Two homer games for jake gelof and kole myers

OKC Comets 5 – Round Rock Express (Texas) 3 

LHSP Jackson Ferris had another good start.  He went 5.1 IP, allowing 2 hits, 2 BB, and 7 K.  However, one of those hits was a solo HR in the 3rd.  

OKC scored one in the 2nd.  DH Ryan Ward drew a BB and moved to 3rd on 1B Matt Gorski’s double (2).  Ward scored the first run of the game on a balk. 

After RR tied the score with the solo HR in the 3rd, the Comets took back the lead in the 4th.  LF James Tibbs III led off the inning with a BB.  Ward followed with a single. Ward was forced at 2nd on a ground ball hit by Gorski.  3B Ryan Fitzgerald was HBP to load the bases. 2B Austin Gauthier singled and the runners moved up 90 feet, with JTIII scoring. 

LHRP Garrett McDaniels got the final 2 outs in the 6th, bailing out Ferris who exited with runners on 2nd and 3rd and 1 out.  But he was not so fortunate in the 7th.  With one out, McDaniels gave up a single, double, and BB to load the bases.  RHRP Chris Campos relieved McDaniels and gave up a game tying SF.  He walked the next batter to reload the bases, and then a 1 run single giving RR the lead.  

In the 8th, JTIII singled to open the inning.  Ward reached 1B on a fielding error with JTIII moving to 3rd.  Ward was caught attempting to steal.  JTIII was thrown out at home when Gorski reached 1B on a fielder’s choice.  But then Fitzgerald hit a run scoring double (30). 

In the 9th, SS Noah Miller led off with a double (19).  After the next two batters struck out, CF Alek Thomas pounded a 2-run HR (10), his 3rd in 2 games, giving OKC a 5-3 lead.  

LHRP Ronan Kopp had pitched a scoreless 8th and was relieved by RHRP Paul Gervase.  Gervase pitched a perfect 9th for his 4th save.  

OKC had 7 hits, but no hitter had more than 1.  4 of the hits were XBH. 

·      Doubles – Matt Gorski (2), Ryan Fitzgerald (30), Noah Miller (19)

·      HR – Alek Thomas (10) 

Box Score 

Tulsa Drillers 8 – Wichita Wind Surge (Twins) 2 

Tulsa is continuing their march towards the playoffs.  CF Mike Sirota rejoined lineup and had a good game.  1B Jake Gelof continues to draw more attention.  RHSP Aidan Foeller continues to show he deserves some more respect as a prospect. 

Tulsa scored an unearned run in the 1st.  With one out, DH Josue De Paula reached base on an error.  CF Mike Sirota doubled JDP to 3rd.  1B Jake Gelof hit a SF to give the Drillers a 1-0 lead. 

Tulsa doubled the lead in the 3rd.  SS Sean McLean led off with a double (7).  JDP drew a BB.  With one out, Gelof singled to score McLean.  

 Wichita got a solo HR of RHSP Aidan Foeller in the 5th. 

In the bottom of the 5th, RF Kole Myers led off with a HR (8).  Sirota singled with one out and Gelof slugged a 2-run HR, his 31st. 

Foeller did not dominate, but he was effective.  He completed 5.0 innings, allowing just the 1 run.  He gave up 7 hits, with 2 BB, and registered 7 K.  

In the 6th inning, McLean was HBP, and Myers hit his 2nd HR (9) of the game. 

In the 8th, Gelof was not going to let Myers be the only Tulsa batter to hit 2 HRs in the game.  Gelof hit his 2nd HR (32). 

In the 8th, RHRP Jacob Kmatz allowed a single, a WP, and 2 more singles for a run.  

LHRP Evan Shaw finished the game allowing a hit in the 9th, but no runs. 

·      Kole Myers – 2-5, 2 runs, 3 RBI, 2 HR (9)

·      Mike Sirota – 2-4, 1 run, double (16)

·      Jake Gelof – 3-3, 2 runs, 5 RBI, 2 HR (32)

·      Sean McLain – 1 HBP, 2 runs, double (7) 

Box Score 

Great Lakes doubleheader against Lake County Captains (Cleveland) was postponed due to heavy rain.  A doubleheader will be played on Friday.  Because of the loss by West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit), the magic number for Great Lakes for the 2nd half Division championship is now 3.  

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Seattle) 4 – Ontario Tower Buzzers 3 

SS Kellon Lindsey led off the bottom of the 1st with his 10th HR. 

RHSP Adriano Marrero made his full season A League debut and pitched 2.0 scoreless innings.  He walked 1 batter but no other base runners.  Nice start for the 18-year-old. 

In the Ontario 3rd, 1B Easton Shelton led off with his 36th HR.  After 2 outs RF Kyeler Thompson singled and scored on a triple (1) from 3B Bryan Gonzalez Garcia. 

Marrero was relieved by RHRP Joel Cruz.  In the 3rd, Cruz gave up a game tying HR to the first batter he faced.  After a scoreless 4th, Cruz walked back to the mound in the 5th. He walked the first batter.  After an out, the runner stole 2B and scored on a double.  The double was followed by a game tying RBI single.  The single was followed by a double and SF for the go ahead run. 

Ontario got 3 hits in the next five innings, but only 1 in any inning.  All three Ontario batters struck out in the 9th.  

·      Kellon Lindsey – 2-3, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (8), HR (10)

·      Easton Shelton – 3-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (26), HR (36)

·      Bryan Gonzalez Garcia – 2-4, 1 RBI, triple (1) 

Box Score

 Parting Shots with Mark Timmons

Thank goodness for Tom Terrific... Does anyone remember him? How about the Mighty Manfred... the Wonder Dog?

Of course I am talking about Tommy Edman aka Tommy Tanks - who got four of the Dodgers' six hits. Teoscar got the other two as the Dodgers salvaged one game of the series. Tonight the Dodgers play Kay Bear and the Nats, who are 6-4 in their last 10 games - the Dodgers are 4-6.

Skubal was hit like a rented mule, but only gave up two runs, and the bullpen held serve. Evan Phillips is quietly becoming more effective, and Hernandez, Vesia, and Stewart did their jobs. I would not be surprised if Evan Phillips is the closer by the end of the season. It takes a while to come back from surgery.

Here is where the Dodgers rank in Runs Scored since July 1st:

1 Chicago Cubs 328

2 Boston Red Sox 298

3 Milwaukee Brewers 275

4 Washington Nationals 275

5 St. Louis Cardinals 266

6 Arizona Diamondbacks 265

7 San Diego Padres 264

8 Atlanta Braves 260

9 Colorado Rockies 258

10 Chicago White Sox 253

11 Tampa Bay Rays 252

12 Pittsburgh Pirates 251

13 Detroit Tigers 250

14 Philadelphia Phillies 248

15 Kansas City Royals 245

16 Baltimore Orioles 243

17 San Francisco Giants 243

18 Houston Astros 242

19 Minnesota Twins 237

20 New York Mets 234

21 Miami Marlins 232

22 Cleveland Guardians 230

23 Texas Rangers 228

24 Cincinnati Reds 226

25 Los Angeles Dodgers 226

26 Athletics 224

27 New York Yankees 221

28 Toronto Blue Jays 221

29 Seattle Mariners 203

30 Los Angeles Angels 180

The Dodgers are 25th in MLB in runs scored since July 1. That jumps off the page. They have scored 102 fewer runs than the Cubs and 72 fewer than Boston during this stretch.

Even more interesting for LADT purposes: the Dodgers are virtually living in the bottom quarter offensively despite having a roster constructed to be an offensive powerhouse. Cincinnati has exactly the same 226 runs, while only the Athletics, Yankees, Blue Jays, Mariners, and Angels have scored fewer.

With 22 games left and a 9.5-game lead, the Dodgers are virtually assured of winning the NL West, but they continue to look listless, old, and pathetic. Tell me not to trust my lying eyes. I think this is more than a malaise. I think it is a clear demonstration of how all of MLB has collectively changed the way they pitch the Dodgers. They know the Dodgers want to SLUG, and they are throwing them pitches that are difficult to execute. The league has changed the book on the Dodgers... the Dodgers now have to change... So far, they have not!

It's down to this: Evolve or Die!