In the first of two straight days with only three games across the Dodgers’ four minor league affiliates due to postponements, only the Ontario Tower Buzzers came out on the winning end of their matchup.
Player of the day
It’s only natural that the choice for player of the day would come from the Ontario squad, particularly the pitching staff, as it shut down the Quakes in a low-scoring win. Making only his second start of the season after originally coming out of the bullpen in a long relief role, Jesus Tillero dominated
a 16-11 Quakes squad in a game where he only received one run of support while he was out there for 6.1 innings.
Tillero navigated traffic when he had to and struck out seven over his six-plus scoreless frames, needing just 84 pitches to do so. The only walk Tillero conceded came in the seventh inning, but the bullpen stranded that runner, helping protect what was then only a 1-0 lead, eventually ending in a Tower Buzzers 3-0 victory.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
While Ontario’s pitching staff flourished, the Comets’ one couldn’t capitalize on a 7-1 advantage and simply collapsed rather spectacularly in the final few innings to lose this one 9-7. Everyone from the starter in Logan Allen through the bullpen—with a highlight for Brusdar Graterol’s third appearance of the year—struggled heavily, walking eight batters and striking out only five.
While others contributed to the loss before him, it was Wyatt Mills who took the hit, allowing five hits and three runs in just 1.1 innings pitched. This was Mills’ second blown save of the year.
James Tibbs III didn’t record a hit, but the man in front of him reached all five times safely, spearheading this terrific offensive effort. Ryan Ward hit a three-run shot in the fifth and managed to reach base in each of his five plate appearances with a pair of hits and three walks.
Kiké Hernández began a rehab assignment playing third base. He went one for three and made a nice defensive play as well.
Double-A Tulsa
Although in a completely different manner, as they found themselves losing 7-0 before scoring their first run, the Tulsa Drillers wasted a seven-run offensive output just as the Comets, losing 11-7 to the Travelers on the road, only their 10th defeat of the year.
Myles Caba takes the loss as he opened this game, but the bulk of the damage came against Evan Shaw, who didn’t manage to record a single out. Shaw was responsible for five earned runs scored in the third inning as the Travelers opened a sizable lead.
The spark for many of the Drillers’ rallies trying to get back into this game was Kendall George, their only hitter who scored multiple runs, coming across three times, reaching base safely in just as many. One of those runs, he scored on a Josue De Paula two-run bomb, the Drillers’ only homer of the game.
Tulsa’s staff missed the stability of a pitcher like Patrick Copen, who was voted the Pitcher of the Month in April on Double-A.
High-A game postponed
No game for the Great Lakes meant a small delay in seeing Mike Sirota for the first time since he won Midwest Player of the Week for his recent efforts.
Class-A Ontario
Now with an OPS above 1.000, Ching-Hsien Ko left the yard as one of only two hitters in this game who managed multiple knocks, helping Tulsa earn a shutout win thanks to the marvelous efforts of Jesus Tillero and the Drillers’ bullpen. Jholbran Herder and Jecsua Liborius leaned heavily on the strikeout to wrap up a 3-0 victory, earning five of their eight outs via way of the K.
An important note about this game is that Jardo Elkins was removed still in the first inning after reaching base on a hit by pitch. Elkins stole his 13th base of the year before leaving the game, perhaps indicating that it was only a precautionary move.
Transactions
Kiké Hernández began a rehab assignment with the Comets. Left-handed pitcher Matt Lanzendorfer was sent from the Great Lakes Loons to the Ontario Tower Buzzers. Right-handed pitcher Javier Bartolazi and catcher Gio Cueto were sent to rehab assignments with the ACL Dodgers.
Tuesday’s scores
- Oklahoma City 7, Salt Lake 9
- Arkansas 11, Tulsa 7
- High-A game postponed
- Rancho Cucamonga 0, Ontario 3
Wednesday’s schedule
- 9:05 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (Jacob Frost) at Lake County (Jogly Garcia)
- 9:05 a.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Jackson Ferris) vs. Salt Lake (TBD)
- 6:35 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at Rancho Cucamonga (Alton Davis II)
- Tulsa at Arkansas (Postponed)—Rescheduled for May 8th
