OKC Stays in the race - Kris bubic looks good in lad debut

OKC Comets 7 – Round Rock Express (Texas) 4 

The Comets are still looking to make a statement in their fledgling playoff chances.  RHSP Christian Romero was the Comets SP.  He walked the first batter he faced and promptly made a pickoff throwing error with the runner moving to 2nd.  After he struck out the next batter, three straight singled scored 2 runs. 

In the 2nd inning, OKC got one of the runs back on a DH Matt Gorski HR (3). 

RR picked up two more runs in the 3rd.  Again, it was a leadoff BB that set it up.  After 2 outs, the runner moved to 3rd on a single.  Both runners scored on a 2-out double, and a 4-1 lead.  

LHRP Ronan Kopp came in to get the final two outs in the 4th. 

OKC came roaring back in the 5th.  With one out, 3B Noah Miller doubled (18) and moved to 3rd on a single from RF James Tibbs III.  Miller scored as CF Zach Ehrhard grounded into a force out.  LF Ryan Ward singled, moving Ehrhard to 3rd.  1B Ryan Fitzgerald doubled (29) home a pair of runs.  Fitzgerald scored on SS Hyeseong Kim’s 10th double.  After Gorski drew a BB, C Eliézer Alfonzo stroked a single to score Kim giving OKC a 6-4 lead.  

In the 5th, the long awaited Dodger rehab debut for LHRP Kris Bubic.  He retired the side on 17 pitches, striking out 2.  

RHRP Jonathan Hernández pitched a clean 6th inning, and RHRP Paul Gervase pitched the next two scoreless innings.  He did allow 1 hit but struck out 5. 

The two teams traded zeroes until Fitzgerald swatted his 13th HR in the 9th and a 7-4 lead.  

https://x.com/OKC_comets/status/2094978768045584655?s=20 

RHRP Nick Robertson pitched a clean 9th inning for his 1st OKC save of the year.  

·      Hyeseong Kim – 3-5, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (10)

·      Ryan Fitzgerald – 2-5, 2 runs, 3 RBI, double (29), HR (13)

·      Eliézer Alfonzo – 2-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (18)

·      Noah Miller – 2-4, 1 run, double (18)

·      Matt Gorski – 1-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (3) 

Ben Casparius had a setback and has been shut down again. 

Box Score 

Tulsa Drillers 3 – Wichita Wind Surge (Twins) 2 

This was a very good start for LHSP Adam Serwinowski.  He completed 8.0 innings allowing 2 runs on 2 solo HRs.  He allowed 2 doubles for 4 hits in total.  He did not walk a batter and struck out 6.  He threw 93 pitches, 62 for strikes. 

Wichita took the lead in the 1st after a 2-out solo HR.  Tulsa tied it up in the 2nd, on DH Logan Wagner’s 3rd HR. 

Wichita took the lead in the 5th with the 2nd solo HR off Serwinowski. 

Tulsa took the lead for good in the 6th.  RF Kole Myers drew an inning opening BB and scored when 3B Jake Gelof doubled (21).  Gelof scored on a 2-out RBI single from Wagner.  

RHRP Carson Hobbs pitched a scoreless 9th for the save. 

Tulsa only had 4 hits of their own.  

·      Logan Wagner – 2-3, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR (3)

·      Jake Gelof – 1-3, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (21) 

Box Score 

Lake County Captains (Cleveland) 4 – Great Lakes Loons 3 

This is a big week for Great Lakes.  They entered the game with a 2.5 game lead with 7 to go, and a magic number of 5.  With the GL loss and West Michigan WhiteCaps (Detroit) win, the magic number remains at 5. The unfortunate part of the game was that 3 of the 4 runs against GL were unearned.  

GL opened the scoring in the 6th.  CF Eduardo Quintero and SS Emil Morales opened with BB.  A F7 pushed Quintero to 3rd, and he scored on a 2B Nico Perez SF. 

RHSP Tyler Gough pitched the first five innings without giving up a run.  In the 6th, with one out he walked a batter, and was relieved by LHRP Matt Lanzendorfer.  The first batter he faced reached 2nd on a fielding error, with the lead runner reaching 3rd.  After a K, Lanzendorfer gave up a 2-run double.  Both runs were unearned, but they counted just the same.  

In the 7th, 1B Eduardo Guerrero hit a one out double (13) and scored when C Victor Rodrigues slugged a 2-run HR (2).  

In the bottom of the 7th, the second batter reached on a fielding error.  Lanzendorfer balked the runner to 2nd where he scored an unearned run on a 1-out double. 

The game was tied in the bottom of the 9th with RHRP Robby Porco, who pitched a clean 8th, came back out for his 2nd inning.  On the 6th pitch, the batter hit a walkoff HR. 

Tulsa had 4 hits total with no batter getting 2.  Guerrero’s double and Rodrigues’ HR were the only XBH. 

Box Score 

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Seattle) 8 - Ontario Tower Buzzers 6 

Ontario started the scoring in the 2nd inning.  C Francisco Espinoza opened with a BB.  After 2 outs, CF Kyeler Thompson making his professional debut, also drew a BB.  RF Abel Lorenzo doubled (5) to score Espinoza. 

Ontario went up 2-0 in the 3rd on 3B Joendry Vargas’ solo HR (12). 

In the 4th, LF Jose Gonzalez making his Ontario debut drew a BB.  Thompson followed with a single, his first professional hit.  Herrera walked to load the bases.  Gonzalez scored on a groundout for a 3-0 lead. 

Coming into the game, the Ontario bullpen had a 6.75 ERA, the worst in the league.  RHRP Accimias Morales was the first of 4 unproductive relievers, entering the 6th. He allowed a BB, 2-run HR, and a pair of doubles to score 3 and tie the game. 

RHRP Javier Bartolozzi relieved Morales in the 7th.  The first two batters doubled and singled for the 4th run.  

Ontario took the lead in the 7th.  Herrera led off with a single.  He was balked to 2nd and continued to 3rd on a WP.  SS Caleb Johnson hit a 2-run HR (4) for a 5-4 lead.  

RHRP Camden Wimbish gave up an unearned run in the 8th to tie the game. 

Gonzalez put Ontario up 6-5 with his first HR above rookie league. 

RHRP Devin Bell gave up 3 unearned in the 9th for the eventual 8-6 loss.  

Fresh off winning the 2nd half championship, Ontario had let down.

No Ontario batter had a multi-hit game.  Ontario had 7 hits and 4 were XBH.  Abel Lorenzo hit his 5th double.  They also had 3 HR’s: Joendry Vargas (12), Caleb Johnson (4), and Jose Gonzalez (1). 

Kyeler Thompson and Jose Gonzalez were added to the roster when SS Aidan West and OF Brendan Tunink were placed on the 7-day IL. 

Box Score