Drillers score four in eighth to get win

Only two games were played by Dodger affiliates on Monday but both teams won in exciting fashion.

Player of the day

Zach Reks went 1-for-3 with his sixth home run and a walk. He also scored two runs. Along with Gavin Lux and Omar Estevez, Reks is one of the Driller position players who is off to a good start this season.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

The Dodgers game against the Express (Astros) was postponed due to rain.

They will make up the game as part of a doubleheader starting at 9:05 a.m. PDT Wednesday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, Oklahoma City.

Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers scored four runs in the eighth and then held on to beat the Hooks (Astros) 5-4 at Corpus Christi. DJ Peters hit a three-run homer to put the Drillers ahead after Gavin Lux had scored the first run in the inning on a sacrifice fly.

Zach Reks started the Drillers scoring with a solo home run.

Adam McCreery got the win for his 1⅓ innings of work. Layne Somsen was able to get two strikeouts to prevent the tying run at third from scoring in the eighth inning. Somsen would get his second save.

Single-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes won the first game of their series against the Storm (Padres) in walkoff fashion with a 3-2 win in ten innings at LoanMart Field.

With runners on second and third and one out, Donovan Casey scored as the attempted throw to plate did not catch him. The Quakes won despite striking out 19 times and going 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

Even though he did not get the win, Wills Montgomerie was the player of the game as he had a great game in relief for the Quakes. He pitched 5⅔ innings and gave up a run and three hits. He struck out nine and walked two.

Montgomerie entered the game in the first inning after Michael Grove was taken out after making 34 pitches. Something to keep in mind this season, the Dodgers 2018 second round pick Michael Grove missed the entire 2018 college season recovering from Tommy John surgery. His first competitive inning since the spring of 2017 was earlier this month.

So it should not come to a surprise that he is still working his way back from surgery and 2019 will likely reflect that. So while he could produce outings like his three-inning four strikeout debut, he also will have ones like Monday’s night.

Grove did not get out of the first inning as he made those 34 pitches to record two outs. He gave up one unearned run and one hit. He walked one and struck out two.

Opposing Grove was one of the top pitching prospects in the game, MacKenzie Gore. And Gore lived up to his ranking with an outstanding outing against the Quakes. In 4⅓ innings, he would give up a run and one hit. Gore also struck out 11 and walked one.

That walk was costly because it meant Brandon Montgomery was aboard when Carlos Rincon hit a two-run homer to give the Quakes the lead after five innings.

The Storm would tie the game in the seventh but they too wasted their chances to score taking the 2-2 game to the tenth inning and ultimately to a Quakes win.

Class-A Great Lakes

The Loons were off on Monday, they begin a three-game series against Beloit this afternoon.

Monday scores

Tulsa 5, Corpus Christi 4

Rancho Cucamonga 3, Lake Elsinore 2

Transactions

• Oklahoma City placed right-handed pitcher Zach McAllister on the 7-day injured list
• Right-handed pitcher Michael Bowden assigned to Oklahoma City from Tulsa
• Oklahoma City placed right-handed pitcher Daniel Corcino on the temporarily inactive list
• Right-handed pitcher Logan Bawcom assigned to Oklahoma City

Tuesday schedule

10:35 am PDT: Rancho Cucamonga (Victor Gonzalez) vs. Lake Elsinore (TBD)

3:05 pm: Great Lakes (TBD) vs. Beloit [Athletics] (Aiden McIntyre)

5:05 pm: Oklahoma City (Michael Bowden) vs. Round Rock (Akeem Bostick)