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
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.
Cardinals sent Scott down to AAA. Rays calling up Austin Slater.
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.
I spent 6 years in NW Wisconsin.
That’s baseball for you. Pitch clock was worthless yesterday.
How weird is baseball? Friday’s game was a tidy 1 – zip affair in 2 and a half hours. Yesterday, 7 of our pitchers gave up 13 runs, all earned, on 15 hits, 6 walks and 14 strikeouts in a not-so tidy 3 and a half hours, of torture. Go figure.
Timmons 2028!
Yeah I bet he will be pumped up to face his old team. He’s batting .242 with 15 HR’s and 41 Rbi’s and a .859 OPS. My buddy is a White Sox fan and he really likes Vargas and the youth of the White Sox. They play similar to the Brewers of the NL where they do all the little things to win ball games.
Try three years in Deutschland or two winters in Korea. Indiana and Colorado are mild compared to those two places.
Denzel. Just kidding Mark.
I am not trading Wrobo under any circumstances. Love the guy’s grit and I have a plane to catch mentality.
Haha. Wagner triggered some kind of cataclysmic graphics dump that made me reach for my copy of “Vorspiel.”
The Gavin Lux trade was a wholesale fleece. So were Mookie, River Ryan & some others, but wow. Kinda feel badly for CIN, who felt they had a chance to snag a productive bat for the cost of a prospect and change. As soon as Lux lost his middle infield versatility he became just a guy, and an injury-prone one at that.
Good speech. I recommend the word response instead of reaction. I think we all should receive signed copies of the book and a heads up on who plays you in the movie. I recommend Jack Black. Too short? How about John Goodman? Don’t tell me Hugh Jackman.
I thought the same thing but Passan and McDaniel didn’t. I’d happily make that deal
The body of Mark’s text shows up like a fall line from the peak of El Capitan on both my iPad and my iPhone so I can’t speak to it. But, he said not to so there is that. From the pictures I’ve seen Indiana it looks beautiful. Except for the top which I did see in person and it sucks. So, give it to the Bears, I don’t care. And the whole state probably blows in winter which no doubt is colorless. I spent 9 days in Iowa in the winter of ‘95 and never saw a blue sky and the ground was brown and white. Winters in the Midwest. Yuck. At least out west you can ski in the winter. Probably not in Fort Wayne. But I digress. Those trade ideas for Skubal. If he’s healthy, yeah sure. I think maybe I’d rather deal with Minnesota. You can ski there and they have Joe Ryan. He’s healthy, has better numbers and probably wouldn’t cost as much. If he’s available, get him. Watched the Cubs lose yesterday. That was fun.
A Sleeker Version.
yikes!
Mike Sirota vaguely resembles Mike Trout
Package seems light
The Mountain Mover: Coming Soon!
I am sure Miggy Vargas would like to extract some “revenge.”
I like DePaula, but I LOVE Sirota. He may be the better of the two… although I would not bet on it. I have no problem trading Sheehan or Hope. Aiden West just turned 20 and may or may not stay at SS due to an average arm, but his hit tool is very projectable.
Pitching matchups for 3 games in Pittsburgh: Tuesday: Eric Lauer / Paul Skenes Wednesday: Shohei Ohtani / Jared Jones Thursday: Justin Wrobleski / Mitch Keller From what I recall the last few years we have had our hands full with the Pirates at PNC park. I do like the east coast games since they are on at 5:40 CST. Then on to the scrappy “pale hose” in Chicago.
From Jeff Passan’s article this morning on espn.com titled “Nine Tarik Skubal trade ideas to shake up the MLB trade deadline”: “The One that Gets It Done” The offer: RHP Emmet Sheehan, OF Zyhir Hope and SS Aidan West Nobody has the combination of pitching and outfield prospect depth of the Dodgers, and that allows Los Angeles to provide a wholly unique package: a good major league starter, a top-50 prospect in Hope and a 19-year-old middle infielder who has scouts in the Arizona Complex League buzzing. Sheehan would immediately slot into the Tigers’ rotation, Hope should be ready to join Riley Greene and Max Clark in Detroit’s outfield next year, and West adds necessary depth to the system. There are plenty of other options — Justin Wrobleski or River Ryan or Christian Zazueta as arms, Mike Sirota or Eduardo Quintero or Charles Davalan (but not Josue De Paula) in the outfield — but this version makes the most sense. It’s a wild overpay, but the possibility of three straight rings calls for that. — Jeff Passan The GM says: Sigh. Every conversation I’ve had with sources about a potential Skubal deal starts with, “Well, if the Dodgers want to, they can/will …” because they have the options and the situation to make a deal pretty easy to put together, it just needs to be something Andrew Friedman wants to do. Luckily, I’m not dealing with Friedman or any real baseball executives in this exercise, so the bidding got a bit out of hand. I prefer Wrobleski of that pitcher group because he’s left-handed and comes with two more years of control than Sheehan, so I might negotiate a bit to get the right mix of players here. Buzz over the past year or so is that Sheehan and Wrobleski were the two arms teams wanted from the Dodgers at the previous deadline and over the winter, but they wouldn’t part with either. Hope (34th on my top-50 update) is the best of the position players on offer — he has addressed his swing-and-miss issues this season, as a 21-year-old on pace for 30 homers in Double-A — while West is an intriguing young lefty-hitting infielder who might be above average across the board, but it’s very early. On a deeper dive and negotiation, I might want to sub names in and out, but Passan is right: Even among three wild overpays, this one is the best. This could be the trade that launches the lockout, but the Dodgers have less pick/bonus capital than any team. It isn’t the CBA’s fault the Dodgers also have a good farm system. — McDaniel