Dodgers minor league news

Verdugo, Locastro star in OKC win

Oklahoma City wins 5-4 in 10 innings, Verdugo extends hitting streak

By Craig Minami Jul 21, 2018, 6:00am PDT

Los Angeles Dodgers v Arizona Diamondbacks

Oklahoma City was the only Dodger minor league affiliate winner on Friday.

Player of the day

Alex Verdugo continues his hot hitting, he went 2-for-5 on Friday to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Verdugo leads the Pacific Coast League with a .354 average.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

The Dodgers gave up the lead in the ninth inning but were able to beat the Nashville Sounds (Athletics) 5-4 in ten innings. Leading 4-1 going to the bottom of the ninth, the Dodgers saw the Sounds score three runs to tie the game.

In the top of the tenth, Tim Locastro started the inning on second base. Alex Verdugo singled Locastro to third. Donovan Solano then drove in Locastro with a sacrifice fly.

The bottom of the inning saw an error by Verdugo put runners on second and third with no outs. However, Joe Broussard was able to work is way out of that to record his seventh save. Brian Schlitter got the win despite giving up the three runs that tied the game.

Locastro scored three runs and had two hits. Solano drove in three runs.

Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers were limited to two hits as they were shutout 3-0 by the NW Arkansas Naturals (Royals). Jacob Scavuzzo had one last chance to tie the game but he struck out with two on to end the game. Scavuzzo went 0-for-4 to end his 21-game hitting streak.

Kyle Lobstein took his first loss, he pitched six innings and gave up two runs (one earned), seven hits and struck out seven.

Class-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes were beaten 4-2 by the San Jose Giants and saw two streaks end. The Giants ended a ten-game losing streak against the Quakes and Gavin Lux went 0-for-4 to end his 19-game hitting streak.

The Quakes trailed 2-0 when they scored twice in the second inning, Zach McKinstry singled home a run and later Saige Jenco hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game.

But then in the third inning, the Giants scored their third run off Max Gamboa and they held on to win the game.

Gamboa took the loss for the Quakes, he pitched five innings and gave up three runs.

Class-A Great Lakes

The Loons only gave up one run but that was enough to lose 1-0 to the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins). The teams combined to strike out 27 batters, 14 for the Kernels and 13 for the Loons.

Melvin Jimenez started the top of the eighth with a scoreless game still in place. Jiminez struck out the first two hitters but unfortunately, the first hitter reached on a wild pitch during the strikeout. Jiminez would get a fly out for the second out but then he gave up a run-scoring double to make it 1-0. That would prove to be the only run in the game.

The Loons had only one runner reach second, Devin Mann led off the second with a double but then the next three Loons made out to end the threat.

Rookie - Pioneer

The Raptors rallied but in the end they lost 9-5 to the Missoula Osprey (Diamondbacks). Trailing 4-0, the Raptors scored five runs in the seventh to take a brief 5-4 lead.

However the Osprey scored two runs in the seventh and then scored three runs in the eighth to make it 9-5.

Jacob Amaya hit his first home run of the season and James Outman hit his fifth home run.

Rookie - Arizona League

The AZL Dodgers lost 4-3 to the AZL Padres One. Leonel Valera had three hits for the Dodgers. Albert Suarez had two hits for the Dodgers. Sam McWilliams drove in both runs.

Transactions

Triple-A: Los Angeles optioned outfielder Andrew Toles to Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City placed outfielder Travis Taijeron on the 7-day disabled list retroactive to July 18, 2018.

Double-A: Right-handed pitcher Logan Bawcom assigned to Tulsa Drillers from Oklahoma City. Tulsa placed left-handed pitcher Michael Johnson on the 7-day disabled list.

Rookie: Dodgers 2018 second round pick right-handed pitcher Michael Grove assigned to AZL Dodgers.