Gavin Stome and Zach Root have positive starts
OKC Comets 6 – Salt Lake City Bees (LAA) 3
RHSP Gavin Stone was pitching in his 1st game since August 31, 2024. He struck out the 1st batter he faced and got a routine ground ball off the 2nd batter. However, SS Hyeseong Kim made a very poor throw to 1B for an error. It was a routine ground ball that it appeared (to me) was just a lazy throw with nothing behind it. Okay, I will give him the benefit of the doubt and say it slipped out of his hand. The next batter hit a ground ball single into RF sending the runner to 3rd. Stone got the next batter to hit a ground ball to 3B Alex Freeland who threw a strike to 2B Austin Gauthier at 2nd who turned the DP.
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In the OKC 2nd, 1B Ryan Ward walked and scored when Kim tripled. With Kim on 3rd and running on contact, DH Ryan Fitzgerald hit a high bouncer back to the pitcher who threw home, but Kim was able to avoid the tag until Fitzgerald got to 2nd where he was left stranded.
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Stone came back out for his 2nd inning. He made a great 1-2 pitch to batter who hit a chopper to 1st base that hit the front of the bag and popped to Gauthier at 2B. But 1B Ward was watching the play and did not cover 1B. I doubt that they get the batter, but we will never know. Stone struck out the next two batters. He reached 33 pitches so was lifted for LHRP Ronan Kopp. On an 0-2 pitch, he threw a pitch waaaaay over the head of the catcher for a WP. If C Eliézer Alfonzo was 8’ tall he would not have caught the pitch. On the next pitch, the batter singled the runner home to tie the score.
Kopp went out to pitch the 3rd. He allowed a leadoff single. The runner moved to 2nd on a groundout and stole 3B. The next batter singled to score the runner. The batter was thrown out at 2nd on a 9-3-6-3 putout. RHRP Jerming Rosario came in to get the 3rd out. Rosario would pitch a scoreless 4th.
RHRP Ben Casparius entered in the 5th. He allowed 2 singles to lead off. On a groundout, the runners moved to 2nd and 3rd. Casparius balked the run in and a SLC 3-1 lead.
In the top of the 7th, Fitzgerald was HBP and Alfonzo singled. Both runners moved up on a WP. Fitzgerald scored on a groundout with Alfonzo moving to 3rd. Freeland singled home the tying run.
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In the 8th, RF James Tibbs III walked and Ward singled. Kim singled for his 2nd RBI hit. Ward moved up to 3rd and Kim took 2nd on the throw home. Both runners scored on Fitzgerald’s oppo double off the LF wall.
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On the pitching side, LHRP Charlie Barnes pitched three scoreless innings.
RHRP Seth Halvorsen came in for the save in the 9th. He was topping 100 on his 4-seamer, but he did not have good command. His slider was his swing and miss pitch. Nelson Rada bunted on Halvorsen and Halvorsen threw it away with Rada reaching 2nd on an infield hit E-1. He struck out the next two, and walked a batter.
Halvorsen threw a WP before striking out the batter on a whiff of a 3-2 slider for the save.
· Alex Freeland – 2-3, 2 BB, 1 RBI,
· Hyeseong Kim – 2-5, 1 run, 2 RBI
· Ryan Fitzgerald – 2-4, 1 run, 2 RBI
Freeland also made a fantastic defensive play at 3B that I cannot find…yet.
Tulsa Drillers 9 – Corpus Christi Hooks (Houston) 3
Before I turned on the OKC game to watch Gavin Stone, I watched LHSP Zach Root make his 2nd AA start. This one went much better than the 1st. He retired the first 6 batters he faced, 3 on K. In the 3rd he gave up a solo HR to lead off the inning, but then struck out the side. He gave up a leadoff single in the 4th, got the next two batters, but the runner on first was thrown out attempting to steal 3rd.
In the 5th, back-to-back doubles to open the inning for 1 run, and then a 2-out single for the 2nd run and a 3-2 lead.
Zach retired the side in order in the 6th, the last out being his 10th K. I know Badger does not like the threshold of three runs for a quality start, but Zach pitched 6.0 innings, allowing 3 runs, on 5 hits, 0 BB, and 10, and his 1st AA quality start. He threw 93 pitches, 62 for strikes.
Zach’s 4-seamer was sitting at 95 and reached 97. His slider and change were good. His delivery is very deceptive. He hides the ball very well and a slight turn of the back on his delivery to the plate. It was a good game for Root in AA in his first season professionally.
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On the other side, Tulsa got the scoring started in the 1st inning when CF Mike Sirota crushed a solo HR, his 10th with Tulsa.
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In the 5th, 2B Sam Mongelli hit his 3rd HR for a temporary lead.
In the 7th, Mongelli walked, as did DH Josue De Paula and Sirota to load the bases. After the 2nd out, 1B Jake Gelof came up and unloaded a grand slam for a 6-3 lead.
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Tulsa scored three more in the 8th. C Frank Rodriguez led off with a solo HR (8). RF Chris Newell walked, stole 2nd and moved to 3rd on an errant catcher’s throw into CF. SS Jose Izarra walked but was forced at 2B by Mongelli. JDP walked to load the bases. The next two batters, Sirota and 3B Logan Wagner both walked to score 2 more.
A BB and 2 singles off LHRP Evan Shaw gave the Hooks another run.
· Mike Sirota -3-3, 2 BB, 2 runs, 2 RBI, double (14), HR (10)
· Frank Rodriguez – 4-5, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (8)
· Jake Gelof – 1-5, 1 run, 4 RBI, HR (21)
· Sam Mongelli – 1-4, 1 BB, 3 runs, 1 RBI, HR (3)
Dayton Dragons (Reds) 8 – Great Lakes Loons 2
LHP Jacob Frost returned to starter with his first start since May 12. It did not go well. In 2.1 IP he gave up 6 runs (all earned) on 5 hits and 5 BB, with just 1 K. Four relievers kept the game in check with just 2 runs (1 earned) in a combined 5.2 IP. They allowed 6 hits and 3 BB. One of the hits was a solo HR. This game was kept in check due to Dayton hitting 3-20 wRISP.
SS Emil Morales hit his 15th HR for the Loons 1st run in the 4th.
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C Gio Cueto homered (1) for the 2nd run.
Besides the 2 solo HRs:
· Charles Davalan – 2-4, 1 BB, double (26)
· Jaron Elkins – 2-4, double (2)
· Eduardo Quintero – 1-3, 2 BB, double (22)
Elkins has continued to hit since he was promoted to Great Lakes.
Lake Elsinore Storm (San Diego) 5 – Ontario Tower Buzzers 2
RHSP Luis Gamez completed 5.o IP, allowing 1 run on 2 hits, 2 BB, and 1 K. The one run was a solo HR in the 3rd to tie the game.
Ontario scored first in the 1st inning. SS Aidan West hit his 1st double and scored on a single by LF Ching-Hsien Ko.
With one out in the 6th, CF Brendan Tunink walked. With 2 outs, C Connor O’Neal singled Tunink to 3rd. Tunink scored on RF Javier Herrera’s single.
Just activated UDFA LHRP Ian May gave up a tying solo HR in the bottom of the 6th.
Inland Empire took the lead in the 7th without a hit from RHRP Luis Carias. A BB, HBP, BB, and HBP scored a run to break the tie.
Two more walks from Carias scored on a 2-run double.
· Aidan West – 3-3, 1 run, double (1)
· Ching-Hsien Ko – 2-4, double (15)
· Javier Herrera – 3-4, 1 RBI, double (9)
Discussion (102)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Another gratifying day down on the farm brings some comfort amid the Dodgers' swoon. Nice report, Jeff. It's amazing to me that Gavin Stone went nearly two years between starts. A few seasons back, he was sort of playing second fiddle to Bobby Miller among the pitching prospects. Miller was the first-round power pitcher who had a terrific rookie season--and then Stone stepped up as more of a finesse guy. hen both get derailed by injury...Now both are back and have pitched well. It's unlikely but not inconceivable that one of them could be summoned to LA if fate smiles. Then we also get to root for Root. The ''Quality Stat" is a goofy stat that, as I recall it, was conceived by sportswriter John Lowe in consultation with Gene Mauch or maybe Whitey Herzog. Yeah, allowing 3 ER in 6 innings computes to a 4.50 ERA--no big whoop. But Root did it with 10 Ks and zero walks. That's a High-Quality Start, I'd say. Sometimes I look at the Dodger prospect rankings and think it seems a bit thin on pitching... but then I remember that Stone and Miller still exist.
Lead over the Diamondbacks is now 8 1/2 and 9 1/2 over the Padres. Which Dodger team shows up in the desert tonight The Champs or The Chumps? I say The Champs with a "chip on their shoulder" and will take 2 out 3 this weekend against the Snakes. Bet it!!
How about the Dodgers develop and have ready starting quality pitchers in AAA Oklahoma City that we can count on when an injury happens or pitchers that "hit a wall "with innings pitched like happens every August,instead of bringing these AAAA half ass pitchers for bullpen games that usually is a throw away game by Doc and a loss. Hopefully we won't regret losing those games for home field advantage.Right NOW unfortunately Sheehan is the only one there you would even consider.
A few things: 1. Great Piece by Fabin Ardaya in The Athletic: The Dodgers have lost six straight. 5 thoughts on the World Series champs’ worst stretch of the season https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7495346/2026/08/06/dodgers-mlb-losing-streak/?source=dailyemail&campaign=601983&userId=147501&source=dailyemail "Catcher’s ERA is not everything, but Dodgers pitchers had a 3.03 ERA, the best in baseball, when Smith last played on June 5. They entered Wednesday with a 4.58 ERA in the two months since, which ranks 23rd in baseball. That number went up Wednesday with the Cubs’ onslaught." 2. Mike Sirota has 17 HR (10 in Tulsa and 7 at Great Lakes). 3. Due to the Dodgers keeping Call, I think it is now likely that Josue DePaula will come up in September. They have to add him to the 40-Man Roster anyway, and this won't start his "clock." 4. Gavin Stone may be the perfect bullpen piece for this team. 5. BA Profiled this Prospect: "Emil Morales, SS, Dodgers: While conspiracy theories and complaints may be running wild with grumpy fans of 29 other teams on social media, it’s hard to argue against the fact that the Dodgers do an excellent job of identifying talent. Los Angeles' embarrassment of riches extends to every level, with potential future stars at each affiliate. High-A Great Lakes, for example, is currently manned by two Top 100 Prospects: outfielder Charles Davalan and Morales. On Thursday, Morales went deep for the third straight game, bringing him up to 21 home runs on the season and 15 with Great Lakes. Morales has explosive bat speed that allows him to punish mistakes over the plate. There’s some swing-and-miss in his game, but it’s limited by good barrel awareness and swing decisions." 6. It's a Big Game for Roki tonight. I have no predictions - this is baseball, and anything can happen, but I think the team will be steely in their resolve and focused. PLAY BALL!
Agree with Jeff's analysis on Root and Stone yesterday. I watched both guys' starts. Root has a really deceptive delivery and the pitch sneaks up on hitters faster than you'd think it would (kind of like Vesia's fastball). His changeup is also really good. Stone's ball was also moving well over his 2 innings. To be at 94-95 in his first start back is a huge positive.
Eno Sarris on the Rates and Barrels podcast makes this interesting observation. Teams are throwing a lot of fastballs at the Dodgers, and the Dodgers are struggling: “Well, guess what? They're now seeing the most fastballs in the league in July. And that didn't happen overnight. They saw a few more fastballs in May than they saw a bunch more in June. And in July, they're seeing the most fastballs in the league. So the book is out to some extent. They're saying they can't do damage on fastballs. They can't catch up to them, throw them a bunch of fastballs. I don't know what the way out is, because this is not a team based on bat speed, where you're saying, oh, somebody's going to get healthy and take advantage of it. This is a team that's based on controlling the zone. If you look at the top K minus BB guys, teams in the league, this is a fun table here. Brewers are number one, duh. Shock. This is K minus BB for batters. The Rays are number two, the Diamondbacks are third, the Dodgers are fourth, the Cubs are fifth. I think this is a little bit of an underrated aspect to team building. You have teams that chase bat speed, barrel rate more like the Yankees style. You have teams that chase contact[…]” From Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball: Why the Dodgers' Lineup is Struggling | MLB's Biggest Hitting Concerns, Aug 5, 2026 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rates-barrels-a-show-about-baseball/id1486883874?i=1000780134240&r=2202 This material may be protected by copyright.
Watch what Jefry Yan does after he strikes someone out with his 101 MPH fastball: https://x.com/MLB/status/2085400706400281069?s=20
Passan on how the Dodgers got Skuball: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/49546569/mlb-trade-deadline-2026-tarik-skubal-trade-dodgers-tigers-brewers-negotiations The other team lurking, of course, was the Dodgers. Despite picking at the back end of the first round every year, Los Angeles has still built a farm system that rivals Milwaukee's and Tampa Bay's as the game's finest. They did it via international signings. (Los Angeles was clear it would not deal its own No. 1 prospect, 21-year-old Josue De Paula, a Brooklyn-born outfielder signed at 16 out of the Dominican Republic.... Milwaukee's package, headlined by 19-year-old shortstop Luis Peña -- regarded by most public lists as a top-20 prospect in the game -- included two other players, too. .. The Tigers reached consensus about 10 minutes before first pitch at Double-A Tulsa... Harris called Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers' president of baseball operations, and told him they had a deal. He needed just one thing: for Friedman to get on the phone and yank Hope from Tulsa's lineup. He was about to be a Tiger.
Friday’s Dodger Affiliates' Schedule 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Sean Patick) at Dayton (Edgar Colon) 4:35 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Christian Zazueta) at Corpus Christi (Nolan DeVos) 5:35 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Cole Irvin) at Salt Lake (TBD) 6:05 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at Lake Elsinore (Kruz Schoolcraft)
Also seems like Milller had a decent outing yesterday. I’m not giving up on him just yet
Nice report Jeff, thanks. Sounds like an optimist report on the Gavin Stone, It would be nice to have him back. Seth Halvorsen's report sounds all too familiar, a high octane guy who can't find the strike zone. We enough of that already with guys like Henriquez, who does a fantastic Joe Kelly impersonation, with Joe or Joseph showing up interchangeable. Maybe Seth Halvorsen just had a bad outing.
Kelly pitching tonight for Arizona. LA has owned this turkey. He is 0-11 vs LA in regular season play. They hit .321 off of him and have hit 16 homers against him. Then comes Pfaadt and Rodriguez, who have been pretty good against LA this year. Time to kick it up a little.
2027 Rotation: Yamamoto Snell Ohtani Glasnow Wrobleski Sheehan/Stone Obviously Skubal fits but I can't assume anything.
Quote from "The Athletic" article on the Dodger's skid: “We do need to put it together,” Freeman said. “It’s what, 50 games left? We all want to play better.”
I’m going to backtrack a little here. I said yesterday that AF didn’t go get any relief help at the deadline. Well, I may end up eating some more crow.! After reading somewhere this morning , I believe he might just have pulled off another bargain! Kris Bubic was excellent in relief with the Royals. He handles right and left handed batters just fine! He may end up being an absolute weapon in October. So my apologies Mr. Friedman! Once again you have been proven way smarter than me! Who would have thunk it? I’m hoping Gavin Stone makes it all the way back! He was by far my pick out of him, miller , Sheehan, knack, any other young pitcher who the dodgers have. Love watching him pitch with those “Stone cold eyes “!!! River Ryan was the one most talked about, but Gavin was,is, and can be a number 3 starter, and a damn good one! I would like to place an order for tonight’s game. I would like 8 runs. 14 hits. 2 stolen bases. And 6 strong innings from Roku! It’s all possible, I know it, you know it, and they know it! Find a way to break out of this funk! Pick to click tonight? I’m going with Max to go 3 for 5 with a long ball. Also honorable mention? Kyle Tucker goes deep. Time to go!
Per Baseball America’s report on 5 players poised to make a big climb post trade. Jacob Kmatz RHRP “The Dodgers have a knack for identifying prospects to target in trades involving major leaguers, and they might have done it again by acquiring Kmatz as part of a trade to bolster their catching depth. Kmatz just missed making the Rays’ Top 30 in our July update, ending up in the next five off the list, but he was due to move back on in our upcoming update. Kmatz was selected in 2024 by the Rays in the fifth round out of Oregon State. He didn’t pitch after signing and made his debut in 2025 with Low-A Charleston, recording a 5.56 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 110 innings as a starter with 35 walks and 80 strikeouts. This season, Kmatz moved to the bullpen, and he’s broken out. He has a 2.83 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in 54 innings with only 10 walks and 75 strikeouts. Kmatz’s breakout this season has coincided with a massive increase in velocity. The 6-foot-3 righthander averaged 91.9 mph and maxed out at 95.3 mph in 2025 working as a starter. This season, he’s averaged 95 mph and maxed out at 97.1 mph. Kmatz’s fastball shape stands out with just under 20 inches of vertical break, and the added velocity has taken his bat-missing ability to a new level. Its whiff rate has jumped from 12.4% in 2025 to 27% this season. As good as Kmatz’s fastball has become, his breaking balls might be even better. Scouts have put plus grades on both his slider and curveball. They both have spin rates above 2,500 rpm and show premium bat-missing ability. His slider’s whiff rate is above 52%, while his curveball’s is just under 46%. Hitters struggle to differentiate between them until it is too late, as he hides the ball well and they look very similar until late, when his curveball shows deep vertical break, while his slider has short two-plane break. Kmatz has a chance to move very quickly, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him in the major leagues within the next year. He has late-inning stuff and could end up being a great value get for the Dodgers in what initially looked like a minor deal. “ They also lost one with Brady Smith who was also one of the 5. Kmatz is one to follow. At least I will be.
More bad news on RHSP Peter Heubeck. He was just moved from 7-day IL to 60-day IL. He is done for the year. He just cannot put a full healthy season together. He dropped out of the Top 30, only to regain his spot this year. Now he is out for the season. While 2021 was not a bad draft at all with Sheehan, Casparius, Wrobo, Jordan Leasure (MLB reliever with CWS), and Nick Nastrini who reached MLB with CWS, the first two picks are looking like busts thus far…Maddux Bruns and Peter Heubeck.
News around the league: A's fired GM David Forst. Hunter Greene is to have elbow surgery; exact extent of the injurie has not been disclosed. Red Sox selected Raymond Burgos, and optioned Greg Weissert. Rays selected Brett Batemen and DFAd Rudy Martin Jr. Mets claimed Gabriel Arias. Nationals released Zack Littell. Angels claimed Ryan Watson from the Red Sox. Twins placed Joe Ryan on the 15-day IL. Yankees signed Mitch Garver to a minor league contract.
The Bosox lost minor league catcher Andrew Kizner to free agency. He was hitting.313/ .924 in AAA. Wouldn't be a bad pickup for us.
Bad news/good news: Kendall George had knee surgery today which will end his season. It was the result of that situation where he had to avoid the bat dog. Needless to say the dog is now unemployed, but hey, he was just doing what they told him to do. The good news is that he's expected to be ready to go for spring training.
9:40 PM ET Dodgers (69-46) Diamondbacks (61-55) SP Roki Sasaki R 5-5 4.64 ERA SP Merrill Kelly R 8-9 5.04 ERA Confirmed Lineup DH S. Ohtani L CF Andy Pages R 1B F. Freeman L 3B Max Muncy L SS Mookie Betts R RF Kyle Tucker L LF T. Hernandez R 2B Tommy Edman S C H. Feduccia L In Domed Stadium LINE LAD -170
Giants lose Chapman for the rest of the season, hernia and core surgery needed.
Per Ardaya: Tarik Skubal will make his Dodgers home debut Monday, and Blake Snell will return off the IL Tuesday, Dave Roberts said. Kris Bubic said he first dealt with a flexor strain in his forearm, then a shoulder impingement while trying to ramp back up. He threw his first bullpen session on Sunday, will throw another tomorrow. Plan is to build him up for a short relief role. Dodgers have suggested tweaks. The plan is to stretch Gavin Stone out to start. More than anything, they just want his rehab to continue without any further hiccups. Him starting a rehab yesterday is obviously a great sign and they want to keep that progress going.
So sick of Tucker’s bad baserunning! How many times do we have to watch him not score from second on a hit!
Tucker seems to have finally shown up