Oklahoma City slams four home runs to beat Albuquerque

After Friday night, we are down to two Dodgers minor league teams still active this season.

Player of the day

Edwin Ríos hit a three-run home run to put Oklahoma City up for good on Friday, part of a three-hit, three-run night for the slugging third baseman.

I’m sure is was a tough pill to swallow for Ríos to remain in the minors once rosters expanded in September, despite being second on the team in home runs when he landed on the injured list in June. But after this year’s hamstring strain and last year’s shoulder surgery, keeping Ríos in Triple-A gave him his most regular playing time in the last three seasons.

Ríos hasn’t been lighting it up with Oklahoma City, hitting .262/.345/.477 with seven home runs, 11 doubles, and a 31-percent strikeout rate in 39 games, but he does have three multi-hit games in his last five.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City hit multi-run homers in each of the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings to win a road slugfest over the Albuquerque Isotopes (Rockies).

After Ríos in the fifth, Devin Mann hit a two-run shot, Jake Amaya slammed a three-run shot, and Ryan Noda added a two-run home run for insurance.

It’s a three-team race in the Pacific Coast League East Division, with the other two teams playing each other this week. El Paso (Padres) beat Round Rock (Rangers) on Friday to maintain a one-game lead over Oklahoma City, with 11 games left to play.

El Paso 78-61 (.561)
Oklahoma City 77-62 (.554)
Round Rock 75-64 (.540)

Conveniently, Oklahoma City plays six games at El Paso beginning Tuesday, the last full week remaining on the schedule.

Double-A Tulsa

Two runs in the 10th inning off Guillermo Zuniga handed the Drillers a home loss to the Springfield Cardinals.

Brandon Lewis homered, doubled, and drove in three runs for Tulsa in defeat.

Springfield stole three bases off Tulsa on Friday, giving the Drillers a whopping 238 stolen bases allowed on the season, and at an 86.9-percent success rate. The 238 steals allowed are more than any other Double-A or Triple-A team.

High-A Great Lakes

The Loons were eliminated from the Midwest League playoffs with a 6-5 loss to Lake County Captains (Guardians) in Game 3. The road team won all three games of the series.

Transactions

Triple-A: Heath Hembree, who was designated for assignment on Tuesday, cleared waivers and was sent outright to Oklahoma City, but the 33-year-old right-hander elected free agency.

Friday scores

• Oklahoma City 12, Albuquerque 9
• Springfield 7, Tulsa 5 (10 innings)
• Lake County 6, Great Lakes 5 (Loons lose series, 2 games to 1)

Saturday schedule

• 11:05 a.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Robbie Erlin) at Albuquerque (Logan Allen)
• 5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (TBA) vs. Springfield (Edgar Escobar)