Dodgers minor league news

Yadier Alvarez returns to action in the desert

Alvarez made a rehab start for the AZL Dodgers (Rookie) team

By Craig Minami Jun 19, 2018, 6:00am PDT

Not a great day for the Dodger minor league affiliates as only they had three wins in seven games. One note that Tulsa’s loss meant they were eliminated in their first-half division title race.

Player of the day

Yadier Alvarez made a rehab start for the AZL Dodgers on Monday night, it was his first action since May 5th. Alvarez pitched three innings and struck out five. The 22-year old has pitched 18⅓ innings this season and will head into the second half of the year looking to bounce back.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

The Dodgers saw Justin DeFratus give up nine runs in the first five innings as they fell 10-4 to the Las Vegas 51s (Mets). DeFratus was promoted from Tulsa for Monday’s start gave up 11 hits to go with the nine runs.

On the positive sign, Alex Verdugo extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a three-hit game. Verdugo hit his sixth home run and also had two doubles and he is now hitting .350/.392/.522 thus far this season.

Andrew Toles also had two hits and Kyle Garlick hit his ninth home run with Oklahoma City this season.

Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers hopes for a first half division title ended on Monday night as lost 3-2 to the Springfield Cardinals. To add insult to their injury, the Drillers saw that Northwest Arkansas beat Arkansas to force tonight’s winner take all game between those two teams.

After trailing by a run, the Drillers got an RBI single from Errol Robinson and a run-scoring double from Yusniel Diaz to give the Drillers a 2-1 lead after four innings.

But in the seventh inning, Andrew Istler gave up two singles before leaving with one out, Corey Copping entered the game for Tulsa and he gave up a single to that tied the game and then he walked the next two, the second walk forcing in the go-ahead run.

The Drillers would put the tying run in scoring position in both the seventh and eighth innings but could not score. They would go down in order in the ninth to end their first half of the 2018 season.

Class-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes are off for the All-Star Break.

Class-A Great Lakes

The Loons are off for the All-Star Break.

Rookie - Pioneer

The Raptors came back to win their suspended game 11-8 and then saw the Idaho Falls Chukars (Royals) score and score as they were beaten 17-0 in their regularly scheduled game.

In the 17-run loss, the Raptors not only allowed ten hits, their pitchers walked 14. In comparison, the Raptors had only four hits and struck out ten times.

In the Raptors win, three hitters had two hits, Jacob Amaya, Alvaro Rubi, and Preston Grand Pre. Felix Osorio had three hits.

Rookie - Arizona League

AZL Dodgers won their first game of the season beating the AZL Rangers 4-1. As noted, Yadier Alvarez made a rehab start, he pitched three innings and struck out five.

Melvin Jiminez got the win as he pitched a scoreless inning. Jiminez did not pitch well in 27⅓ innings for the Great Lakes Loons this season, as he gave up 25 runs in those innings.

Transactions

Triple-A: Oklahoma City placed right-handed pitcher Guillermo Moscoso on the temporarily inactive list; right-handed pitcher Justin DeFratus assigned to Oklahoma City from Tulsa.

Double-A: Right-handed pitcher Stetson Allie assigned to Tulsa from Rancho Cucamonga.

Rookie: Tulsa sent right-handed pitcher Yadier Alvarez on a rehab assignment to AZL Dodgers.