Dodgers minors: Jonny DeLuca extends hitting streak, team food setups

I hope you’re hungry for a recap of Dodgers minor league action on Tuesday, plus a look at how the organization’s minor leaguers are fed.

Player of the day

Rancho Cucamonga right fielder Jonny DeLuca had three hits, including a home run, extending his hitting streak to 13 games.

DeLuca has home runs in each of his last two games, and has reached base by hit or walk in 21 straight games, dating back to May 18.

The 25th-round pick out of Oregon in 2019 is hitting .290/.392/.561, leads the Quakes with 11 stolen bases (in 12 attempts) and is tied for the team lead with six home runs.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City led 1-0 in the seventh in what was a pitching duel, before pulling away to drub the El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres). Pinch-hit two-run homers in the seventh and eighth innings helped. Zach Reks doubled twice, and Sheldon Neuse had three singles.

Yoshi Tsutsugo was scheduled to begin his rehab assignment with Oklahoma City on Monday, but ran into a snag and didn’t play either Monday or Tuesday.

“His luggage didn’t make it in time,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

Keibert Ruiz didn’t start on Tuesday night, but homered anyway, his fifth in his last six games. He was featured in Tuesday morning’s prospect report at Baseball America, from J.J. Cooper:

The Dodgers catching situation is an embarrassment of riches. Will Smith is one of the best catchers in the majors. Austin Barnes, his backup, could start for a number of MLB teams. Diego Cartaya in Class A is one of the best young catching prospects in baseball. And sitting in Triple-A ready to go is Ruiz.

Double-A Tulsa

Andre Jackson struck out nine in five innings, only allowing a run, but the Drillers lost in 10 innings to the Arkansas Travelers (Mariners).

Shortstop Jacob Amaya entered Tuesday just 7-for-39 (.179) with one extra-base hit this month, but started the scoring against Arkansas with his first home run in June.

Rob Walton, the head chef for Dodgers minor league affiliates, talked with Jonathan Huskey and Scott Pfeil at News on 6 in Tulsa about the mobile unit that feeds Dodgers minor leaguers from Double-A down to the rookie-level Arizona League for both home and away games:

“This mobile unit” is a kitchen-grade trailer, towed by a diesel pickup truck, that shows up ahead of the team at every away game, and is parked in the players’ lot at ONEOK Field for homestands.

“We beat tracks to stay ahead of the team,” Walton said. “They’ll already see me and smell the food that I’m cooking them for lunch, so it’s a little bit of psychological warfare against the other team.”

Triple-A Oklahoma City, in case you were wondering, has catered meals delivered for all of its games.

High-A Great Lakes

The number seven was prevalent on Tuesday night in the Loons’ road loss to the Lansing Lugnuts (A’s). Down five runs after two innings, Great Lakes rallied to tie 7-7 in the seventh.

Left fielder Andrew Shaps homered, first baseman Justin Yurchak and DH Ryan Ward each had three hits, and Miguel Vargas snapped an 0-for-13 skid with a two-hit game.

But Lansing scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to provide the winning margin. The Lugnuts also stole seven bases against Great Lakes, including five by shortstop and leadoff man Max Schuemann, who leads High-A Central with 27 steals this year.

Cameron Gibbens, the Australian right-hander who has yet to allow a run in seven innings since getting promoted to High-A, with a 44.4-percent strikeout rate, spoke with Brian Crawford at Baseball Essential:

“It’s hard for hitters to catch up with my fastball,” explained Gibbens. “I throw my fastball 75 percent of the time. I use the fastball to get ahead in counts, and I mix in my slider, which has been sitting around 81 to 83 miles per hour. It’s touched as high as 86 this year, too. I’m using my slider more, and I’m happy with how it’s developing.”

Very timely: here’s the food setup for the Loons:

Low-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes scored early and often in a rout of the Visalia Rawhide (Diamondbacks). Left fielder Sam McWilliams had four hits, including a double. Second baseman Eddys Leonard had three hits, including a triple.

Gavin Stone, the Dodgers’ fifth-round pick last year, struck out six in four scoreless frames, allowing only a single and a walk.

Transactions

Triple-A: Mitch White was recalled to the majors.

Double-A: Third baseman Clayton Daniel was activated from the temporary inactive list, and third baseman Luis Yanel Diaz was sent back to Camelback Ranch.

Low-A: Outfielder Ismael Alcantara joined the Quakes from extended spring training. Outfielder Brandon Wulff, a 17th-round pick out of Stanford in 2019, just 7-for-44 (.159/.333/.295) on the young season, was released.

Tuesday scores

• Oklahoma City 8, El Paso 3
• Arkansas 3, Tulsa 2 (10 innings)
• Lansing 9, Great Lakes 7
• Rancho Cucamonga 10, Visalia 2

Wednesday schedule

• 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Logan Boyer) at Lansing (Seth Shuman)
• 5:10 p.m.: Tulsa (Michael Grove) at Arkansas (Adam Hill)
• 6:30 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Robbie Peto) vs. Visalia (Blake Walston)

Triple-A Oklahoma City is off on Wednesdays.