Ontario Tower Buzzers are 1st LAD affiliate to end their season

OKC Comets 8 – Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Houston) 0

RHSP Landon Knack and 4 relievers shut out the Space Cowboys, giving OKC their 12th consecutive win.  They are now 3.0 games better than Sugar Land with 9 games to play. 

The Comets recorded their 12th shutout victory of the season and first since Aug. 26 vs. El Paso in the second game of a doubleheader…OKC’s 12 shutouts in 2026 are the most by the team in a single season since matching the total in 2016 and the most by any Pacific Coast League team since Round Rock also recorded 12 during the 2019 season. 

·      Landon Knack – 5.0 IP, 2 hits, 2 BB, 4 K

·      Garrett McDaniels – 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 1 BB, 0 K

·      Edwin Díaz – 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 1 BB, 1 K

·      Kris Bubic – 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 BB, 2 K

·      Kyle Hurt – 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 BB,1 K 

Díaz and Bubic pitched in back-to-back games.  

Maybe the results were not dominant, but the Space Cowboys have their backs against the wall and are fighting for their playoff lives.  Sugar Land was 4.0 games ahead of OKC when the consecutive win streak began.  

OKC put up 3 in the 1st inning.  RF Zach Ehrhard led off with a BB.  LF James Tibbs III hit a RBI double (31) to score Ehrhard.  DH Ryan Ward followed with a 2-run HR (18). 

OKC put up another in the 2nd.  2B Austin Gauthier walked with one out.  C Chadwick Tromp followed with a single moving Gauthier to 3rd.  Gauthier scored on Ehrhard’s single.  

In the 7th, Ehrhard hit a 1-out double and scored on CF Alek Thomas’ single.  

In the 8th, with one out, 1B Matt Gorski doubled (3).  Gauthier hit a 2-out infield single, and Tromp hit his first HR for OKC. 

·      Zach Ehrhard – 2-4, 1 BB, 2 runs, 1 RBI, double (25)

·      James Tibbs III – 2-3, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (31)

·      Ryan Ward – 1-4, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR (18)

·      Chadwick Tromp – 2-4, 1 run, 3 RBI, HR (1)

·      Double – Matt Gorski (3) 

Box Spring 

Tulsa Drillers 3 – NW Arkansas Naturals (KC) 2 

Tulsa scored the first run in the 2nd inning.  2B Sean McLain singled with one out and promptly stole 2nd.  LF Taylor Young hit a RBI single giving the Drillers a 1-0 lead.  

LHSP Myles Caba pitched the first 4.0 innings.  But he gave up a solo HR leading off the 4th inning to tie the score.  He allowed one other hit, did not walk a batter, and struck out 5. 

In the 5th, Young opened the inning with a single.  Young was forced at 2nd by CF Kole Myers.  3B Jake Gelof hit his 33rd HR for a 3-1 lead.  I do not anyone to forget that Gelof is still just 24.  He is not a future All Star, but I do think he is a capable 2B/3B and deserves a chance to play MLB.  He will never hit .300, but he does have an OBP of .378, a SLG of .559, and an OPS of .937.  I always like to reserve judgement on prospects until they reach AA.  If prospects can succeed at AA, they are considered MLB ready or at least near MLB ready.  Gelof was not on my radar at the beginning of the season, but he is at the end.  

In the 7th, RHRP Lucas Wepf hit a batter with one out.  The runner stole 2nd and scored on a double.  Wepf walked 2 to load the bases and RHRP Cam Day was summoned to get the final out. 

Tulsa had some good relief pitching from RHRP Payton Martin (2.0 scoreless innings), Day (1.1 scoreless innings) and RHRP Carson Hobbs (1.0 scoreless inning).  Hobbs also recorded his 5th save.  

·      Taylor Young – 2-4, 1 run, 1 RBI

·      Jake Gelof – 2-3, 1 BB, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR (33) 

Box Score 

Dayton Dragons (Reds) 3 – Great Lakes Loons 1 

The Loons were one win away from advancing in the Midwest League playoffs and had RHSP Brooks Auger on the mound.  Auger struck out the first batter he faced, but strike three was a WP and the batter reached.  The runner stole 2nd and advanced to 3rd on a single.  The runner scored on a forceout for a 1-0 lead.  

The Loons had two hits in the 1st inning from SS Emil Morales and LF Charles Davalan, but a DP ended the inning.  RF Jaron Elkins led off the 2nd with a single but he too was erased on a GIDP.  

Two Loons walked in the third with one out but were left stranded.  The Loons had their opportunities, early.  

In the 4th, Auger gave up a pair of singles, retired the next two batters, but the next batter tripled to score 2.  

GL scored in the 7th.  With 2 outs DH Victor Rodrigues doubled and scored on C Gio Cueto’s single.  

The Loons went out meekly in the last two innings. 

RHP Will Gagnon followed Auger and completed 4.0 scoreless innings.  He allowed 1 hit, 1 BB, with 5 K.  

Box Score 

Lake Elsinore Storm (San Diego) 6 – Ontario Tower Buzzers 1 

Ontario needed to win this game to continue in the playoffs.  Unfortunately, they did not prevail, and they have been ousted in the California League Southern Division playoffs.  There is no reason to dwell on this game.  In the coming weeks, I will review the body of work for each of the affiliates.  Ontario is the first LAD affiliate that has been sent packing. 

You can click on the box score if you want to see a summary of the game.    

Box Score