Ogden Raptors advance to Pioneer League Championship Series

For the second consecutive day, a Dodgers minor league affiliate advanced to the championship round of their league. On Monday night, the Ogden Raptors advanced in the Pioneer League.

Player of the day

Romer Cuadrado was 5-for-5 with a grand slam to lead the Raptors to the Pioneer League Championship Series. His home run came in the second inning to extend Ogden’s lead to 6-1, one batter after three walks in the inning forced Orem starter Jose Soriano from the game.

For good measure, Cuadrado also doubled, stole a base, and scored twice on the night. The outfielder, who turns 20 on Tuesday, was signed by the Dodgers out of Venezuela in July 2014. He hit .335/.413/.523 with 12 doubles, five triples, nine home runs, and 11 steals in 64 games for Ogden this season, and played all three outfield positions.

In the two-game sweep of Orem, Cuadrado was 7-for-9 with four runs scored and five RBI.

Rookie-level Ogden

Early runs propelled the Raptors to a 7-3 road win over the Orem Owlz (Angels), and a two-game sweep of their best-of-three South Division series.

Mitchell Hansen, the Dodgers’ second-round pick in 2015, got things started with a two-run triple in the first inning, one of his two triples on the night. After Orem pulled to within a run in the bottom of the frame, Cuadrado blew open the game with his second-inning grand slam.

Cuadrado and Hansen had seven of the eight hits for Ogden, but the team also added seven walks, including four of the 10 batters faced by Soriano, the Orem starter.

Edwin Uceta allowed just two runs on three hits in five innings for the win for Ogden, striking out four.

Ogden will open the best-of-three Pioneer League Championship Series at home on Thursday against the Great Falls Voyagers (White Sox).

Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers were off Monday, but will open the Texas League Championship Series on the road on Tuesday against the Midland RockHounds (Athletics). If Midland stays on the same rotation they used in the divisional round, Dodgers’ 2014 first-round pick Grant Holmes will start one of the games against his former organization.

Transactions

Nothing official yet, but it appears Tulsa will be joined by the California League Player of the Year.

Monday box score

Game 2: Ogden 7, Orem 3 (Raptors win series, 2-0)

Tuesday schedule

4:30 p.m. PT: Game 1 — Tulsa (Mitch White) at Midland (James Naile)