Dodgers minor league news

Josh Sborz pitches 6 solid innings in big Drillers win

Tulsa, Rancho Cucamonga and Ogden all win to keep pace in their playoff hunt

By Craig Minami Aug 23, 2017, 6:00am PDT

Oklahoma City and Great Lakes dropped their games, Tulsa and Rancho Cucamonga won to continue their quest for the playoffs. As for the Rookie League teams, all four are contending for the postseason, three won and one lost.

Player of the day

Given the situation, Josh Sborz gets today’s Player of the day for pitching six solid innings and getting the win for the Drillers.

It is hard to say what Sborz’s best role is in the organization, the college reliever has been a starter for his first two full seasons and this season has seen him pitch 108 innings in 22 starts. Sborz has a 3.52 ERA with a 72 to 52 strikeout to walk ratio.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

The Dodgers could not come up with a key hit and they saw the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Brewers) score single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to beat the Dodgers 3-1. With two out in the seventh, Kirk Nieuwenhuis doubled home to go-ahead run for the Sky Sox and then in the eighth, Chris Colabello singled home the final run of the game.

David Hale pitched seven solid innings for the Dodgers, he gave up two runs and seven hits. Hale struck out eight.

Alex Verdugo had two hits, Bobby Wilson scored the lone run and walked four times.

Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers won their seventh straight beating Arkansas Travelers (Mariners) 7-1 to take the first game of their series. Josh Sborz pitched six strong innings, giving up a run and four hits.

The Drillers remain a game back of Springfield in the race for the second half playoff spot.

Errol Robinson, Matt Beaty and Yusniel Diaz each had two hits. Andre Ethier continued his rehab assignment and delivered a two-run single in the seventh to put the game away for the Drillers.

Johan Mieses hit his 13th home run for Tulsa.

Class-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes had a pair of sixes plus one in their 13-2 win over the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres). The win kept the Quakes in first place by a game.

The Quakes scored six runs in the first and fourth innings. In the first, the first five Quakes reached safely and then with one out, Ibandel Isabel hit his 27th home run to make it 6-0.

In the fourth inning, Brant Whiting hit a three-run double to key that six-run inning.

Six Quakes had two hits each, Zach McKinstry, DJ Peters, Quincy Latimore, Zach Reks, Whiting and Brandon Montgomery.

Michael Boyle started and pitched five innings, giving up a run and two hits. Dean Kremer and Andrew Thurman finished up for the Quakes.

Class-A Great Lakes

The Loons lost 7-4 to Lansing Lugnuts (Blue Jays) on Tuesday. Alfredo Tavarez gave up four runs in his 4⅓ innings pitched. Tavarez also gave up four hits and two walks.

Jeren Kendall had two hits including his fifth triple, he scored a run and drove in two runs.

Rookie-Pioneer Ogden

The Raptors outlasted the Orem Owlz (Angels) with a 12-9 win, the win kept those two teams in a first place tie. Patrick Duester pitched two scoreless innings in relief to get the win.

Luis Paz and Gersel Pitre each had three hits, Garrett Hope and Samuel Ortiz each had two hits.

Award worthy: Dodgers 2017 22nd-round pick Justin Hoyt, a left-handed pitcher out of Jacksonville State, was named Pioneer League Pitcher of the Week after striking our nine in five innings in a pair of relief appearances for Ogden last week, allowing only one hit and one walk.

Rookie-AZL Dodgers

The Dodgers defeated the AZL Reds 12-1 and that win meant they were still in a first place tie with the White Sox. Jose Chacin pitched four innings and gave up a run and two hits but that was enough for him to get the win in relief.

Eric Meza and Jacob Roberts each had three hits, Jeremy Arocho, Erisbel Arruebarrena and Marcus Chiu had two hits apiece.

Transactions

Triple-A: Los Angeles recalled right-handed pitchers Brock Stewart and Josh Ravin from Oklahoma City; Los Angeles sent right-handed pitcher Dylan Floro outright to Oklahoma City.

Rookie: Right-handed pitcher Saul Castellanos assigned to AZL Dodgers from DSL Dodgers1.