways.
Frank Rodriguez continued swinging the bat well in his limited opportunities, collecting two hits and raising his OPS to 1.013.
Pitching Results
- Roque Gutiérrez: 4IP, 1H, 0R, 3Ks, 1BB
Joel Ibarra: 0 IP, 0 H, 2 ER, 3 BB
Myles Caba: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Christian Ruebeck: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 K
Great Lakes Loons — Pitching Dominates in Shutout Win
The Great Lakes Loons leaned on dominant pitching from Brooks Auger and Jacob Frost in a 4-0 shutout victory over West Michigan, striking out 15 hitters while allowing just three total hits.
Top Offensive Performers
Jose Meza led the offense by going 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored, and raised his average to .314
Jose Izarra delivered the biggest hit late in the game with a two-run double in the eighth inning. Izarra also walked, stole a base, and now owns a .908 OPS over the last week.
Charles Davalan added a hit and scored a run, while Eduardo Guerrero reached base twice and continues hitting over .300.
Samuel Munoz contributed an RBI groundout, and Nico Perez continued showing plate discipline with another walk.
Pitching Results
Brooks Auger: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Auger lowered his ERA to 0.77.Jacob Frost: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Frost improved to 6-1 on the season and overwhelmed hitters with swing-and-miss stuff.Nicolas Cruz: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 K
Cruz closed out the shutout and earned his first save.
The Loons have been possibly the best team in the Dodgers system from start to finish, and show no signs of slowing down.
Ontario Tower Buzzers — Late Offensive Surge Buries Giants
The Ontario Tower Buzzers broke open a close game late and beat the San Jose Giants 11-5 after scoring nine runs in the last three innings.
Top Offensive Performers
Emil Morales, who is being promoted to High A Great Lakes, was 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored. Morales now has six homers on the season and a .955 OPS over the last week.
Joendry Vargas has started to break out offensively, although his defense has left a little to be desired. He went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs, and a stolen base.
Easton Shelton blasted his seventh homer of the year and drove in two runs while also drawing a walk. Shelton now owns a massive 1.326 OPS over the last seven days. When he hits a ball, it STAYS hit!
Kellon Lindsey, welcome back! Lindsey was the Dodgers #1 pick in 2024, and has 80-grade speed, and can now show it as he’s become healthy. He collected two more hits and drove in a run, and is hitting .429 since returning from the IL.
AJ Soldra came through with a clutch two-run double during Ontario’s five-run eighth inning, while Landyn Vidourek, one of the most unsung but still very highly rated outfielders in the system, scored three runs and reached base twice.
Pitching Results
Mason Estrada: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Estrada has now posted back-to-back AWESOME outingsRicardo Montero: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 5 ER, 1 BB
Tough outing, he’s been feast or famine in his outings so far this yearJholbran Herder: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER
Made the game boring with the lead, which is what you wantJhonny Jimenez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER
Jimenez closed out the victory and made his inning stress-free.
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Down on the Farm: Freeland, Vargas Big Days, Vargas Breaks Out, Nevin Showed Power
AAA OKC
The OKC Comets are enjoying the desert-type air in Albuquerque, and pounded out 10 runs on 12 hits last night to pick up a 10-2 win and move to 23-20 on the season.
Alex Freeland went 3-for-5 with TWO home runs, 3 RBI, and 9 total bases, raising his average to .421 with a 1.371 OPS. His first homer was hit 439 feet and came off the bat at 102.5. He followed that up with another one in the 8th as well. Free has squarely taken getting sent back to OKC as motivation, and he’s “controlling what he can control”.
Jack Suwinski hit a 3-run homer last night, and he got into it pretty good, hitting it 411 feet, and at 103.9 MPH. Suwinski now has 11 long balls and 36 RBI on the year with a 1.019 OPS.
Noah Miller also had a GREAT night, going 3-for-5 with an RBI. Eliezer Alfonzo went 2-for-5 with a double and 2 RBIs. James Tibbs III went 1-for-3 with 2 walks and an RBI, and Kiké Hernández had 2 walks and scored twice.
Ryder Ryan made his first appearance since returning from the IL and threw well. He threw 2 scoreless innings and struck out 3, then Griff McGarry followed that by picking up the win, going scoreless in his 1 innings. He escaped a bases-loaded jam to get his job done. Carlos Duran, Keynan Middleton, and Jake Eder all contributed scoreless relief work, and the Comets staff struck out 11 Albuquerque hitters overall.
AA Tulsa Drillers
The AA Tulsa Drillers got big performances from a lot of names that, if you’re reading a Down on the Farm article, you’ve heard of.
Josue De Paula, although he’s slowed down some and had 4 Ks on the night, hit a 2-run homer and drove in 2. Zyhir Hope, who has slowed down quite a bit, hit an opposite-field home run, Kyle Nevin went 3-for-4 and had a massive pullside homer, and also showed off his ability to gather hits to the big part of the field.
Jake Gelof also hit a homer and an opposite-field hit, and Sean McLain, whose goal is to become “hitterish,” had 2 hits and scored twice.
Kelvin Ramirez got the win on the mound to nail down the big comeback for Tulsa. Adam Serwinowski continued the frustrating start to his year, giving up 4 runs in 5 innings as the starter, and saw his ERA balloon to 9.10. Maddux Bruns walked 3 in his one inning, but only gave up one run, then Nick Robertson threw the last inning scoreless, and he has yet to allow a run ALL YEAR.
High A Great Lakes
The Loons had a big comeback as well and crossed the finish line with some electric relief work from Alex Makarewich, then the steady hand for the last two outs from Matt Lanzendorfer.
The 5 spot in the 8th inning erased a 5-2 lead for West Michigan, and put the Loons in the lead for the first and final time. Samuel Munoz tripled to spark the rally. Jose Izarra, who had a really good week, had a big RBI base hit, which was his 2nd of the day. A wild pitch brought another run home, then Mike Sirota, who has tied the franchise record for consecutive games on base at 30, added a key RBI single. Nico Perez added on with another RBI base hit to push the lead to 7-5.
Justin Chambers was the opener for Great Lakes and went 2.1 innings, giving up 2 hits, 1 run, and had 5Ks and 2 walks. Dilan Figuredo threw 2.2 innings, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits, and Davis Chastain threw 1.1 innings, giving up 2 hits and 2 runs. Chastain has been AWESOME so far this year, although last night was not his best outing. Makarewich and Lanzendorfer, who were mentioned earlier, then finished out the game.
Single A Ontario
FINAL: Tower Buzzers 9, Giants 5
The Tower Buzzers erased an early deficit and finished strong to beat the San Jose Giants 9–5. Brendan Tunink had a big double that drove in 3 runs. Joendry Vargas broke out last night with a 3-hit game, including a key RBI base hit late, Chase Harlan had a HUGE night with 4 hits and a walk, and AJ Soldra had a couple of hits as well.
Jesus Tillero came in last night, throwing pretty well, but had a rough start, going 6 innings and giving up 4 runs on 8 hits. He did have 4 Ks and no walks, though, so that’s a good thing. Robbie Porco got the win, throwing 2 scoreless innings, striking out 3, and walking none, then Jecsua Liborius closed things out, throwing the last inning and giving up a run with 2 Ks.
– Picture for thumbnail courtesy of Joe Rutland-Partner
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Down on the Farm: OKC Explodes, Wright Shoves, Lindsey Goes Oppo
River Ryan Touches 100.9 MPH
River Ryan and Jakob Wright looked electric, Kike Hernandez, Alex Freeland, and James Tibbs III had big nights, and Kellon Lindsey hit his 1st home run since coming off the IL, and it was to the opposite field. AAA OKC pounded out 17 runs on 19 hits.
River Ryan touched 100.9 MPH. Jerming Rosario, Nick Frasso, and Jordan Weems all went scoreless, while Christian Suarez, Jakob Wright, Accimias Morales, and Alex Makarewich all had very good outings in different roles.
Kiké Hernández HUGE Night with OKC
After a sluggish start to his stint with Oklahoma City, Kiké Hernández is getting hot, at least he was last night.
Hernández had three hits Friday Night, walked twice, and scored three runs. Entering the game, Hernández was just 2-for-15 with OKC and had gone hitless in his previous nine at-bats.
Hernandez raised his average to .263 with a.649 OPS.
Jack Suwinski’s “Hitterish” Approach Paying Off
Jack Suwinski had three hits, a home run, and four RBIs, and he did it by being “hitterish”.
In his first at-bat, Suwinski drove the ball through the middle of the field, then he hit a low line drive into center field, and then came his home run.
TAwesome approach where process met results1
Suwinski has always possessed power, but Friday showed his approach to becoming more bat-to-ball oriented is catching up. When he stays short, he makes more contact, and the power comes pretty naturally from there. It was one of the best overall offensive performances of his season and another reminder of the offensive upside he still possesses.
Alex Freeland Continues Offensive Surge
Alex Freeland knocked out three hits, including a towering home run from the right side that left the bat at 97.5 MPH and traveled 403 feet. The homer was particularly great to see because it came from the right side, which is his weakest side.
Since rejoining OKC, Freeland is now hitting .357 with a 1.009 OPS.
James Tibbs III Keeps Raking
Few hitters anywhere in Minor League Baseball are producing like James Tibbs III right now.
Tibbs delivered another three-hit game Friday night, and he now already has seven games this season with at least three hits and has had an elite trade-off between slug and swing and miss, although his K% is a touch elevated.
Tibbs is hitting .303 with a .303 ISO, which is 5 points higher than his 25.6% K%, which is elite, and so is his 154 wRC+.
Zach Ehrhard Heating Back Up
Ehrhard recorded two hits and drew four walks, and has back-to-back multi-hit games.
He’s now hitting .247 with a .717 OPS.
River Ryan Dominates With Triple-Digit Velocity
River Ryan was ELECTRIC!
Ryan allowed just one run over four innings and touched 100.9 MPH and reached triple digits six different times, while still sitting 98 MPH deep into the fourth inning.
Ryan averaged 98.6 MPH on his four-seam fastball and generated 20 called strikes and whiffs on just 53 total pitches. His fastball spin rate peaked at 2532 RPM, giving the pitch big ride.
His secondary pitches were very good too.
Ryan’s slider averaged 92 MPH and produced a 50% whiff rate, while his sinker generated a 75% called strike plus whiff rate. His curveball reached nearly 2800 RPM in spin rate.
Ryan now has 14 strikeouts against just three walks over 11 innings since returning to Oklahoma City.
Jerming Rosario Continues Throwing Gas
Jerming Rosario delivered a 2-inning scoreless outing Friday, allowing just two hits and striking out one.
Rosario leaned heavily on his four-seam and slider. His fastball averaged 96.9 MPH and touched 98.5 while carrying an average spin rate of 2424 RPM.
The biggest development was his strike-throwing.
Rosario threw five of six first-pitch fastballs for strikes and kept more than a 75% zone rate with the heater. Combined with a 67% overall strike rate between his fastball and slider, he consistently controlled counts, and when he does that, it’s curtains.
Nick Frasso Showing Encouraging Signs
Nick Frasso threw a scoreless inning on just nine pitches, allowing one hit while striking out one. His fastball averaged 96 MPH, and perhaps more importantly, he showed excellent control by throwing all four of his fastballs for strikes.
While the sample remains small, just 7.2 innings this season, the swing-and-miss ability is clearly present. Frasso now has 14 strikeouts in those innings while lowering his ERA to 3.52.
He also mixed in a couple of sliders around 88 MPH and a changeup at 84..
Christian Suarez Pitched Well
Suarez threw two shutout innings while allowing three hits and striking out three without issuing a walk. He has now gone scoreless in six of his last seven outings and, as we always say about him, when the balls are in the zone, he puts up zeroes.
On the season, Suarez has a 4.57 ERA in 21.2 innings and has struck out 24.
Jakob Wright Impresses for Great Lakes
Jakob Wright turned in one of his best outings of the season Friday night for Great Lakes.
He allowed just one run over five innings while striking out four against West Michigan. Wright’s slider was VERY good, especially stealing strikes to the back door of righties early in counts.
That ability allowed him to control counts and open up the rest of his arsenal. Wright then used his fastball effectively on the inner half while also elevating above swings late in counts.
Although the overall ERA remains at 5.25, this outing showed that the raw stuff is clearly there, and when the command shows up, he has a LOT of success.
Eduardo Guerrero and Eduardo Quintero Stay Hot
Eduardo Guerrero went 3-for-4 while Eduardo Quintero recorded another multi-hit game, going 2-3. Quintero is now 10-for-20 over his last five games with four doubles and four RBIs after a slow start to the season.
He’s now hitting .254 overall and batting .389 during May.
Accimias Morales knocked down 2 scoreless innings, and then Alex Makarewich finished things up in the ninth.
Makarewich’s challenge has always been command, but when he throws strikes, his arsenal can overwhelm hitters at any level. Friday night was another reminder of just how dominant he can be when the ball stays in the zone.
***Cover photo courtesy of OKC Comets X ***
