Drew Avans extends on-base streak to 37 consecutive games for Oklahoma City

Saturday around the Dodgers minors saw the exact opposite of Friday night with all four affiliates taking the loss.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City managed only two hits and two walks all night as Sugar Land (Astros) put together a 6-0 shutout. The Space Cowboys jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third and hit a two-run homer in each of the fifth and sixth innings to put the game out of reach.

It’s never a good thing when the most exciting part of the game is the opposition going for a four-inning save but that was the case Saturday. After Peter Solomon worked around four walks to not allow a hit in five innings of work, Chad Donato went the rest of the way to complete the shutout and make our very own Eric Stephen a happy camper.

The actual most exciting moment of the game for the Dodgers was a leadoff walk in the first inning. The walk was issued to Drew Avans and it meant his on-base streak continued for his 37th consecutive game.

It’s the longest on-base streak by an OKC Dodger since 2019 season Gavin Lux also reached base in 37 consecutive games. Avans has also reached base in 51 of his last 52 games.

The game lasted just two hours and 19 minutes, tied for the quickest game of the year for Oklahoma City.

Double-A Tulsa

Arkansas (Mariners) had scored all seven of their runs by the time Tulsa finally chased the zero from their side of the ledger in the bottom of the fifth. The Drillers didn't have a comeback in them Saturday and dropped the contest 7-2 to the Travelers.

Tulsa starter Kyle Hurt was touched up for six runs (five earned) in four innings, allowing four of the six to score with two outs. The right-hander retired the first two batters of the game and had the third in an 0-2 count before hitting him. Jake Scheiner followed with a double to give Arkansas the early lead.

The damage continued in the second when Hurt allowed a walk and single to start the inning. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners up and Zach DeLoach singled both of them in. Later in the inning with the bases now loaded, a fielding error by first baseman Brandon Lewis allowed another score.

By the time Scheiner launched a two-run homer in the fourth, the Loons were down 6-0 and had almost no answer. A Carson Taylor RBI-groundout in the fifth and a Devin Mann solo homer put Tulsa on the scoreboard but it wasn’t nearly enough.

High-A Great Lakes

Neither side were offensive juggernauts Saturday but two early runs would be enough for Lansing (Athletics) as Great Lakes lost 2-1 in front of the home crowd.

Euribiel Angeles hit the sixth pitch of the game out to left field, giving the Lugnuts an early 1-0 lead. Loons’ starter Carlos Duran struck out six of the next nine before he ran into some trouble in the fourth.

Duran gave up a leadoff single and walked the next two to load the bases with no outs. While he struck out the next two hitters, the 21-year-old allowed another run to come in on a wild pitch.

Lael Lockhart came in to get the last out of the fourth and pitched the next four innings scoreless to give the Loons a chance. But Great Lakes couldn’t get anything going until the ninth inning.

With runners on the corners and one out, Luis Diaz grounded out to third. The run scored and the only play was to first, which allowed the tying run to reach scoring position. But the game would end on a Harold Restituyo strikeout.

Low-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes took an early lead, had to comeback to tie it late and allowed a run to San Jose (Giants) in their final at-bat to lose 3-2 on the road up north.

Much like it’s been a theme of this week’s minor league reports, the wild pitch played a big role in this one. Rancho was able to score a run in the first when they had runners at first and second with one out. A wild pitch moved the runners up ninety feet and a run came home on a groundout.

After Peter Heubeck opened the game with two scoreless innings, Ronan Kopp came in for the third and made three wild pitches. A hit batter, a walk and a single loaded the bases with one out for San Jose. While Kopp got the next two hitters out, the lefty’s second and third wild pitch of the inning brought in two runs for the Giants.

Luis Rodriguez tied the game with a solo homer in the seventh inning for the Quakes and it remained that way until the bottom of the eighth. Yorlis Rodriguez left the yard for the Giants for the 3-2 advantage and that was all San Jose needed.

Joe Kemlage pitched the last four innings of the game for San Jose but instead of a four-inning save, the eighth-inning homer gave him a win instead.

Transactions

Triple-A: Los Angeles Dodgers recalled OF James Outman from Oklahoma City Dodgers.

Double-A: Tulsa Drillers activated pitcher Cameron Gibbens and released pitcher Austin Drury.

Low-A: Rancho Cucamonga Quakes sent RHP Yamil Castillo on a rehab assignment to ACL Dodgers.

Saturday scores

• Sugar Land 6, Oklahoma City 0
• Arkansas 7, Tulsa 2
• Lansing 2, Great Lakes 1
• San Jose 3, Rancho Cucamonga 2

Sunday schedule

• 10:05 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (Ben Casparius) vs. Lansing (Blake Beers)
• 11:05 a.m.: Tulsa (Gavin Stone) vs. Arkansas (TBA)
• 4:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Ryan Pepiot) vs. Sugar Land (J.P. France)
• 5:00 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Joel Ibarra) at San Jose (Nick Sinacola)