I am very adept at discerning the obvious immediately. With last night’s win over the Midgets, the Dodgers slipped back into first place in the NL West with the 3rd best record in the National League and the 5th best in all of baseball. However, anything less than 162-0 is considered a failure by some. Oh, well. Tonight, they drive to Anaheim and play the pathetic Angels, who are the worst team in baseball with an 18-28 record. The Dodgers will probably get swept! I am kidding, but this is baseball, where anything can happen.
I bought tickets to the Great Lakes Loons at the Dayton Dragons on May 28th in Dayton, Ohio, which is a two-hour drive from my house. I hope they don’t start call-ups before then. I’m looking forward to seeing Sirota, Wagner, Davalan, Perez, Quintero, and company. My son and son-in-law are going too. My SIL will take lots of photos. I have to get a Frisch’s Big Boy on the way – they don’t have any around Indy.
For the most part, I eat very healthy food, but a guy has to have a Big Boy on occasion. I had planned to see the Loons in Ft. Wayne at the end of July, but I was informed by my wife that I was going to London with her and the family. So, I settled on the Dayton Dragons. They’re a Reds farm team.
At any rate, the Dodgers scored 5 runs last night. Teoscar is off life support. Sheehan improved until one bad or unlucky hit. It was nice to see him go six, and the bullpen was lights out with Scotty getting the save. Onward and upward!
P.S. I edited the Dodger site links on the right side of the Homepage and took off the inactive sites. I have some more to add, but coding is not my thing, although AI did this job OK.
MiLB GAME SUMMARY REPORT by Jeff
OKC Comets 12 – Albuquerque Isotopes (Colorado) 10
OKC raced out to a 12-3 lead until mid-7. OKC had to hang on after 7 Isotope runners crossed the plate the last 2 innings.
RHSP Christian Romero kept Albuquerque off the board for the first four innings. In the 5th, he walked the leadoff hitter, who stole 2nd, and scored on a single. Romero retired the side in order in the 6th, and he was done for the night. In 6.0 innings in Albuquerque, Romero allowed 1 run on 3 hits, 3 BB, and 4 K. That is a good outing.
OKC scored a run in the 1st. 1B Ryan Ward had an infield single and moved to 2nd on the errant throw. Ward scored on LF Ryan Fitzgerald single.
In the 3rd, SS Noah Miller doubled (5) and CF Zach Ehrhard and DH James Tibbs III both walked to load the bases. Miller scored on Ward’s sac fly.
After the Isotopes scored to tighten the score to 2-1, OKC got two more in the 6th. With 2 outs, Miller singled and scored on Ehrhard’s double (8). Ehrhard scored on 3B Alex Freeland’s single.
Going into the 7th, OKC led 4-1. There was a total of 17 runs scored in the last three innings. In the top of the 7th, RF Ryan Fitzgerald hit a one-out double (2). Fitzgerald moved to 3rd on Eliézer Alfonzo’s single. 2B Austin Gauthier (6) hit a ground rule double to score Fitzgerald. Ehrhard hit his 2nd double of the game (9) to score 2 more. Freeland knocked in Ehrhard for the 2nd time for an 8-1 lead.
LHRP Garrett McDaniels came in to relieve in the 7th. A 1-out triple, back to back singles, a WP, a sac fly, and Albuquerque scored 2.
In the 8th, Ryan and Tyler Fitzgerald drew inning opening BB. Alfonzo doubled with Ryan scoring and Tyler moving to 3rd. Tyler scored on a WP and Alfonzo moved to 3rd. Gauthier drew a walk and Alfonzo scored on a Miller sac fly. With two outs, Freeland, Tibbs III, and Ward each walked to allow Gauthier to score for a 12-3 lead.
With LHRP Jake Eder in relief in the 8th, a HBP, back to back doubles, a BB, ground out, and 2 run single and the Isotopes brought in 4 before RHRP Paul Gervase entered to get the final two outs.
With Gervase back on the mound, 2 singles and a 3-run HR brought Albuquerque was within 2 at 12-10. But Gervase got the final 3 outs to secure the win.
For OKC every batter got at least 1 hit, and 7 had 2. Every batter reached 1st at least twice. Hitting star for the night… Eliézer Alfonzo.
- Eliézer Alfonzo – 4-6, 2 runs, 1 RBI, double (5)
- Alex Freeland – 2-5, 1 BB, 2 RBI
- James Yibbs III – 2-4, 2 BB
- Ryan Fitzgerald – 2-5, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI
- Tyler Fitzgerald – 2-4, 2 BB, 2 runs, double (2)
- Noah Miller – 2-4, 2 runs, 1 RBO, 1 Sac Fly, double (5)
- Zach Ehrhard – 2-4, 1 BB, 2 runs, 3 RBI, 2 doubles (9)
Springfield Cardinals 6 – Tulsa Drillers 2
Springfield scored 1 run in each of the 2nd thru 5th innings, all off LHSP Wyatt Crowell. In 4.1 IP, Crowell allowed the 4 runs (3 earned), 6 hits, including 1 HR, 4 BB and 6 K.
Tulsa got one back in the 4th. SS Elijah Hainline hit a one out single and stole 2nd, and proceeded to 3B on the catcher’s throwing error. C Griffin Lockwood-Powell had an RBI single.
Tulsa got one more in the 5th. CF Kendall George hit a leadoff double (8), went to 3rd on RF Josue De Paula’s F7, and scored on 3B Kyle Nevin’s sac fly.
With RHRP Kelvin Ramirez on the hill, Springfield scored 2 more in the 7th. Two BB, a WP, and a 2 run single.
RHRP Nick Robertson was not perfect in this one. He did allow a walk and single, but struck out 3 more. For the season, Nick has appeared in 11 games and has not allowed a run. He has allowed 3 hits, 4 BB, and 20 K. Why is he still in AA
RHRP Christian Ruebeck allowed a run in the 9th.
The last 12 Tulsa batters were retired by Springfield.
Kendall George was the only Tulsa hitter with 2 hits, including a double (8). Josue De Paula also had a double (7).
Great Lakes Loons 3 – West Michigan Whitecaps 2
LHSP Zach Root led three GL pitchers for 7.0 shutout innings. Root allowed 1 hit,1 BB with 4K. He threw 41 pitches, 25 for strikes. LHRP Matt Lanzendorfer followed with 3.1 IP. He allowed one hit, one BB, and registered 1 K. LHRP Justin Chambers retired the side in order in the 7th with 2 K.
GL scored their run in the 5th. With 2 outs, SS Jose Izarra singled. CF Charles Davalan walked. A WP put runners on 2nd and 3rd. RF Mike Sirota singled to score Izarra.
Great Lakes took the 1-0 lead into the 9th. RHRP Nicolas Cruz went to the mound for his 3rd inning. There was a single, a passed ball, and a F8 moved the runner to 3rd. He scored on a second single in the inning for an unearned run to tie the score.
In the 10th, with a runner on 2nd, a ground ball to Cruz who got the out at 1st and the runner moved up to 3rd. He scored the go-ahead run on a sac fly.
But Great Lakes came back to score a pair in the bottom of the 10th for the win. With C Gio Cueto the placed runner at 2nd, SS Jose Izarra hit an infield single with Cueto moving to 3B. Izarra stole 2B, and Sirota drew a BB to load the bases. LF Eduardo Quintero also walked to force in the tying run. On the 2nd pitch to DH Jose Meza, the pitcher unleased a wild pitch, and Izarra came home with the walkoff win.
Izarra had 2 hits and Sirota had a hit and 2 BB.
Ontario Tower Buzzers 8 – San Jose Giants 4
Three multi run innings in this one. Two by Ontario (3 and 5) and one by San Jose (4).
San Jose jumped out to a 4-0 lead off RHSP Brady Smith and RHRP Wuillians Herrera. Smith kept San Jose scoreless for the 1st two innings. In the 3rd, a leadoff double and RBI single scored the first run of the game. Smith retired the next two batters, before Herrera came in with a runner on 1st. The first two batters walked and a run scoring double.
The next batter reached on E6 and a 3rd run scored. The 4th run came home on a WP.
In the 4th, after the first two batters struck out, CF Brendan Tunink was HBP, and 3B Chase Harlan drew a walk. RF Ching-Hsien Ko followed with a 3-run HR (7).
The score remained 4-3 to the 8th. In the 8th, DH Easton Shelton singled to lead off the inning. LF AJ Soldra followed with a single. 1B Mairo Martinus was HBP to load the bases. SS Emil Morales hit a 2-run single to give Ontario a 5-4 lead, with Martinus moving to 3B. With one out, Martinus scored on a Harlan sac fly. 4 BB and 2 additional runs give Ontario an 8-4 lead going into the 9th.
After 5.0 shutout IP by RHRP Luis Carias, on 3 hits, and 6 K, RHRP Robby Porco pitched a scoreless 9th. He did walk one, but struck out 3.
Ontario had a total of 5 hits, and no Ontario hitter had more than 1 hit. Martinus’ 7th double and Ko’s 7th HR were the only XBH.
ACL Guardians 5 – ACL Dodgers 1
The Dodgers scored 1 unearned run on 3 hits, 2 by catcher Abel Lorenzo.
Box scores tell quite a story. Tulsa pitching with 10 hits, 12 BB and 12 Ks. Woh. Offenses of top clubs continue to roll. I know technically our top prospects all reside in lower affiliates but I still look at those closer to MLB for any players that will be called up. If an outfielder on the big club goes down, who replaces him? It won’t be Quintero or DePaula. According to Top Prospects 1500, whoever they are, Tibbs is a Tier 4 prospect. And I still don’t see pitching help close.
Top of the lineup last night 1 for 17. Yep, you read that right. Bottom of the lineup with 4 of the 5 ribbies. Pitching wins again.
Rushing 0 for 3 with 3 Ks and a bruised knee from breaking a bat over it. 3 for his last 20.
And now the hapless Angels. Who rests for this series?
I would guess that JT3 or Ehrhard would get the call if an outfielder went down. I think the PCL has been very kind to Tibbs. If I were the Dodgers, I would get out of OKC, but that’s not happening!
2025 6 game series.
LA Angels 6 LA Dodgers 0.
And Angels are even worse this year, which makes them even more dangerous!
But heck, we’re on a roll having split a 4 game series with the powerful Giants!
They were swept by the Brewers too but got revenge in the LCS. They play the Brewers in Milwaukee after they finish the Padre series.
Thoughts for a Friday!
(1). Emmit looks like he got a wake-up call. Stays in the rotation?
(2). Teo looks like he got the same call!
(3). Just how did Doc know to insert Will into the lead off spot? (ESPN?)
(4).Tucker is smiling a lot more lately!
(5). Ohtani needed a rest! Look out Angels!
(6). Blake Snell shoves it tonight!
(7). Dalton’s temper is not a good thing.
(8). Tanner Scott is rolling! Bullpen will be a beast in a couple of months!
(9). Teo made a horrible play last night! We forgive you Teo!
(10). Please Doc! Let Kim run!!
(11). Please Andy! Smile once in awhile!
(12). No need to worry about Yamamoto, he will be more than ok!
(13). Wrobleski comes back with a vengeance this weekend! He belongs!
(14). Alex Call is proving to be more than just a bench player!
(15). The Dodgers will miss Miggy next year more than they will ever know!
Last thing. Regardless of what Dusty says, Altuve was a part of one of the greatest cheat jobs in the history of baseball! Forgive them? HELL NO!! Don’t lose any sleep over it, but it happened! Altuve will be in the hall of fame someday. Bregman? Possibly. Correa? No way. Springer? Fringe. Just like Aaaasrod, cheaters seem to come out on top. So Peter Rose will probably get one more shot at the Hall. If any of the Aaaaastros get in , why not Rose? Hell, let them all in! Bonds, Clemens, Palmero, Mcquire, Sosa, Aaaasrod, Altuve, Bregman, quite a lineup isn’t it?
IF all our starting and relief pitchers are HEALTHY, I would put them against ALL teams in Major League Baseball and say unequivocally that the Dodgers are the BEST in both categories. The Yankees and Braves are a close second.Pitching WINS Championships!
Friday’s Dodger Affiliates’ Schedule
3:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Jakob Wright) vs. West Michigan (Carlos Marcano)
5:00 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Payton Martin) vs. Springfield (Liam Doyle)
5:35 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (River Ryan) at Albuquerque (TBD)
6:35 p.m. PT: Ontario (Hyun-Seok Jang) vs. San Jose (TBD)
On Miguel Vargas:
https://x.com/travisinlb/status/2054977091817619932?s=46
Now, if he could just play Defense…
News today about Edwin Diaz, he has been linked to an illegal cock-fighting ring in Puerto Rico. Supposedly there is a video of him promoting cockfighting while wearing his Dodger jersey. There will undoubtedly be more coming on this. In Puerto Rico the punishment for cockfighting is 5 years in prison. Story was on the Yahoo News feed this morning.
I just read several articles and remember, many of these guys parrot each other, so there is that, but if evidence surfaces that this is true, this is as bad as Trevor Bauer!
Diaz may have thrown his last Dodger and MLB Pitch.
My thoughts exactly.
Teo atoned for his brain fart move on Lees hit. Class act: Sheehan going up to Rushing after he struck out with a man on third and less than two outs and telling him it was ok. Rushing had broken his bat over his knee after the at bat and was slamming his shin guards into place when Emmet went up to him. He also told Teo that it was ok after he came up and apologized for the misplay in left.
Anybody heard anything about Kopech?
Mike is still a free agent. There really has been no news on him since March. SI reported than that he was expected to sign with one of the Dodgers division rivals, but that did not happen.