Saturday in the Dodgers minor leagues saw Oklahoma City get even closer to a postseason berth, and Tulsa power their way to another win in a record-setting evening in Springdale, Arkansas.
Player of the day
Patrick Copen’s final start of the regular season was very good, with six scoreless innings and six strikeouts for Double-A Tulsa, allowing only two singles and two walks.
Copen had a rough go of things this season in a return trip to Tulsa, finishing with a 5.90 ERA in his 116 innings, but things could have been
much worse. Through July 22, Copen had a 7.45 ERA with 12 home runs in 73 2/3 innings and a 9.5-percent strikeout-minus-walk rate, but in his final eight appearances put up a 3.19 ERA and only two home runs allowed in 42 1/3 innings with a 19.5-percent strikeout-minus-walk rate.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
The Comets kept rolling, winning their 14th straight game, making three runs in the third inning stand up on Saturday to beat the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros) yet again.
Zach Ehrhard singled home a run in the third inning and would later double, then he scored on a two-run home run by Alek Thomas, his fourth home run in seven games since getting sent back to Triple-A.
Christian Romero struck out seven and didn’t allow a run until two scored off him in the fifth, his final inning. Kyle Hurt, Ronan Kopp, and Jerming Rosario each struck out multiple people in relief, combining for seven strikeouts in their 3 1/3 innings, followed by Garrett McDaniels getting the final two outs to close out the win.
Double-A Tulsa
The Drillers got home runs by Elijah Hainline and Joe Vetrano to back Copen and beat the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals). Tulsa has 197 home runs on the season to lead the Texas League and surpass the 2022 team for the most in Drillers history. Hainline’s homer was the record-setter.
Hainline reached base three times, and Copen left with an 8-0 lead. Northwest Arkansas scored two runs in the eighth and ninth innings to make the final score closer.
The 88-49 Drillers have the most wins in a Tulsa baseball season since 95 wins by the Oilers, a St. Louis Cardinals affiliate, in 1968.
That 2022 Tulsa team was led in home runs by Ryan Ward (28) and a 21-year-old Andy Pages (26), plus excellent pass-throughs by James Outman (16 homers in 68 games) and Michael Busch (11 homers in 31 games).
Saturday scores
- Oklahoma City 3, Sugar Land 2
- Tulsa 8, Northwest Arkansas 4
Sunday schedule
- 12:05 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Cole Irvin) vs. Sugar Land (TBA)
- 12:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Roque Gutierrez) at Northwest Arkansas (Ethan Bosacker)
