Blake Snell to the rescue

You never know what to expect when a pitcher comes back from an extended stay on the IL, but Blake Snell came back with an eye-popping 10 strikeouts in 6 IP. He walked just 1 batter and allowed 1 run on 3 hits. I'd say he exceeded expectations. Yeah, I was happy to see Mookie hit a home run, but that does not change my opinion of him: He's a super-great guy... in steep physical decline. Prove me wrong!

Blake looked healthy, wealthy, and wise last night. The Dodgers starting staff now looks like this:

1. Skubal

2. Yamamoto

3. Snell

4. Sasaki

5. Lauer

6. With Glasnow due back soon...

I also believe that Ohtani will start back up in September. I'd say that the playoff rotation is set, and with the possibility of Stone and Stewart being back at some point, the bullpen is set. There will be some really good pitchers who don't make the playoff roster. Wroboleski is gassed but, with a little rest, should be a weapon in the playoffs.

A three-peat is tough, and it's even tougher with this aging roster. I am eager to see if the Dodgers bring up DePaula and Sirota in September. It remains a possibility!

BTW: I think Mookie reads this blog! I am going to keep hammering him!

Jeff Dominique's Minor League Report

Albuquerque Isotopes (Colorado) 13 – OKC Comets 7 

This was a bullpen game for OKC, and none of the six pitchers had a good outing.  They allowed 13 runs, on14 hits and 9 BB.  

Down 1-0, OKC took a brief lead in the 3rd.  With one out, SS Noah Miller singled, and scored on RF Zach Ehrhard’s 2-run HR, his 16th on the season. 

They doubled their score in the 4th.  2B Hyeseong Kim led off with his 2nd HR of the season.  LF Ryan Fitzgerald followed with a double and moved to 3rd when C Eliézer Alfonzo singled.  Fitzgerald scored on Miller’s SF. 

RHRP Bobby Miller retired the 1st six batters he faced.  He went back out in the 5th, and it did not go as well.  He faced 4 batters in the 5th.  Single, double, walk, and double before being lifted for RHRP Ryder Ryan. The 3rd run scored on a groundout to tie the score.  

Albuquerque rolled off 7 more unanswered runs through the top of the 8th.  

In the bottom of the 8th, Miller had a 1-out single and scored on Alex Freeland’s 2-run HR (5). 

Albuquerque put up 2 more in the 9th off Ryan Fitzgerald.  In the bottom of the 9th, Kim hit a 2-out double and scored on Fitzgerald’s RBI single. 

·      Zach Ehrhard – 3-5, 1 run, 2 RBI, double (23), HR (16)

·      Hyeseong Kim – 2-5, 2 runs, 1 RBI, double (9), HR (2)

·      Ryan Fitzgerald – 2-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (25)

·      Noah Miller – 3-3, 2 runs, 1 RBI, SF

·      Double – Alek Thomas (16)

·      HR – Alex Freeland (5)

Box Score 

Tulsa Drillers 8 – Arkansas Travelers (Seattle) 7 

RHSP Payton Martin pitched 2 scoreless innings.  In the 3rd, with 1 out, Martin walked the next batter and balked him to 2nd.  With 2 outs, he gave up an RBI single. 

In the bottom of the 3rd, 1B Joe Vetrano led off with a solo HR (6).  2B Jose Izarra and DH Taylor Young both singled.  LF Josue De Paula hit an infield single to load the bases.  3B Jake Gelof hit a SF for the 2-1 lead. 

In the 4th, RF Kole Myers walked.  C Frank Rodriguez singled with Myers to 3rd.  Vetrano singled to score Myers and Rodriguez moved to 3rd, as Vetrano moved to 2nd on an error.  After an out, Young had an RBI single with Vetrano to 3rd.  Vetrano scored on a balk for a 5-1 lead. 

Martin was still on the bump in the 5th.  He allowed a leadoff double, a one out RBI double, WP, and BB before being lifted for RHRP Christian Ruebeck.  Ruebeck inherited runners on 1st and 3rd with one out.  He struck out the first batter he faced but hit the next batter and walked the next for a run.  Arkansas cut the lead to 5-3 

In the bottom of the 5th, SS Elijah Hainline hit a solo HR (11). 

In the bottom of the 6th, Young hit a solo HR (3). 

Newly acquired RHRP Jacob Kmatz pitched 2.0 scoreless innings with no hits, 1 BB, and 4K.  He has been very good in all three of his relief appearances for Tulsa.  

RHRP Carson Hobbs relieved Kmatz in the 8th.  He gave up a single, BB, and 2 run triple to the first three batters he faced.  After a pop out, the next batter reached on an error.  Hobbs struck out the next batter, but the next batter hit a game tying 2-run double.  

The game went into the bottom of the 9th all tied up at 7-7.   In the 9th, JDP walked, CF Mike Sirota was HBP, and Gelof walked to load the bases.  JDP scored on a groundout for the walkoff win.  

·      Taylor Young – 3-5, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR (3)

·      Jake Gelof – 2-3, 1 BB, 1 RBI, 1 SF

·      Elijah Hainline – 3-5, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR (11)

·      Joe Vetrano – 2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI 

Box Score 

Great Lakes Loons 6 – South Bends Cubs 3 

It looks to be innings management time for the GL pitchers.  RHSP Hyun-Seok Jang who has pitched well since the promotion to Great Lakes.  He is up to 80 IP thus far in 2026 which is more than his first two years combined. 

Jang allowed a double but no runs in the 1st inning.  In the 2nd inning, the first three batters went single, single, 2-run double.  He then retired the side with 2 Ks.  That was his outing.  42 pitches/22 for strikes. 

RHRP Joseilyn Gonzalez gave up a solo HR in the third.  Gonzalez, LHRP Matt Lanzendorfer, and RHRP Dilan Figueredo combined to finish the game without any additional runs. 

Down 3-0, GL scored a pair in the 4th.  RF Eduardo Quintero singled and one out later 2B Nico Perez hit a 2-run HR (8). 

GL tied it up in the 6th.  3B Eduardo Guerrero hit a one out single and DH Jose Meza drew a BB.  Guerrero moved to 3rd on a fly out and scored the tying run on an infield single by 1B Mairo Martinus.  

In the 7th, the Loons took the lead for good.  C Victor Rodrigues BB.  CF Charles Davalan singled, but the batted ball hit Rodrigues for an out.  Quintero forced Davalan at 2nd.  Quintero stole 2nd and scored on SS Emil Morales’ RBI single.  Morales scored when Perez slugged his 2nd 2-run HR (9) of the game. 

·      Charles Davalan – 2-4, double (27)

·      Eduardo Quintero – 2-4, 2 runs

·      Nico Perez – 2-4, 2 runs, 4 RBI, 2 HR (9)

·      Mairo Martinus – 2-4, 1 RBI

Box Score 

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (LAA) – Ontario Tower Buzzers 1 

RHSP Cam Leiter had a fantastic start and was the Ontario star on the night.  He pitched 3.0 scoreless innings with no hits, 1 BB, and 5 K. He threw 44 pitches, 25 for strikes.  

I am still very bullish about Leiter.  I think he could be a good MLB pitcher. 

What is becoming a very common theme for Ontario, 2 relievers allowed 5 runs in the next 3.2 IP.  

Ontario scored their lone run in the 7th. SS Caleb Johnson singled and was picked off 1B.  But a throwing error by the 1B allowed Johnson to get to 3rd where he scored on C Frank Espinoza’s single. 

No Ontario batter had more than one hit, and the only XBH was a triple (6) by 3B Joendry Vargas.

Box Score