Yadier Alvarez strikes out seven, Quakes loss ends winning streak

Rancho Cucamonga could not hold on to their lead and went on to lose their first home game of the season. OKC scored a run in the ninth to tie and then won it in extra-innings. Tulsa was down early but immediately came back to take the lead and the game. And Great Lakes lost big to start their road trip.

Player of the day

Yadier Alvarez pitched four scoreless innings in his third start of the season. He gave up two hits, a walk and struck out seven. As the first month of the season comes to a close, it appears that Walker Buehler and Alvarez are slightly behind Mitch White and Dennis Santana in terms of how long they can pitch. That is likely to change as the season continues.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City scored single runs in the eighth, ninth and twelfth to win 3-2 over the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals). Oklahoma City had to make this a bullpen game as both Julio Urias (who was recalled to Los Angeles) and Joe Gunkel (who was designated for assignment last Tuesday and was claimed by the Miami Marlins on Thursday) were no longer available.

Oklahoma City used six pitchers and Patrick Schuster pitched the final two innings for the win. Joe Broussard, Brandon Morrow and Steve Geltz were also effective on Thursday.

Ike Davis hit a solo home run in the ninth to tie the game. Charlie Culberson was 4-for-6 with two doubles and a run scored. O’Koyea Dickson drove in two runs, the last one on a sacrifice fly, scored the winning run.

Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers used home runs by Matt Beaty and Kyle Garlick to defeat the Arkansas Travelers (Mariners) 6-3 to take the last game of their series. Tulsa won three out of four from Arkansas and heads into their next series with some momentum.

Trailing 3-0 after the top of the first inning, Edwin Rios drove in their first run with a sacrifice fly. In the second inning, Matt Beaty hit a three-run homer to give Tulsa the lead.

In the eighth inning, Kyle Garlick added some insurance with a two-run home run. Garlick, Tyler Holt, Jose Miguel Fernandez and Stetson Allie each had two hits.

One of the relief pitching highlights was the 1⅔ innings pitched by Yaisel Sierra. Sierra struck out three of the first four hitters he faced and he appears to have adjusted to the relief role.

Class-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes had won the first six games of their seven-game homestand and was a perfect 9-0 at home. But they could not hold on to a 2-0 lead and saw the San Jose Giants comeback to win 5-2 to take the final game of the series.

Yadier Alvarez was impressive in his four-inning start. He scattered two hits and a walk and struck out seven with fastballs reportedly touching 96-97 MPH and also struck out hitters on his offspeed pitches too.

Tony Gonsolin relieved Alvarez and he was perfect for two innings. But in the seventh, Gonsolin gave up four straight hits and left a tied game with two runners in scoring position. Both of those inherited runners scored giving the Giants the lead.

The Quakes had been scoring lots of runs at home but on Thursday, they struck out 15 times and was 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

Class-A Great Lakes

The Loons gave up nine runs before scoring their one run and lost 9-1 to the Dayton Dragons (Reds). Jordan Sheffield did not pitch well but Luis De Paula had an even worse outing.

Sheffield pitched four innings, he gave up three runs, four hits, walked three and gave up two home runs. Sheffield has alternated good and poor outings in his four starts this season.

Luis De Paula relieved Sheffield and faced seven batters. He got one of them out and the other six would all score.

Cody Thomas and Gage Green each had two hits.

Transactions

Triple-A: Los Angeles recalled left-handed pitcher Julio Urias from Oklahoma City; Los Angeles optioned left-handed pitcher Adam Liberatore to Oklahoma City; right-handed pitcher Wilmer Font assigned to Oklahoma City from Extended Spring Training.

Double-A: Right-handed pitcher Chris Powell assigned to Tulsa from Rancho Cucamonga; left-handed pitcher Colt Hynes assigned to Extended Spring Training from Tulsa.

Class-A: Rancho Cucamonga activated right-handed pitcher Kevin Brown from the 7-day disabled list.

Thursday scores

Oklahoma City 3, Omaha 2 (12)

Tulsa 6, Arkansas 3

San Jose 5, Rancho Cucamonga 2

Dayton 9, Great Lakes 1

Friday schedule

4:00 p.m.: Great Lakes (Leo Crawford) at Dayton (Scott Moss)

5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Trevor Oaks) at Omaha (Eric Skoglund)

5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Andrew Sopko) vs. NW Arkansas Naturals [Royals] (Corey Ray)

6:35 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Mitch White) at Lancaster JetHawks [Rockies] ( Colin Welmon)