Kody Hoese back, Jason Martin homers twice, Luis Diaz runs wild

Let’s look at highlights from the Dodgers minors on Friday night.

Player of the day

Kody Hoese homered and doubled in his second game back after missing a month on the injured list, helping Double-A Tulsa to a win. Hoese, one of two first-round draft picks by the Dodgers in 2019 along with Michael Busch, got off to a terrible start this year in Double-A, hitting just .205/.241/.241 with three doubles and no home runs through his first 22 games.

But Hoese started heating up in mid-May, and the power came as well. He drove in three runs on Friday, giving him 21 RBI in his last 17 games for Tulsa, hitting .385/.391/.692 during that time, with four home runs, four doubles, and two triples.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

OKC got huge offensive games from Jason Martin and Miguel Vargas, but lost a high-scoring affair to the El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres). Martin was 4-for-4 with a double and two home runs, both of the long balls tying the game. He drove in three and scored three.

Miguel Vargas had two doubles for the second straight day, scored twice, and drove in two. He has a 13-game hitting streak.

Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers hit five home run to beat the Arkansas Travelers (Mariners). Ryan Ward, Brandon Lewis, and Jeren Kendall each homered and and had two hits. Andy Pages’ only hit was his 13th home run of the season.

That was more than enough to back pitcher John Rooney, who lasted 5⅔ innings in the longest start of his professional career. The Dodgers’ third-round draft pick in 2018 was hurt most of last season, but this year he’s been healthy. He struck out six and allowed only one run in Friday’s win, and has allowed only two runs (one earned) over his last three starts.

Scott Hennessey earned his 300th win as manager of the Drillers. Per the team, that’s the fifth-highest total in the 109-year history of professional baseball in Tulsa.

High-A Great Lakes

The shoe was on the other foot one day later, with the Loons rallying for their own five-run inning in a reversal of Thursday night. A big eighth inning lifted Great Lakes over the Dayton Dragons (Reds).

First baseman Imanol Vargas hit a grand slam Thursday in the first inning, and he hit another one on Friday, turning a deficit into the final three-run advantage. Vargas had three hits in the game, including a double.

Diego Cartaya had his home run streak snapped at three games, but he did deliver an RBI double in the eighth to pull the Loons to within a run, directly in front of the grand slam by Vargas.

Catcher Kekai Rios also homered and drove in four runs for Great Lakes, also adding a single, walk, and hit by pitch.

Low-A Rancho Cucamonga

Luis Diaz filled up the box score in the Quakes’ home win over the Visalia Rawhide (D-backs). He singled three times, driving in runs with the last two hits. He also walked once and scored twice. Diaz also stole a career-best four bases off of three different pitchers. Rancho Cucamonga stole seven bases in eight tries on the night.

The California League is one of the minors leagues that is experimenting with limits on pickoff moves and “mound disengagements” to try to encourage the running game, so occasionally you’ll see eye-popping steal totals like Friday. But even with the increase, Diaz is tied for fifth in the Cal League with 24 steals in 27 attempts. The league leader is Lake Elsinore shortstop Max Ferguson, who has swiped an astonishing 51 bags in 64 games.

Transactions

High-A: Great Lakes southpaw Jacob Cantleberry was activated after two weeks on the developmental list. He last pitched on June 12, and has more walks (22) than strikeouts (21) in his 20⅔ innings this season.

Friday scores

• El Paso 11, Oklahoma City 8
• Tulsa 9, Arkansas 3
• Great Lakes 11, Dayton 8
• Rancho Cucamonga 7, Visalia 2

Saturday schedule

• 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Emmet Sheehan) vs. Dayton (Evan Kravetz)
• 4:35 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Sam Gaviglio) at El Paso (Luke Westphal)
• 5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Landon Knack) vs. Arkansas (Levi Stoudt)
• 6:30 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Jerming Rosario) vs. Visalia (Yaifer Perdomo)