Zachary Bird has his best game of the season

Rancho Cucamonga reduces their magic number to two; Ogden wins big in season debut; Oklahoma City wins on a walkoff home run.

Player of the day

Zachary Bird matched his season high seven innings pitched with a great performance at Visalia. Bird allowed a run, three hits, a walk and struck out a season high nine batters. The Quakes won the first game of the series as they try to win the first half division title this weekend.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

After spotting the Red Birds (Cardinals) a five run lead, the Dodgers came back to win 6-5 on a Scott Schebler walk-off home run. Chin-hui Tsao got the win after pitching a perfect ninth inning.

Joe Wieland started and Wieland gave up all five runs in the third inning. Five Red Birds had hits in that inning, four of those hits went for extra bases. Wieland's totals were 5 IP, five runs, seven hits and four strikeouts. Another note, Wieland has made twelve starts this season, he has not made an out past the fifth inning in any of them.

Schebler went 3-for-4 with his ninth home run, a sacrifice fly and three RBI; five other Dodgers had two hits, Darnell Sweeney, Hector Olivera, Corey Seager, O'Koyea Dickson and Darwin Barney.

Joel Peralta and Ramon Troncoso had scoreless appearances, Peralta was making his first AAA rehab appearance. The Dodgers moved their record to a PCL best 44-22 and they have a nine game lead.

Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers and Arkansas (Angels) were rained out again due to Tropical Storm Bill. They now have back-to-back double headers scheduled for Friday and Saturday, weather permitting.

Class-A Rancho Cucamonga

Behind solid pitching by Zachary Bird, the Quakes reduced their magic number to two by defeating the Rawhide (Diamondbacks) 4-2. Bird had his best start of the season, allowing just a run in 7 IP and striking out nine. Michael Johnson and Ramon Benjamin pitched the eighth and ninth innings, respectively.

Two Rawhide errors helped the Quakes score two runs in the first. Brandon Trinkwon singled and then scored when an error was made during the fielding of Cody Bellinger's single. Bellinger would then score on an error.

Paul Hoenecke had an RBI single in the fourth inning and Tyler Ogle hit a solo home run in the sixth inning.

The win combined with a JetHawks loss gave the Quakes a two-game division lead with three games to go in the first half.

Low Class-A Great Lakes

The Loons have an incredible last three weeks as they won 17 out of 19 games to try and clinch a first half playoff spot. On Thursday, the Loons fell to the Captains (Indians) 8-2. The Loons enter the weekend with a one-game lead and three games to go to clinch at least a wild-card spot.

Derrick Sylvester made his second start of the season and Sylvester allowed four runs in 3⅔ IP. Scott Griggs was making his first appearance since 2013 and Griggs allowed four runs and four hits in 1 IP.

The Loons did score first, with one out, Julian Leon singled and then Jacob Scavuzzo hit his fifth home run of the season. That would be the only scoring by the Loons, Scavuzzo went 3-for-4, Michael Ahmed and Jimmy Allen each had two hits.

Rookie Ogden

The Raptors opened their season at home with a 8-2 win over the Owlz (Angels). The game featured outstanding performances by outfielders Michael Medina and Logan Landon and pitchers William Soto and Clint Freeman.

Soto, who is from Venezuela, was signed in July 2012, and had only pitched 2⅓ innings in 2014. On Thursday, Soto threw 4 IP, giving up a run and two hits. Clint Freeman was drafted in the 18th round in 2014 as a first baseman. Freeman would hit .305/.346/.484 in 102 PA for the Arizona Dodgers.

Despite his successful offensive debut, Freeman, who is left-handed made the conversion to pitcher in the off-season. Gabe Kapler, Dodger Director of Player Development, was at the game and told Brett Hein from the Ogden Standard-Examiner,

"[Freeman] was adding and subtracting with his fastball and his changeup, had great composure, and delivered the ball with authority and conviction. That's super impressive,"

Outfielder Michael Medina was signed in 2013. The 18-year old Dominican played for the Arizona Dodgers in 2014. Medina went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Outfielder Logan Landon was a 2015 tenth round draft pick. Landon was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

2015 fourth-round pick Willie Calhoun started at second base and went 1-for-2 with a double.

Matt Jones doubled home two runs in the sixth inning and then Medina hit his three-run home run to finish the scoring.

DSL Dodgers

The Orioles beat the Dodgers 6-5 despite committing six errors in the game. Jimy Perez who was signed by the Dodgers in 2013, hit his seventh home run of the season. The 21-year old third baseman from the Dominican Republic, has 17 extra-base hits this season, eight doubles, two triples and the seven home runs.

Transactions

Triple-A: Los Angeles recalled pitcher Daniel Coulombe and optioned outfielder Chris Heisey to Oklahoma City; Pitcher Joel Peralta sent to Oklahoma City on a rehab assignment.

Double-A: Outfielder Kyle Hudson assigned to Tulsa Drillers from Ogden Raptors.

Thursday box scores

Oklahoma City 6, Colorado Springs 5

Rancho Cucamonga 4, Visalia 2

Lake County 8, Great Lakes 2

Ogden 8, Orem 2

DSL Orioles2 6, DSL Dodgers 5

Friday schedule

3:05 p.m. PT: Doubleheader - Arkansas (Michael Brady, Nate Smith) at Tulsa (Ross Stripling, Chris Anderson)

4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Trevor Oaks) at Lansing (Blue Jays) (Jesus Tinoco)

5:05 p.m.: Memphis (TBD) at Oklahoma City (Deck McGuire)

6 p.m.: Orem (Eduar Lopez) at Ogden (Dennis Santana)

7 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Brock Stewart) at Visalia (Ryan Doran)