Hyun-jin Ryu allows 2 home runs, 8 runs in Triple-A rehab start

By Eric Stephen@ericstephen Jun 24, 2016, 6:00am PDT

Hyun-jin Ryu continued his rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City, but was roughed up in his four innings, allowing eight runs, including two home runs.

Ryu was scheduled to pitch five innings with a pitch limit of roughly 75, and ended up needing 77 pitches to get through four innings. He was pounding the zone all night, with 57 of his 77 pitches for strikes, but paid the price with 10 hits allowed, including home runs to Delino DeShields and Joey Gallo, plus four doubles and a triple.

His four innings were a tale of two starts, it seems:

First 2 innings for Hyun-Jin Ryu: 2 H, 0 R 0 BB, 2 K
Last 2 innings: 8 H, 8 R (5 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
— Alex Freedman (@azfreedman) June 24, 2016

But rather than the game results, the most important thing is Ryu building up toward a major league return, and how he feels Friday will go a long way in telling us how close he is to being back.

In other minor league news on Thursday, three affiliates captured one-run wins, including two walk-off victories.

Player of the day

Now that's a way to welcome yourself to a new organization. Chris Taylor, in his second game with Triple-A Oklahoma City since getting traded from Seattle, went 4-for-4 with a double on Thursday against Round Rock, scoring a run and driving in another.

Taylor, who played third base on Thursday after playing shortstop in his OKC debut on Wednesday, is 5-for-8 with two doubles since joining the Dodgers. Taylor has a seven-game hitting streak, hitting 14-for-27 (.519) during that span, and has reached base by hit or walk in 21 straight games dating back to May 31, hitting .373/.441/.506 in that streak.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Even with Taylor and a solid offensive showing by the team, Oklahoma City fell to the Round Rock Express (Rangers) 9-6, with Ryu taking the brunt of the damage. Corey Brown homered and doubled for OKC, and Rob Segedin was 2-for-5 with a double.

Mike Bolsinger was added to the OKC roster on Thursday and followed Ryu in relief, pitching 2⅔ scoreless innings, allowing only two singles while striking out five.

Double-A Tulsa

For the second straight night, the Drillers won on a walk-off home run, with Jacob Scavuzzo doing the honors on Thursday. His solo shot in the ninth inning capped a comeback from down three runs earlier in the game, beating the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals) 4-3. Scavuzzo was 2-for-4 in the game, and Ralston Cash got the win with two scoreless innings of relief, with three strikeouts.

Cody Bellinger hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning to tie the game, and also doubled.

Lisalverto Bonilla, whose 18 appearances this season for Oklahoma City all came in relief, got the start for Tulsa on Thursday after getting assigned to the Drillers from Triple-A. He struck out three in 3⅓ innings, but allowed two runs, including a home run by Bubba Starling.

Scott Griggs was activated from the disabled list on Thursday and struck out two in a scoreless seventh inning.

Class-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes were walk-off winners as well on Thursday, beating the High Desert Mavericks (Rangers) 4-3. Devan Ahart hit a fly ball to right field with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning of a tie game. But instead of extra innings, right fielder Jairo Beras lost the ball in the lights, allowing it to drop for the game-winning hit.

Catcher Garrett Kennedy was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and an RBI, and shortstop Erick Mejia was 2-for-4 with a stolen base. Edwin Rios, playing first base on Thursday, hit a two-run home run, his third home run in four games and his fourth straight game with an extra-base hit.

Yaisel Sierra retired seven of the nine batters he faced, allowing only a single and a hit batsman, with three strikeouts. But his night ended early thanks to a disagreement over a balk.

Yaisel Sierra & Manager Drew Saylor have been ejected from the game.

Philip Pfeifer is in to pitch the rest of the 3rd.

0-0, 2 on, 1 out.
— RC Quakes Baseball (@RCQuakes) June 24, 2016

Chris Anderson pitched a scoreless sixth inning with a strikeout. In eight relief appearances with the Quakes, the former first-round pick has a 21.6-percent strikeout rate and 5.4-percent walk rate, after a 15-percent strikeout rate and a 20.3-percent walk rate in six starts with Double-A Tulsa.

Class-A Great Lakes

Donavan Tate, the former No. 3 overall draft pick in 2009 with San Diego and signed to a minor league contract by the Dodgers in the offseason, made his 2016 debut on Thursday, hitting a home run and driving in both runs while manning center field in the Loons' 2-1 win over the Lake County Captains (Indians).

Starting pitcher Isaac Anderson struck out eight and walked none in six scoreless innings, allowing only a single and a double.

Third baseman Jared Walker, the Dodgers' fifth-round pick in 2014, joined the Loons on Thursday for his first game at a full-season affiliate, going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.

Rookie-level Ogden

The Raptors fell 12-3 to Grand Junction (Rockies), but had some strong nights from a couple of 2016 draftees. Fourth-round pick D.J. Peters was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored while playing center field, and 16th-round pick Darien Tubbs, in right field, was 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

Catcher Will Smith, picked by the Dodgers in the supplemental first round, No. 32 overall, made his professional debut and was 0-for-4, catching seven innings behind the plate.

Rookie-level Arizona

The AZL Dodgers lost 9-2 to the AZL Padres. First-round pick Gavin Lux was 2-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI while batting leadoff and playing designated hitter.

Ross Stripling after four weeks of mostly conditioning in and around Camelback Ranch returned to the mound, allowing one run in three innings, with three strikeouts and two walks. Randy Choate, signed to a minor league deal this week, faced four batters and allowed three runs and three hits in the loss.

Transactions

Triple-A: Bolsinger was added back to the Oklahoma City roster; Double-A: OKC sent Bonilla down to Tulsa, and Griggs was activated from the DL; pitcher Kyle Hooper and outfielder Adam Law were both placed on the seven-day DL; Class-A: Tate and Walker were added to Great Lakes from extended spring training; pitcher Imani Abdullah was activated from the DL and will start Friday for the Loons, who sent Andres Ayon to extended spring training and released infielder Jimy Perez; Rookie: Pitcher Garrett Harrison was sent from Great Lakes to Ogden; Stripling and Choate were added to the AZL team, as was outfielder Nick Yarnall, a new Dodgers draft signee out of the University of Pittsburgh, picked in the 35th round.