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Michael Busch has career day at the plate for Double-A Tulsa

4 extra-base hits, 5 RBI for the Dodgers’ 2019 first-round draft pick

2021 Spring Training: Los Angeles Dodgers v. Oakland Athletics Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images

One of the Dodgers best prospects had his best day since getting drafted on Tuesday night.

Player of the day

Tulsa second baseman Michael Busch had a career day in the Drillers’ blowout win. He doubled in the first, second, and fifth innings, and added a home run in the eighth.

Busch, a first-round pick of the Dodgers out of North Carolina in 2019, set professional career highs with four hits and five runs batted in. His four extra-base hits were more than double his career high.

It’s relatively late in the season — game number 103 for Tulsa — but Busch still managed to raise his OPS by 25 points, from .799 to .824.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Ryan Pepiot got touched for four runs in 4⅔ innings in Oklahoma City’s loss to the Las Vegas Aviators (A’s). Pepiot allowed two home runs, including a two-run shot in the first inning by Khris Davis, and has a 6.35 ERA in six Triple-A starts.

OKC had only five hits in the loss, two by Gavin Lux and one by Matt Beaty.

Double-A Tulsa

Busch wasn’t alone in Tulsa’s onslaught. The Drillers pounded out 18 hits and scored 15 runs in a rout of the Springfield Cardinals. Miguel Vargas and James Outman each had three hits, with Vargas including a double.

Gus Varland got things started on the mound with three scoreless innings.

High-A Great Lakes

Gavin Stone struck out seven in his five innings, allowing one run in the Loons’ win over the Fort Wayne Tincaps (Padres). Great Lakes broke a tie with two runs in the eighth inning without the benefit of a hit.

Eddys Leonard, Carson Taylor, and Andy Pages walked in the inning, then with two outs a wild pitch by Chase Walter brought home the go-ahead run. After Jorbit Vivas was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Jonny DeLuca earned the fourth walk of the inning for a second insurance run, very much needed since Fort Wayne scored once in the ninth.

Low-A Rancho Cucamonga

Carlos Duran gave up four runs in the first inning, which was more than enough for the Quakes to lose to Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres).

Left fielder Edwin Mateo tripled home two in the fourth inning for Rancho Cucamonga’s only runs of the game.

Transactions

The Dodgers on Tuesday made a trade involving players off the 40-man roster, acquiring left-handed pitcher Andrew Vasquez from the Twins for catcher Stevie Berman. Vasquez pitched in the majors in 2018 and 2019 with Minnesota, appearing in 10 games in relief, allowing seven runs in five innings. The 27-year-old was born and went to high school in Rancho Cucamonga, and had a 3.61 ERA in 33 games in Triple-A St. Paul this season, with 68 strikeouts and 22 walks in 42⅓ innings.

Triple-A: Pitcher Marshall Kasowski was placed on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to Monday.

High-A: Infielder Deacon Liput came back to Great Lakes after 12 days filling in for Oklahoma City.

Low-A: Infielder Kenneth Betancourt was transferred from Great Lakes to Rancho Cucamonga.

Tuesday scores

Wednesday schedule

  • 10:05 a.m. PT: Tulsa (Jose Martinez) vs. Springfield (TBD)
  • 4:05 p.m.: Great Lakes (Hyun-il Choi) vs. Fort Wayne (Connor Lehmann)
  • 6:30 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Nick Nastrini) vs. Lake Elsinore (Bodi Rascon)