Never Speak of This Again!
Some things are never meant to be spoken of again. Yesterday was one of those days. The Angels beat the Dodgers like rented mules. Erase it from your memory banks. Move on… Nothing to see here, Folks. The Dodgers got mauled by the Angels. This is unspeakable! One game means…
Some things are never meant to be spoken of again. Yesterday was one of those days. The Angels beat the Dodgers like rented mules. Erase it from your memory banks. Move on… Nothing to see here, Folks. The Dodgers got mauled by the Angels. This is unspeakable!
One game means nothing. Remember that!
The Great Lakes Loons will be in Ft Wayne, Indiana, from June 30th through July 5th. I plan to be there for at least a couple of games… hopefully more, but my wife’s restaurant is opening the week before, so we will see how many games I can attend. I typically get press passes there. The Courtyard by Marriott is right beside the stadium, and I think the Loons stay there. My daughter lives in Ft. Wayne, so there is that! Ft. Wayne’s downtown is awesome and a fun place to be.
Dodger Prospects
Everyone is talking about the Dodgers ‘Top Prospects’ top prospects, namely DePaula, Sirota, Hope, Tibbs 3, Davalan, Ehrhard, Harlan, et al. However, don’t go to sleep on Logan Wagner.
Here’s what MLB Pipeline says:
After starring at the World Wood Bat Association World Championship in October 2021, Wagner moved from suburban Chicago to the P27 Academy (Lexington, S.C.) to face better competition. He thrived and went in the sixth round, where the Dodgers paid him their second-highest bonus ($597,500) in the 2022 Draft. He has barely played as a pro, getting into just 57 games in his first three seasons because he broke his right hamate in 2023 and his left hamate last year.
A switch-hitter, Wagner has a more fluid and contact-oriented stroke from the right side and a more aggressive lefty swing that provides more damage. He arrived in pro ball with more physicality than most prep products, has bat speed to go with his strength and has shown the ability to launch balls to his pull side during his brief action. His 18 extra-base hits and 27 walks in 38 Single-A games last spring hinted at his power potential and on-base ability.
Wagner played shortstop in high school and has seen action at second base this year, but he’s better suited for the infield corners. Though he’s a fringy runner, he has worked to improve his agility and become a capable defender at third base, though he played more first base last year on a Rancho Cucamonga club with a logjam of infielders. He has the solid arm strength to handle the hot corner and conceivably could try left or right field as well.
He is very, very athletic and could rise quickly. Watch him. He is currently on the IL, but at Great Lakes in 114 ABs, he hit .307 with a .940 OPS. He also had 7 HR and 11 doubles. He is striking out at a 29% rate, and that needs to be fixed, but at least it’s not 41% like Shelton. Wagner has 17 games at 3B and 7 at 2B. He has not committed an error in almost 200 innings this year.
Josue DePaula is knocking on OKC’s door, and Mike Sirota is knocking it down. Take it away… Jeff!
MiLB GAME SUMMARY REPORTS
OKC Comets 7 – Round Rock Express (Texas) 3
RF Zach Ehrhard led off the bottom of the first with a single. 2B Tommy Edman forced Ehrhard at 2nd. IB James Tibbs III and CF Alek Thomas singled with Edman scoring and JT III to 3rd. JT III scored on LF Jack Suwinski’s SF.
In the 2nd, SS Hyeseong Kim opened the inning with a single. After one out, Kim stole 2nd and scored on Ehrhard’s single.
Meanwhile OKC’s LHSP Cole Irvin got through the 1st two innings unscathed even with a pair of singles and a BB. In the 3rd, 2 more singles, a sac bunt, and groundout scored one before Irvin struck out the final batter of the inning.
Irvin retired the side in order in the 4th, but a walk, single, and SF gave the Express their 2nd run.
In the bottom of the 5th, Thomas drew a one out walk. Suwinski had an infield single. DH Ryan Fitzgerald singled to score Thomas and moving Suwinski to 3rd. Suwinski scored on a balk.
Irvin completed 6.0 innings allowing just the 2 runs on 5 hits, 2 BB, and 3 K. RHRP Chayce McDermott relieved Irvin in the 7th. The first batter he faced homered, but nothing else.
In the bottom of the 7th, Suwinski and R. Fitzgerald drew 1-out walks. With Kim at bat, both runners moved up on a balk. Kim followed that with a 2-run single.
RHRP Evan Phillips continued his rehab assignment with a scoreless 8th inning. He did walk one batter, and struck out one batter. The BB was erased on a GIDP. Phillips’ 4-seamer sat at 95-96, and reached a high of 97.
RHRP Wyatt Mills entered in the 9th and closed it out.
Edman was the only OKC batter with an XBH, his first triple.
- Zach Ehrhard – 2-3, 2 BB, 1 RBI
- Alek Thomas – 2-3, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI
- Hyeseong Kim – 3-4, 1 run, 2 RBI
OKC was 2-4 for the 6 game series with Round Rock.
The Comets are 35-27 and are 2.5 games behind Sacramento (SFG) and 1.5 games behind Las Vegas (A’s). 1st half ends June 21. After OKC plays a 6 game series against Charlotte, CWS AAA affiliate of International League, they will take on the Sacramento River Cats for 6 games to end the 1st half.
Tulsa Drillers 7 – Amarillo Sod Poodles (Arizona) 6 – Game 1
Big come from behind win for the Drillers. Spoiler alert…CF Mike Sirota slugged an oppo 3-run HR (3) with 2 outs in the 9th.
Game 1 resumed with Tulsa ahead 2-0 on 2B Jake Gelof’s 10th HR on Saturday. RHRP Wyatt Crowell entered in the 2nd with a runner on 1st. He induced a GIDP, but that was followed by a double and single giving Amarillo a run.
In the 3rd, SS Elijah Hainline drew a BB and scored on LF Zyhir Hope’s 2-run HR (12).
In the bottom of the 3rd, LHRP Wyatt Crowell walked the leadoff hitter that was followed by a double and GIDP. Crowell hit the next batter, but got the final out.
After retiring the side in order in the 4th, Crowell had a bad 5th. He got the leadoff batter out, but then a single, 2-run HR, BB, another 2-run HR, double, and Crowell was lifted for RHRP Carson Hobbs. First batter he faced hit an RBI single, and Amarillo had a 6-4 lead.
Hobbs and RHRP Antonio Knowles pitched scoreless innings in the 6th – 8th. Tulsa had not scored since the 3rd.
In the 9th, 3B Kyle Nevin hit a one out single. With 2 outs, RF Josue De Paula drew a BB, and Sirota blasted his 3-run HR (3), putting Tulsa in the lead 7-6.
RHRP Nick Robertson was summoned to close it out. He allowed a 2-out single, but struck out the last batter for the save (3).
De Paula’s hitting streak came to an end, but his 23 consecutive game streak of reaching base safely is intact. No Tulsa batter had a multi-hit game.
- Mike Sirota – 1-3, 2 BB, 1 run, 3 RBI, HR (3)
- Jake Gelof – 1-4, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR (10)
- Zyhir Hope – 1-4, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR (12)
- Griffin Lockwood-Powell – 1-3, 1 BB, 1 run, double (10)
Tulsa Drillers 7 – Amarillo Sod Poodles (Arizona) 1 – Game 2, 7 Innings
RHSP Roque Gutierrez started and completed 3.0 IP. He gave up the Sod Poodles lone run in the 1st. A single, BB, and run-scoring double gave Amarillo a 1-0 lead after 1.
Tulsa scored in the 3rd. C Frank Rodriguez led off with a single. After one out, RF Mike Sirota singled. SS Elijah Hainline drew a BB to load the bases. LF Zyhir Hope hit a 2 run double, with Hainline moving to 3rd. 3B Jake Gelof hit a SF for the 3rd run of the inning.
In the 4th, 1B Joe Vetrano reached on an error. With 2 outs, DH Josue De Paula roped a 2-run HR and a 5-1 lead.
RHRP Christian Suarez relieved Gutierrez and struck out the side in the 4th, with one BB.
In the 5th, Hainline drew a BB and Hope hit a 2-run HR, giving him 4 RBI on the day.
RHRP Cam Day (2.0 innings) and LHRP Myles Caba (1.0 inning) pitched a scoreless final 3.0 innings to end the game.
- Josue De Paula – 1-4, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR (10)
- Zyhir Hope – 2-4, 1 run, 4 RBI, double (10), HR (13)
- Chris Newell – 2-4
- Mike Sirota – 1-3, 1 BB, 1 run
Tulsa was 5-1 in the 6 game series against Amarillo.
Tulsa is 37-20 for best record in Texas League, 1.5 games ahead of Arkansas (Seattle) in the Texas League North. There are 12 games left in the first half. They have 6 games at home vs Wichita (Minnesota) and 6 games away at NW Arkansas (KC).
Lansing Lugnuts (A’s) 13 – Great Lakes Loons 4
Not much positive news when it comes to pitching. Combined 6 Loons pitchers allowed 13 runs on 20 hits, and 5 BB matching their 5 K
The Loons scored solo runs in 4 innings. In the 1st, leadoff hitter LF Chuck Davalan singled. CF Eduardo Quintero followed with a single, with Davalan moving to 3rd on an error on the play. DH Jose Meza hit a SF to give GL a very short 1-0 lead.
In the 5th, Davalan hit his 14th double and scored on SS Emil Morales’ RBI single.
C Victor Rodrigues hit his 4th double, moved to 3rd on a groundout, and scored on 3B Jose Izarra’s RBI single.
And in the 7th, Morales slugged his 4th HR of the season.
- Chuck Davalan – 2-5, 2 runs, double (14)
- Eduardo Quintero – 2-5
- Emil Morales – 2-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 2 RBI
- Doubles – Victor Rodrigues (4), Samuel Munoz (3)
Great Lakes was 4-2 in the 6 game series against Lansing.
Great Lakes has a 33-22 record good for 1st place in the Midwest League East. They are 1.5 games ahead of Lake County (Cleveland). 1st half ends June 18, 11 games (includes 2 DH).
Stockton Ports (A’s) 15 – Ontario Tower Buzzers 7
RHSP Hyun-Seok Jang (1.2 IP)allowed 7 runs in the 2nd inning and RHRP Javier Bartolozzi (1.1 IP) allowed 3 runs in the 3rd, giving the Ports a 10-0 lead after 2 ½ innings.
RF Landyn Vidourek homered (4) in the 3rd putting Ontario on the board.
RHRP Seamus Barrett continued the suspect pitching while allowing 2 more runs on 3 hits and a BB.
In the 5th, 1B Easton Shelton slugged his California League leading 17th HR of the year, in the 5th. SS Joendry Vargas doubled, but was thrown out a home on C Bryan Gonzalez Garcia’s single. Garcia did score after 2-out singles by 2B Mairo Martinus and CF Jaron Elkins.
RHRP Jecsua Liborius was the 4th pitcher that could not get the job done. After retiring the side in the 5th, he allowed 2 runs on a single, walk, double, ground out, and SF.
In the bottom of the 5th, 3B Chase Harlan led off with a double (11) and moved to 3rd on a single by RF Ching-Hsien Ko. Shelton followed with a BB to load the bases. Vidourek singled to score Harlan, and a force out scored Ko. If you lost count, that’s 14-5 Stockton.
Stockton scored an unearned run in the 9th. In the bottom of the 9th, Ontario for leadoff singles by Harlan and Ko. After one out, Harlan scored on Vargas’ double (13), and Ko scored on a ground out.
- Chase Harlan – 3-5, 2 runs, double (11)
- Ching-Hsien Ko – 2-5, 2 runs
- Joendry Vargas – 2-5, 1 RBI, 2 doubles (13)
- Landyn Vidourek – 2-5, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (4)
- Easton Shelton – 2-4, 1 BB, 2 runs, 1 RBI, HR (17)
- Bryan Gonzalez Garcia – 2-5, 1 run, 1 RBI
Both teams had 15 hits. Stockton was 9-18 wRISP and Ontario was 5-14 wRISP.
Ontario was 3-3 in the 6 game series against Stockton.
Ontario is 29-28, in 3rd place of the California League South. They are 3.5 games behind Lake Elsinore with 9 games remaining in the 1st half.
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Discussion (80)
Disagree, not disagreeable
That’s baseball for you. Pitch clock was worthless yesterday.
I spent 6 years in NW Wisconsin.
I spent a couple in Minnesota and one in Elko Nevada. Probably the coldest I ever felt was in Wyoming up on 80 when I was heading to Spokane.
Cardinals sent Scott down to AAA. Rays calling up Austin Slater.
Pitch Clock. From a Stanford Study: “The results of this analysis found that the introduction of the pitch clock has not been associated with a statistically significant change in the overall rate of pitcher injuries. This finding runs counter to the concern that a faster pace of play would place a greater stress on pitchers’ bodies and lead to more injuries. However, the results do reveal some effects when looking at specific injuries. Elbow injuries have increased at a statistically significant rate since the implementation of the pitch clock, suggesting that the pitch clock has put an additional strain on pitchers’ arms. At the same time, the rate of Tommy John surgeries has not changed significantly – in fact, the number decreased slightly in the two years after the introduction of the pitch clock. This distinction is important, as it indicates that while elbow injuries have become more common, they have not translated into a higher frequency of season-ending injuries. This finding also runs counter to the idea that the pitch clock is responsible for a greater number of significant elbow injuries in recent memory.” Eh, what do they know. Stanford. Pointy headed geeks.
Scott would not have come in the 7th. Klein has had some issues lately. Vesia wasn’t so good yesterday and Hernández has been decent since he’s been on the Dodgers.
I always thought those boys up north were left wing weirdos.
It seems to me that he could be more successful if he more often went the other way on pitches that had other way written on the ball.
The wind chills up that way are malevolent. At our place in Balsam Lake one day we ran out of propane with wind chills at -40. Within minutes the house started groaning. Creepy. Those winds came down from Canada. To think there was a country NORTH of us. How do they survive up there?
Not a good idea to mention wings in here. And I was being facetious.
Bear, that’s a small box thought.
I would give an extra 20 seconds to pitchers every 10 pitches.
The movie will span the time from when I was 31 to 41 years old, so I am thinking it has to be a younger Mark Timmons. I would pick Glenn Powell!
Where were you when these historic moments occurred . . .
I was born up there. Midwest Canada. It’s awful.
It seems light , but it isn’t for a rental. If Joe Ryan is traded, his one extra year would command that and probably another lottery ticket. My thoughts are continuing to percolate on this one, and I am putting my thoughts down to compose something on the matter. I am a Sheehan fan, and he makes the most sense to move. Skubal is a better pitcher for this year and River Ryan and Gavin Stone will be ready to fully compete next season. As I wrote yesterday, Hope is the most expendable OF prospect. Who is more likely to put LAD in a 3-peat position, Skubal or Sheehan? But I am not there yet. Like Mark, I am most bullish on Sirota, and he is as much of an untouchable as De Paula. There was one BA writer that called Sirota the best pure hitter in MiLB. De Paula cannot be far behind. MLB Pipeline is more bullish on Hope than Sirota or Quintero.
With his extra year of control, and relatively low price tag ($$$$), Ryan could command more. Not saying he will, but I can make an argument for it.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun says a deal for a new Chicago Bears stadium in Hammond is not done until the ink dries on the contract. But he told Inside INdiana Business that last week’s vote by the team’s board of directors to advance plans to build in northwest Indiana is the biggest threshold to be crossed yet in a monthslong effort to land the multibillion-dollar project on the Indiana side of the border. During an interview with Braun on Sunday, Gerry Dick asked him if Illinois could still make a counter offer. “I don’t know what they could put forward that would better our deal,” Braun said. “Then it becomes who would you rather do business with over the next 50 years? … That’s why I think when that threshold was crossed last Thursday, made public Friday, that that is going to put the odds up to close to 100% [but] not there completely.”
I like Powell, he is a good actor. He did a great job as a Navy pilot in Devotion.
Nope, based on what I have seen and witnessed. Always have thought Stanford was a great school though.
Reading my computer. But if you want historic moments. Okay, I left Korea two days before the North Koreans took the Pueblo. Had I been at the airport when that happened, I would have been extended six months. I was in Munich to watch the Olympics in 72 and was downtown when the terrorists took the Israeli team hostage. We were parked about half mile from the airport when that raid went down. Sat on a hill overlooking the Olympic Village the day it happened and saw all of the activity. Was in the Olympic stadium for the memorial. Was driving west on 91 when OJ was headed the other way. Saw all of the nut jobs on the overpass cheering him on. And finally, I was picking up a load in Oklahoma City when the bomb went off at the federal building, I was about a mile and a half away. Shook my truck.
Denver dodged a bullet. The owner of the Broncos was contemplating a move because he doesn’t like the current governor’s administration and the economics that have been in place. But with it pretty certain that Polis will not be governor after November, he purchased the land to build a new domed stadium for the Broncs.
I personally don’t think the pitch-clock has anything to do with arm injuries. What does, is throwing repeatedly throwing a 100 mph for a long time, poor mechanics,, poor preparation and rest, pitching year round, travel ball coaches, body types not capable of the wear and tear, a history of arm injuries and Bad Luck. Most of today’s pitchers have either experienced the pitch clock in the minors or had ample time to adjust. Scratching your ass, adjusting your cap, prancing around the mound, stepping off multiple times and other methods of gaining 5 seconds, doesn’t reduce arm injuries. Stanford, especially the Stanford Institute, has brilliant minds for many endeavors; baseball pitching isn’t one of them. Althouugh I think they got this one right.
I wonder if Washington’s new tax on millionaires will have an effect on the Mariner’s players? It’s already caused a mass exodus of wealthy citizens and businesses like Amazon, Starbucks and others. Bad Governor and bad Mayor of Seattle, who flippantly said of the millionaire leaving “See Yeah”. .
Dumbasses everywhere Phil. Unfortunately, many of them are running things.