Dalton Rushing continues to crush Low-A pitching with two more home runs

Thursday’s trip around the Dodgers affiliates includes a rainout, a spectacular debut in Double-A and a 2022 draft pick that won’t stop hitting.

Player of the day

Dalton Rushing is feverishly working towards a player of the month award in his first ever month in pro ball. All he did Thursday was come up with four more hits in five trips to the plate, including two more home runs.

The Dodgers drafted him out of Louisville in the second round (40th overall) this June and Low-A might be too easy for him. In 11 games with Rancho, the 21-year-old is now 19-for-37 with five homers, three doubles and 14 RBI. That gives him an otherworldly slash line that reads .514/.627/1.000 and the 1.627 OPS. Yes, small sample, whatever. Dude can hit the baseball.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Double-A Tulsa

Tulsa cruised to a 7-3 victory over Wichita (Twins) behind three homers and an outstanding debut on the mound from Nick Nastrini.

The Dodgers promoted Nastrini earlier this week after he began to dominate High-A over the last month, giving up seven runs in his last six starts at that level. The right-hander looked even better Thursday.

Retiring the first 17 batters he faced, he didn’t allow a baserunner until a two-out walk in the sixth. The first hit he allowed — a solo home run — came with one out in the seventh. Nastrini would finish at 6 ²⁄₃ innings with eight strikeouts to go with the one hit and two walks. There was plenty of offense behind him.

Andy Pages hit a solo home run in the fourth to break the scoreless tie and Ismael Alcantara smashed a three-run homer in the fifth to give the Drillers a 4-0 advantage. After Aaron Sabato hit the home run off Nastrini in the seventh, Abiatal Avelino got it right back with a solo shot of his own.

Tulsa would score two more on a throwing error and wild pitch in the top of the ninth to put the game out of reach.

High-A Great Lakes

It was a one-run ballgame entering the seventh inning with the Loons on top 4-3. That’s when Great Lakes poured it on with four runs in each of the seventh and eighth innings to win 12-3 over Lansing (Athletics).

The first six runs of the night for the Loons came by way of the home run. Outfielder Damon Keith provided the first two with a solo job in each of the second and fifth. Eddys Leonard would hit a two-run homer later in the fifth that gave Great Lakes the lead for good.

Aldrich De Jongh launched a two-run blast in the seventh after Austin Gauthier started the frame with a single. The next two batters would make out but the Loons still scored two more on a Jose Ramos double to knock in Diego Cartaya and Jorbit Vivas.

Great Lakes loaded the bases to start the eighth and cashed in two of those runners on a Max Hewitt double. Leonard followed with a sac fly to bring in another and Hewitt would score later in the inning on a base hit from Vivas.

Five hitters finished with multiple hits for the Loons, including Keith going 3-for-5 with the two long balls and a triple to score all three times he reached.

The bullpen followed Carlos Duran with four scoreless innings to lock down the rout. Duran allowed all three runs on five hits while striking out seven and walking one.

Low-A Rancho Cucamomga

All the offense Rushing provided Thursday wasn’t enough in the end for Rancho as they dropped an 11-6 game to Modesto (Mariners).

The Quakes got behind 5-0 early on and mounted a fairly strong comeback. Luis Rodriguez singled in Rushing in the fourth and Rancho put up three more in the fifth that included homers for Kyle Froemke and Rushing’s first of the night.

Modesto pulled away with four runs in the seventh and the two-run shot for Rushing in the home half of that inning would be the final runs for Rancho.

Transactions

Triple-A: Los Angeles Dodgers sent LHP Victor Gonzalez on a rehab assignment to Oklahoma City Dodgers. RHP Jose Adames assigned to Tulsa Drillers from Oklahoma City Dodgers. LHP Jake Cantleberry assigned to Tulsa Drillers from Great Lakes Loons.

Double-A: Tulsa Drillers transferred C Chris Betts to the Development List.

High-A: RHP Joan Valdez assigned to Great Lakes Loons from Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

Thursday scores

• Tulsa 7, Wichita 3
• Great Lakes 12, Lansing 3
• Modesto 11, Rancho Cucamonga 6

Friday schedule

• 3:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Gavin Stone) at Sugar Land (Brett Conine)
• Game 2: Oklahoma City (Andre Jackson) at Sugar Land (Brandon Bielak)
• 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Kendall Williams) at Lansing (Jake Walkinshaw)
• 5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Landon Knack) at Wichita (Daniel Gossett)
• 6:30 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Maddux Bruns) vs. Modesto (Michael Morales)