Dodgers minor league news

Alex Verdugo extends hitting streak to 15 games, OKC wins 4-1

Tulsa, Rancho Cucamonga and Ogden are among Saturday’s winners

By Craig Minami Jun 25, 2017, 6:00am PDT

The Dodgers minor-league affiliates went three-for-four in both their full-season versions and their short-season Rookie leagues. Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Rancho Cucamonga were the full-season teams that won with Great Lakes being on the losing end.

For the Rookie League teams, it was DSL Dodgers1 on the short end of the scoreboard. However, Ogden, AZL Dodgers and DSL Dodgers2 won quite easily on Saturday.

Player of the day

Alex Verdugo was 2-for-3 with a walk and two stolen bases on Saturday. Verdugo extended his hitting streak to 15 games and he is also hitting an unconscious .391/.448/.598 in June.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

The Dodgers got solid pitching and just enough offense to win 4-1 over the Nashville Sounds (Athletics). Wilmer Font pitched 5⅓ innings, gave up one run, five hits and two walks. Font also struck out three.

Three relievers followed Font and held the Sounds scoreless, Madison Younginer recorded his fifth save.

Alex Verdugo had two hits and two stolen bases, Verdugo now has a 15-game hitting streak. Brett Eibner had two hits including a double and an RBI. O’Koyea Dickson doubled and scored two runs.

Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers scored a run in the 8th and beat the NW Arkansas Naturals (Royals) 3-2 on Saturday night. Shea Spitzbarth had a blown save in the top of the 8th but then got the win because of the run scoring in the bottom of the 8th. Corey Copping picked up his 6th save.

After the game was tied in the top of the 8th, Jose Miguel Fernandez, who also hit a two-run homer to give Tulsa an early lead, began the inning with a single. After being sacrificed to second and an intentional walk was given to Edwin Rios, a pinch-runner, Zach McKinstry, came in for Fernandez.

McKinstry took third on a fly ball out and then he scored on a pass ball.

Chris Rearick made his second start for the Drillers and he pitched six innings. Rearick gave up four hits, one unearned run, and two walks, he also struck out five.

Class-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes are now 3-0 in the second half as they overwhelmed the Lancaster JetHawks (Rockies) 13-3 at Lancaster. The Quakes pounded out 12 hits including eight extra-base hits.

With the score 5-1 with two out in the 3rd inning, Errol Robinson hit a grand slam and after that, there was not much done by either side.

Along with Robinson, four other Quakes had two hits, Will Smith, Ibandel Isabel, Brandon Montgomery and Victor Roache.

Caleb Ferguson got the win, he pitched five innings, gave up seven hits and two runs.

Class-A Great Lakes

The Loons lost 4-2 to the South Bend Cubs despite Carlos Rincon’s 12th home run of the season. 2016 Compensation Round and the overall 36th player chosen, Jordan Sheffield started for the Loons but did not make it past the first inning.

Sheffield, who has generally pitched four to five innings per start, though he has gone as far as six innings once, threw 31 pitches in his ⅔ inning appearance on Saturday. Sheffield gave up two hits, three runs (two earned), and two walks.

The Loons relievers did come in and only allow a run in the remainder of the game but the Loons offense could not get anything going. Aside from Rincon’s homer, the Loons had six singles.

Rookie-level Ogden

The Raptors scored early and often in their 9-0 win over the Grand Junction Rockies. The Raptors scored two runs in the 1st, four runs in the 2nd and another run in the 3rd to take a 7-0 lead.

Carlos Felix, a 21-year old right-handed pitcher, started for the Raptors and he pitched five innings, and he gave up five hits and struck out five.

Moises Perez and Kevin Lachance each had three hits, Brock Carpenter homered in his 2-for-6 game, Christian Santana and Michael Medina each had two hits.

Rookie-level Arizona

The AZL Dodgers took on their complex neighbor and defeated the AZL White Sox and beat them 10-1 to open up their Arizona League season. 2015 international signings Starling Heredia, who homered, is starting his first U.S.-based training here in Arizona.

Another 2015 signee, Ronny Brito, went 2-for-4 on Saturday.

Transactions

Triple-A: Oklahoma City activated outfielder Brett Eibner from the 7-day disabled list.

Double-A: Left-handed pitcher Jason Wheeler assigned to Tulsa from Oklahoma City; Tulsa placed right-handed pitcher Tim Shibuya on the 7-day disabled list.

Rookie: Tulsa sent first baseman Stetson Allie on a rehab assignment to AZL Dodgers.