Dodgers Affiliates game summaries
James Tibbs III was player of the night for the affiliates (pictured)
Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Houston) 4 - OKC Comets 3 – 10 innings
This was not a great start for LHSP Cole Irvin, but he was able to limit the damage. In the 2nd inning, he walked the first hitter, hit the next, and then a seeing eye oppo ground ball through the vacated SS position loaded the bases. He got a weak F7 for the first out, and then there was a flair that bounced right in front of a diving Alek Thomas in CF. But that was the only run he allowed in his 3.0 innings of work.
In the 5th inning for the Comets, C Eliézer Alfonzo doubled (17) to lead off the inning. With one out, SS Noah Miller tripled (9) and scored on a RBI single from 3B Alex Freeland.
View post by @OKC_comets on X
LHRP Garrett McDaniels and RHRP Blake Treinen each pitched a clean inning with Treinen posting a pair of Ks.
View post by @HyeseongKimMuse on X
RHP Bobby Miller entered in the 6th. He retired the first two batters but walked the next batter. He thought he got the next batter to ground out, but the HPU said it was off the batter’s foot for a foul ball. The next pitch was an oppo 2-run HR giving the Space Cowboys a 3-2 lead. He walked the next batter before ending the inning on a K.
Miller pitched a clean 7th with 2 K.
View post by @HyeseongKimMuse on X
OKC tied it up in the 8th inning when DH James Tibbs III hit a leadoff HR (27). It was his 5th HR in his last 8 games.
View post by @OKC_comets on X
RHRP José Rodríguez and RHRP Nick Robertson each pitched a scoreless inning with 2 Ks, sending the game into extra innings.
RHRP Seth Halvorsen got the first two outs in the 10th, but gave up an RBI single for the walk off loss.
This was one of the absolute worst games called by the HPU that I have witnessed.
· 10 pitch call challenges, 9 overturned.
He also had the worst rabbit ears from an umpire I have seen since my son’s college games. 2 OKC players were tossed. On the 1st one, Alek Thomas was at the plate and a pitch took off on the pitcher. The umpire said it was a foul ball, and Thomas was in disbelief. RHP Landon Knack said something that caused him to get tossed. He walked by the HPU and just laughed at him.
View post by @HyeseongKimMuse on X
The next batter was 2B Hyeseong Kim had a pitch that was well above the strike zone that the HPU called a strike. Kim successfully challenged, and there was more chirping from the dugout, probably for all the missed calls and for the missed foul ball a few pitches prior. This time it was C Chadwick Tromp who was ejected, and he did not go as quietly as did Knack.
View post by @HyeseongKimMuse on X
Only 4 OKC ejections this year before the series. There have now been 3 in the last 2 games.
· James Tibbs III – 3-3, 2 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (27)
· Eliézer Alfonzo – 2-5, 1 run, double (17)
· Triple – Noah Miller (9)
Amarillo Sod Poodles (Arizona) 5 – Tulsa Drillers 0
This was a forgettable game from both a pitching and offensive point of view.
RHSP Christian Zazueta was already past his career high in IP for a season. He is up to 87.2 IP and possibly has 3 more starts before the playoffs.
In the 1st inning, Zazueta struck out the 1st batter but gave up a single to the next. With 2 outs, he served up a 2-run HR.
In the 2nd, Christian gave up a leadoff single, and a 1 out double for a 3rd run.
In the 5th, 4 straight hits and a GIDP scored 3 and a 5-0 lead.
View post by @TulsaDrillers on X
Tulsa managed 2 singles from RF Koke Myers and LF Josue De Paula, and a double from DH Logan Wagner.
Tulsa did get two solid relief appearances. RHRP Christian Ruebeck and LHRP Myles Caba each pitched a pair of scoreless innings.
That’s it for this one.
Great Lakes Loons 13 – Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego) 8 – 10 innings
Great Lakes scored a pair in the 2nd inning. 1B Eduardo Guerrero singled and moved to 2nd on a WP. With one out, DH Samuel Munoz walked. A groundout moved the runners to 2nd and 3rd. CF Eduardo Quintero hit a 2-out 2-run single.
GL put up 3 more in the 4th with just 1 hit. With 2 outs, Munoz walked. C Anson Aroz singled, and then 4 straight walks to score 3 runs.
RHSP Brooks Auger pitched 3 scoreless innings. RHRP Joseilyn Gonzalez relieved Auger and could only retire one batter before leaving. Gonzalez walked the first batter, struck out the next and walked the third batter. The next batter hit a 3-run HR. 3 straight singles with a run scoring, and Gonzalez was replaced by RHRP Nicolas Cruz. Cruz got the 1st batter but gave up a game tying double. The go-ahead run was thrown out at the plate on that double.
OKC took the lead in the 6th. Quintero was HBP, stole 2nd, and scored on a fielding error.
In the bottom of the 6th, LF Jose Meza misplayed a fly ball into a 3 base error. He scored an unearned run on a SF.
With LHRP Cody Morse on the bump in the 7th, he allowed a HR to put the TinCaps in front.
GL scored a pair of unearned runs in the 9th. With one out RF Jaron Elkins and 2B Nico Perez both walked. They advanced to 2nd and 3rd on a groundout and scored on a 2-run fielding error.
RHRP Davis Chastain allowed 1 run on 3 singles to tie the score in the bottom of the 9th.
Great Lakes took charge in the 10th. PR Charles Davalan was the placed runner for Meza. Davalan moved to 3rd on F8. Aroz walked and scored on a Quintero SF. SS Emil Morales singled moving Aroz to 3rd. Morales stole 2B. Elkins walked to load the bases. Perez hit a 3-run double. 3B Mairo Martinus singled to plate Perez giving Great Lakes a 5 run lead.
RHRP Dilan Figueredo got 2 groundouts to 3B, and a flyout to end the game.
No GL batter had more than 1 hit, and Perez’s 10th inning bases clearing double was the only XBH.
View post by @greatlakesloons on X
Ontario Tower Buzzers 6 – Inland Empire 66ers (Seattle) 1
Ontario strung together solo runs in each of the 1st three innings. In the 1st with 2 outs, 1B Easton Shelton tripled (2) and scored on a RBI single by CF Brendan Tunink.
In the 2nd, SS Caleb Johnson doubled (2), and 2B Javier Herrera walked. Johnson moved to 3rd on a WP. Johnson scored when he and Herrera pulled off a double steal.
Inland Empire got their sole run in the 3rd on a leadoff double and RBI single off RHSP Marlon Nieves.
LF Ching-Hsien Ko hit a leadoff solo HR (18) in the 3rd.
View post by @towerbuzzers on X
Great Lakes picked up 2 more in the 5th. DH Joendry Vargas and Ko both singled. Tunink drew a 1-out BB to load the bases. Vargas scored on a groundout and Ko scored on a balk.
The Loons scored their final run in the 6th. C Connor O’Neal singled to open the inning and RF Abel Lorenzo singled O’Neal to 3rd. O’Neal scored on Vargas’ SF.
After Nieves exited the game with one out in the 4th, 3 relievers put up zeroes the rest of the way. RHRP Camden Wimbish (1.2 IP), RHRP Brady Pendley (2.2 IP), RHRP Jecsua Liborius (1.1 IP). All three navigated traffic but nobody scored.
· Ching-Hsien Ko – 2-4, 2 runs, 1 RBI, HR (18)
· Brendan Tunink – 2-3, 1 BB, 1 RBI
· Abel Lorenzo – 2-4
· Double – Caleb Johnson (2)
· Triple – Easton Shelton (3)
Discussion (78)
Disagree, not disagreeable
In relation to yesterday's chemtrail laden discussion:
Home plate umpire, Malachi Moore, missed a good game last night.
Gawd, he’s terrible. He’s in my top 5 of the worst umpires in MLB. He just misses pitches; up, down, In, out. He’s just shitty. He’s in his 3 year, full-time and was equal opportunity hire. Last night he had 11 challenges with 6 overturned. Each team ran out of challenges. Total runs impacted at 3.85 according to the UmpireScorecard, which means he was a factor in the outcome, which is exactly what’s not supposed to happen with an umpire. His 21 missed balls and strike calls is ridiculous and again displays shortcoming of the ABS Challenge System. 6 of his 21 misses were rectified, the rest went unchallenged which effected the game. With the strategy of saving challenges until critical times and late in the game, this clown is the poster child for full-time ABS.
Once again I enjoyed the strategy employed in extra innings with Manfred’s Man. 2 straight extra inning games we have prevented the visitors from scoring in the top of the inning to set up a win. Walking runners to first to set up a double play has to be the strategy every time. Last night showed that. But it failed for the Pirates despite their best efforts, because Tommy came through after a miserable 3 K night. Good win.
Too many walks and too many home runs given up by our bullpen.
Alek Thomas will get the call-up... because he is the only option on the roster!
There's a good possibility Josue DePaula will get the call on September 1st. He has taken to heart the instruction he has gotten from Jason Heyward! His defense had already improved this season, but in the past two weeks, he has ratcheted it up even more. They have to add him to the 40-man anyway.
Sirota is on the IL right now and does not have to be added to the 40-Man this winter, so it seems highly unlikely he will get the call.
Don't forget that Kike can play CF too, so it may be a L-R Platoon in CF with Alek Thomas. Thomas has never hit MLB pitching with any authority. He has never OPSed over .659!
IMO Alek Thomas will be called up to replace the injured Pages who will be out 4 to 5 weeks with a fractured hand per Doc in a news conference after last night's game. Thomas is currently on the 40 man roster.
Coming in from the Bullpen for AVF:
7:15 PM ET
Pirates (63-67) Dodgers (78-51)
SP Jared Jones R 2-5 4.78 ERA SP Tarik Skubal R 7-7 2.85 ERA
Confirmed Lineup DH Shohei Ohtani L 1B Freddie Freeman L SS Mookie. Betts R 3B Max Muncy L 2B Tom Edman S RF Kyle Tucker L LF Teoscar Hernandez R CF Alek Thomas L C Ben Rortvedt C
9 game lead with 33 to play, now 3 ahead of Atlanta for the second bye and two behind the Brewers for the best record in the major leagues. Thomas will be wearing #9.
Just another example of how well the front office has enabled and provided depth. From starting and relieving pitching to CF with experience ready to step in.
I have said since the discussion as to who comes up in September that Alek Thomas was going to don Dodger Blue in September. I now think it will be in August. I have been saying that last year it was Justin Dean. That should provide enough clues as to where LAD management leans to. Sure, JDP and Sirota would be fun to see what they can do, but the days of bringing up the entire 40 man for September are over. JDP would sell tickets if that was a concern for LAD. It is not. JDP will be a MLB OF, but not this year. He has All-Star written all over. Sirota does not have to be protected.
For the playoffs…defense, defense, defense. JDP does not have that skill right now. J-Hey was an outstanding defensive OF, and he has done wonders for JDP in the week he had with him. But the goal is to get him to be adequate, and he still needs more to get there.
Doc said it last night that making sure CF defense is locked down is paramount for them. Thomas is an exceptional defensive CF and Edman is a GG 2B. And while Kiké can play 2B or CF, he is better suited to be the Swiss Army Knife over Edman right now.
While I concede that my expectations are les than 100%, I am all but certain that Alek Thomas is the right call. In September we will see either Alex Freeland or Hyeseong Kim, until Pages is ready to return.
Thomas will be in CF tonight
Mookie Betts now has a higher OPS than Tucker .706-.690. He has more homers, 16-11, has struck out half as much, he is not at Mookie levels, but he has performed better and seems to have heated up at exactly the right time. 6 driven in in the last 5 games.
Can Tucker play CF?
The Dodgers' Magic Number to clinch the NL West as of today is 23 with a 9 game lead over the Padres and a 10 game lead over the Snakes with 33 to play,17 at home and 16 on the road. They also hold the tiebreaker with the Padres with a 7-3 record against them with 3 to play, The countdown has started.
Saturday Dodger Affiliates' Schedule 3:35 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Isaac Ayon) at Fort Wayne (Bryan Balzer) 5 p.m.: Tulsa (Patrick Copen) vs. Amarillo (Brian Curley) 5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Jackson Ferris) at Sugar Land (Jackson Nezuh) 6:05 p.m.: Ontario (TBA) vs. Inland Empire (Jose Romero)Saturday schedule
Not sure what Treinen has left. Would hate for him to come back just in time to blow a postseason game. Maybe he can give one of our core guys a spell before October.
We are going to have to carry 3 catchers when Rushing and Smitty come back Yamamoto will probably want Federicci as his personal catcher after his performance with the double, pitch calling and 4ABS reversals,similar to Kershaw/Barnes relationship. All kidding aside, Federicci is impressive since his return, including 9 doubles. and Yamamoto is pretty special and that smile after the attire reversal was great in any language.
4 in a row including 2 extra inning wins. Pitching was solid despite the giving up 4 runs, 14 Ks, 2 walks kept the Buccos at bay.lbfie a really nice win. Phillips was lucky but the guy has nerves of steel. Sucks to or Pages out 4 weeks.
Mark, I will be unable to post today's lineup today as I have a family function in Scarsdale NY. I will be back at it tomorrow.
Kasten: Dodgers “Not Being Sold”
"Dodgers president Stan Kasten met with reporters on Friday evening to reiterate ownership’s commitment to the team. “I wanted to make sure everyone understood one thing very clearly: The Dodgers are not being sold,” Kasten told L.A. media (links via Jack Harris of The California Post and Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic).
“They’re not going to be sold. They’re not for sale. There’s no process that has been started to sell it, period,” the team president added. “We are planning only to win. That is what we are always doing. And we are still continuing to do that.”
Kasten also pushed back against the notion that potential cash flow problems would impact the Dodgers’ payroll. “The Dodgers stand on their own pretty well.” Los Angeles had an MLB-high $417MM competitive balance tax number and paid $169.4MM in luxury taxes in 2025. MLBTR’s Payroll Tracker, courtesy of contributor Ethan Hullihen, estimates this year’s CBT number at $428.23MM — roughly $59MM more than any other team. They’re on track to pay around $178MM in luxury taxes".
Bobby Miller still has the stuff. But sadly he still has the same problmes between his ears as before. instead of buckling down after the bad call by the umpire he immediately gives up the HR. Treinen looked good . If he can get it going consistently he would be a great addition to the pen with all his experience in big games.
Ten pitch call challenges--and nine overturned. Wow. Great info, Jeff. Thanks. Will these kind of stats cost an ump his job? One of the nice things about ABS is how the challenges introduce a new way to measure umps, catchers and batters. Pitchers too--as when Shohei overruled Rushing.
The Dodgers are so deep that I'm oddly surprised by every Blake Treinen sighting. I think, "Oh yeah...that guy." If Treinen's on his game, he'd be very nice for the postseason. Edwin who?
Pages broken hand. Out at least 4 weeks