Andrew Sopko helps Drillers stay in playoff contention

Three of four Dodger affiliates won on Thursday.  However the loss may have the most important since it dropped the Loons' lead to a half game in the race for the final Midwest League playoff spot.

Player of the day

Right-handed pitcher Andrew Sopko had his best start as a Driller when he went six innings and struck out seven.  Sopko pitched for the Quakes for most of this season, where he had 3.26 ERA in 99⅓ innings.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

The Dodgers won their final regular season home game by a 5-3 score over the Redbirds (Cardinals).  Logan Bawcom pitched a solid game, throwing six scoreless innings and striking out six.

Micah Johnson, O'Koyea Dickson, and Alex Hassan each had two hits. Hassan and Bawcom each drove in two runs.

Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers defeated the  Naturals (Royals) 5-1 on Thursday.  Andrew Sopko pitched six innings and gave up a run while striking out seven.  Yaisel Sierra struck out four in his 1⅔ innings of work.

Cody Bellinger hit a solo home run, his 23rd home run of the season.  Tim Locastro, Bellinger and Alex Verdugo each had two hits.

Class-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes scored three runs in the eighth and then three more in ninth and went on to beat the JetHawks (Astros) 6-3 in Lancaster.  Mitchell White got his first professional win.  White again pitched two scoreless innings, allowing a hit and striking out two.

Brandon Trinkwon, Matt Beaty, and Noah Perio each had two hits.  Devan Ahart hit his first home run of the season.

Class-A Great Lakes

The Loons lost 5-4 in ten innings on a walk-off bases-clearing double by the TinCaps (Padres) Chris Baker.  The loss lowered the Loons lead in the Wild Card to a half game.

Yadier Alvarez started for the Loons and pitched 3⅔ innings.  While Alvarez only gave up a run, he also gave up six hits and two walks to the Pirates.

Brendon Davis went 3-for-4 and drove in a run.  Logan Landon went 2-for-5.

Pioneer - Ogden

The Raptors and Chukars (Royals) game was rained out and a doubleheader is scheduled for Saturday.

Transactions

Triple-A: Los Angeles optioned left-handed pitcher Luis Avilan to Oklahoma City; Oklahoma City activated right-handed pitcher Sam LeCure from the 7-day disabled list; catcher Tyler Ogle assigned to Oklahoma City from Tulsa; Oklahoma City released right-handed pitcher Matt West and left-handed pitcher Randy Choate.

Double-A: Tulsa activated catcher Paul Hoenecke from the 7-day disabled list.

Class-A: Right-handed pitcher Willian Soto assigned to Great Lakes from Ogden; Great Lakes placed left-handed pitcher Victor Gonzalez on the temporarily inactive list.

Thursday Scores

Oklahoma City 5, Memphis 3

Tulsa 5, NW Arkansas 1

Rancho Cucamonga 6, Lancaster 3

Fort Wayne 5, Great Lakes 4 (10)

Friday Schedule

4:05 p.m. PT - Great Lakes (Jordan Sheffield) at Fort Wayne (Padres) (Joey Lucchesi)

5:05 p.m. - Oklahoma City (Jose De Leon) at Omaha (Royals) (Alec Mills)

5:05 p.m. - Tulsa (Scott Barlow) at NW Arkansas (Eric Skoglund)

6:00 p.m. - Idaho Falls (Igol Feliz) at Ogden (Nolan Long)

7:05 p.m.  - Modesto (Rockies) (Colin Welmon) at Rancho Cucamonga (Tim Shibuya)