Dodgers minor league news

Edwin Rios hits two home runs to help Tulsa split their double-header

Brandon Davis continues strong play with home run in Loons win

By Craig Minami May 5, 2017, 6:00am PDT

Oklahoma City and Great Lakes won their games, Tulsa split a double-header while Rancho Cucamonga could not overcome an early deficit.

Player of the day

Edwin Rios continues to be one of the better hitters in the Texas League. Rios hit two home runs in the second game of the Drillers’ double-header. Those home runs accounted for all three runs in the 3-1 Drillers’ win.

Including Thusday’s game, among qualified hitters, Rios is second in the league in batting, ninth in on-base percentage and leads the league in slugging percentage. His 1.077 OPS is second in the league.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

The Oklahoma City Dodgers took an early six-run lead and went on to beat the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Brewers) 6-2. Fabio Castillo pitched five innings and struck out eight to get the win.

Willie Calhoun was 2-for-4 with a double and triple and scored two runs. Alex Verdugo scored twice and drove in two.

Adam Liberatore pitched two scoreless innings with one strikeout.

Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers played two on Thursday against the Arkansas Travelers (Mariners) and the Drillers lost 3-1 in the first game and then turned around and won 3-1 to split the double-header.

In the first game, former Dodger minor-league pitcher, Lindsay Caughel, pitched a seven-inning complete against the Drillers to win his second game of the season. The Drillers could only muster up two hits, one of which was Paul Hoenecke’s solo home run that scored the Drillers only run.

Ivan Vieitez started for the Drillers, pitched four innings and allowed two runs (one earned), four hits, two walks and struck out one. Colt Hynes pitched two innings and gave up a run and three hits.

In the second game, Edwin Rios got the Drillers an early two-run lead with his first of two home runs. Rios added a second home run, a solo shot, in the fifth inning.

Andrew Sopko started and walked five in his three innings. Karch Kowalczyk got the win, he pitched two innings and gave up a hit. Yaisel Sierra picked up his second save with a two inning, one strikeout outing.

Class-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes lost their fifth straight, this time by a 9-5 score to the Inland Empire 66ers (Angels). Dodger left-handed starting pitcher Rich Hill made his first rehab start and recorded two outs before being removed from the game due to pitch count.

Hill gave up four runs and three hits in his short appearance but later said he was fine and overall, the appearance was a success. The Quakes would trail 5-0 before coming up to the plate.

The Quakes tried to comeback but despite ten hits and five walks, they could never get closer than two runs. D.J. Peters, Ibandel Isabel and Brandon Montgomery each had two hits. Isabel hit his eighth home run and drove in three, Isabel leads the league in both home runs and RBI.

Class-A Great Lakes

The Loons took a 2-1 decision over the Burlington Bees (Angels) on Thursday. Leo Crawford had his best start of the season, he pitched six scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk while striking out five. Crawford was credited with his first win of the season.

Brendon Davis hit his third home run of the season that ended up providing the Loons with their winning margin. The 19-year old infielder is hitting .302/.423/.523 thus far. Cody Thomas had three hits and Oneil Cruz had two hits.

Transactions

Triple-A: Oklahoma City activated infielder Drew Maggi from the 7-day disabled list; Left-handed pitcher Jeremy Bleich assigned to Extended Spring Training from Oklahoma City; Oklahoma City activated right-handed pitcher Fabio Castillo from the paternity list.

Double-A: Infielder Michael Ahmed assigned to Tulsa from Oklahoma City.

Class-A: Los Angeles sent left-handed pitcher Rich Hill on a rehab assignment to Rancho Cucamonga; Shortstop Erick Mejia assigned to Rancho Cucamonga from Tulsa; infielder Zach McKinstry assigned to Great Lakes from Rancho Cucamonga; right-handed pitcher Sven Schuller assigned to Extended Spring Training from Great Lakes; right-handed pitcher Chris Mathewson assigned to Great Lakes from Extended Spring Training.