Tony Gonsolin allows 2 homers while stretching out with Triple-A Oklahoma City

Tony Gonsolin was cruising in his second rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City, retiring his first 11 batters faced on Friday night in El Paso, with four strikeouts, six groundouts, and one lazy pop fly to shallow right field.

But then he walked a batter, and allowed home runs on consecutive pitches — to Patrick Kivlehan and Nick Tanielu — the second one a short fly ball down the right field line that Oklahoma City play-by-play broadcaster Alex Freedman described as “an El Paso special.”

Perhaps El Paso’s mascot Chico finally got to Gonsolin:

But even with the home runs, after which Gonsolin was pulled, the rehab start accomplished its goal, which was to stretch to four innings. Gonsolin got close enough, pitching 3⅔ innings and throwing 55 pitches, allowing three runs. He’ll get another rehab start with Oklahoma City next week to further stretch out, after which he could be activated off the injured list to join the Dodgers rotation. The major league one.

Player of the day

Speaking of stretching out, right-hander Andre Jackson had his longest start of the season, striking out seven and walking none in five innings for Double-A Tulsa. Jackson, a 12th-round pick out of Utah in 2017, allowed only two hits, including a solo home run to catcher Brian O’Keefe in the second inning, accounting for the only run against Jackson.

Each of Jackson’s first four starts this season were four innings, and on the season has a 3.43 ERA plus only four walks to go with his 26 strikeouts in 21 innings, and a 33.3-percent strikeout rate.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

The Dodgers got home runs from Steven Souza Jr., Matt Davidson, and Rangel Ravelo in a win over the El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres).

Left-hander Darien Nuñez, a 28-year-old signed out of Cuba in 2018, followed Gonsolin on the mound. He struck out three and walked two while recording four outs in another scoreless outing. Nuñez started the season in Double-A but only pitched one game for Tulsa before joining OKC. In seven appearances this season, Nuñez has allowed one run in 13⅓ innings, with 23 strikeouts (43.4-percent K rate) and seven walks (13.2 percent BB rate).

Double-A Tulsa

Center fielder Donovan Casey had three singles, a solo home run, and scored three times in the Drillers’ win over the Arkansas Travelers (Mariners). The 20th-round draft pick in 2017 out of Boston College has 10 hits in 19 at-bats in the first four games of this series against Arkansas.

Tulsa also got home runs from left fielder Ryan Noda and shortstop Jacob Amaya in the win.

High-A Great Lakes

Cameron Gibbens had a memorable debut for Great Lakes, getting the final seven outs to save the Loons’ road win over the Lansing Lugnuts (A’s). The 25-year-old right-hander from Australia had and eye-popping 56-percent strikeout rate in Low-A, and on Friday struck out four of his nine batters faced for Great Lakes, preserving the two-run win.

Clayton Beeter continued his limited early-season schedule, throwing no more than one inning each time out, for now. His second through fifth outings came four days after his previous game. For whatever reason, after Beeter’s worst outing as a pro — retiring only one of his four batters on Sunday — he got an extra day of rest this time. The results were excellent, with Beeter striking out all three batters he faced on Friday.

Beeter, the right-hander out of Texas Tech picked by the Dodgers just after the second round in 2020, has allowed three singles and three walks but only one run in his 5⅓ innings in six appearances, striking out 11 of his 21 batters faced.

Low-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes offense was humming to beat the Stockton Ports (A’s). Third baseman Jorbit Vivas drove in five, including a three-run home run.

Diego Cartaya doubled, singled, walked, and scored three times. The 19-year-old catcher has reached base eight times in 14 plate appearances in his three games. Jake Vogel tripled, one of his two hits, and scored twice. Three others for Rancho Cucamonga had multiple hits as well.

Right-hander Michael Martinez, in his Quakes debut, struck out four of his nine batters faced, and closed out the game with 2⅓ scoreless frames.

Friday scores

• Oklahoma City 7, El Paso 3
• Tulsa 7, Arkansas 3
• Great Lakes 4, Lansing 2
• Rancho Cucamonga 11, Stockton 3

Saturday scores

• 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Logan Boyer) at Lansing (Colin Peluse)
• 4:10 p.m.: Tulsa (Michael Grove) at Arkansas (Devin Sweet)
• 6:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Yefry Ramírez) at El Paso (Jesse Scholtens)
• 6:30 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Robbie Peto) vs. Stockton (Grant Judkins)