Dodgers minors: Hope alone can’t avoid Drillers loss

SPRINGFIELD, MO - APRIL 09: Zyhir Hope #13 of the Tulsa Drillers walks to the dugout prior to the game between the Tulsa Drillers and the Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Field on Thursday, April 9, 2026 in Springfield, Missouri. (Photo by Shanna Stafford/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images) In a

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In a day marked by Blake Snell’s rehab start, the Dodgers minor league affiliates played five games with two wins and three losses.

Player of the day

Even though he couldn’t help the Drillers secure a win, Zyhir Hope wins the Player of the Day voting with a rare two-homer game, reaching 21 on the season. It’s been an outstanding season for Hope in Double-A, with a .910 OPS in a little over 80 games.

Hope has now reached base safely in every game this month and already has eight homers in July, his highest mark for any

month this season.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Blake Snell tossed 1.1 innings, needing 32 pitches to do so and utilizing the strikeout to record each of his four outs. For the most part, relievers were effective following Snell, with the primary exception being Paul Gervase, who allowed six runs in the seventh to set up a 9-5 loss for the Comets.

Zach Ehrhard recorded a team-high three hits but didn’t drive anyone home because, ahead of him, leadoff hitter Alek Thomas didn’t reach safely even once. The only home run for the Comets came in garbage time, when Ryan Ward cut the Rainiers’ lead to 9-5 with a two-run shot in the eighth inning. That home run was the only long shot of the game as the Rainiers didn’t need to leave the yard to punish OKC’s pitching, working 12 walks against them.

Double-A Tulsa

With the top three in the order going 0 for 11 with a pair of walks, the Drillers didn’t have enough offensive firepower to avoid the 4-3 defeat against the RoughRiders. Zyhir Hope did his best solo act, responsible for all two of the team’s RBI with a pair of home runs, but the lack of support proved costly. Hope now has 21 homers on the season.

Starter Adam Serwinowski came into this game with a 7-2 record and suffered his third loss of the year, allowing four runs over five innings with a couple of home runs. The Drillers even got the tying run on in the ninth inning, only to do nothing with it.

High-A Great Lakes

Charles Davalan and Logan Wagner both hit their 13th homer on the season with solo shots in the early stages of what turned out to be a 3-2 walk-off win for the Loons. Davalan was in the middle of the action late in this one as well, earning the walk in the eighth inning that led to the winning run, as it came on a wild pitch with a runner at third. Reliever Davis Chastain, who covered the eighth inning after Zach Root held the opposition to two runs (one earned) in five innings, now has a 7-0 record this season.

Splitting the doubleheader, the Loons suffered a blowout defeat of 11-2 to the Whitecaps, with the only highlight being Cameron Decker’s three-for-three performance, including a triple and a stolen base. Starter Aidan Foeller allowed four runs, and six others came against reliever Seamus Barrett, who now has a 12.06 ERA this year across two levels.

Single-A Ontario

The Tower Buzzers first took the lead in this game in the third inning with a Kelton Lindsey home run and never looked back, winning it 9-4. Taking advantage of a productive day from the bottom of the order, Jaron Elkins recorded three RBI from the leadoff spot.

Responsible for the two defensive errors, Mason Estrada allowed two unearned runs in 5.2 innings of work, It was only the second win for Estrada this season on what has been a tumultuous campaign with an ERA north of 7.0.