Dodgers minors: Hot starts for Jorbit Vivas, Andy Pages, Luke Williams

Offensive outbursts abounded in the Dodgers minors on Saturday.

Player of the day

Jorbit Vivas hit his first Double-A home run, part of a full night that saw him also single twice, walk twice, steal a base, score three runs, and drive in two (both on the home run).

Vivas, one of five Tulsa players on the Dodgers 40-man roster, is hitting .375/.474/.656 through his first eight games, with more walks (six) than strikeouts (five). Vivas played his third straight game at third base on Saturday after starting his first five games this season at second base. He’s played both positions regularly dating back to rookie level.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Luke Williams had four hits in OKC’s win over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros).

Williams has reached base in 11 of 13 games this season. One of those blank slates came Friday with an 0-for-4, but he rebounded Saturday in a big way. Williams singled in the first inning, doubled and scored in the third, singled and stole second base in the fourth, then doubled and scored in the eighth.

Williams, who has played shortstop 12 times this season in Triple-A and once at third base, is now hitting .396/.468/.736 with 12 extra-base hits in 13 games.

Michael Busch singled and walked, and has reached base in all 14 games this season.

Outfielder Ben DeLuzio had a two-run single in the first inning then an insurance squeeze bunt in the seventh.

Both 40-man-roster lefties in Oklahoma City’s bullpen have thrived in the first two-plus weeks of the season. After Justin Bruihl pitched well Friday, Saturday was Victor González’s time to shine. González entered with two outs in the fifth inning with a runner in scoring position, but stranded him with a strikeout, then fanned all three batters he faced in the fifth.

González averaged 94.5 mph on his two-seam fastball on Saturday, where he was before his 2022 elbow surgery, and maxed out at 96.6 mph.

From OKC broadcaster Alex Freedman:

Double-A Tulsa

In addition to Vivas, a pair of other Drillers were player of the day candidates, all contributing to a Tulsa blowout of the Midland RockHounds (A’s).

First baseman Imanol Vargas homered, doubled, and drove in four runs. Centerfielder Andy Pages followed up his two-homer game with a double, single, two walks, two runs, and two RBI on Saturday.

Pages is hitting .458/.622/.875 through eight games. Seems good.

High-A Great Lakes

The Loons dropped a day game on the road to the Dayton Dragons (Reds).

Shortstop Alex Freeland homered in the first inning and drove home the tying run in the fifth with a sacrifice fly. Dayton pulled ahead for good with a two-run home run in the seventh off left-hander Christian Suarez.

Orlando Ortiz-Mayr was an escape artist in his three innings of relief. The 25-year-old right-hander allowed two hits and walked four, but somehow allowed no runs. One runner was thrown out at the plate, another caught stealing second, and one of the walks was erased via double play.

Low-A Rancho Cucamonga

Five Quakes had two hits in a blowout of the Visalia Rawhide (D-backs). Of that multi-hit brigade, Thayron Liranzo, Chris Newell, and Jorge Puerto all homered. The catcher Puerto also doubled. Newell stole a base, the second time this season last year’s 13th-round pick has at least one homer and one steal in a game this season.

Jerming Rosario was stellar on the mound, striking out six in four innings, allowing only a run. The right-hander has 12 strikeouts in nine innings this season.

Transactions

Triple-A: Jake Reed was activated from the temporary inactive list after spending a week at home to be with his newborn son. Marshall Kasowski went from Oklahoma City back to extended spring training.

Low-A: Luis Valdez, who struck out five and walked three in 2⅔ innings on Tuesday, was placed on the seven-day injured list, retroactive to Friday. Right-hander David Tiburcio joined the Quakes from extended spring training.

Saturday scores

• Oklahoma City 5, Sugar Land 2
• Tulsa 12, Midland 5
• Dayton 6, Great Lakes 4
• Rancho Cucamonga 12, Visalia 4

Sunday schedule

• 10:05 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (Yon Castro) at Dayton (Hunter Parks)
• 11 a.m.: Tulsa (Emmet Sheehan) at Midland (Royber Salinas)
• 12:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Gavin Stone) vs. Sugar Land (J.P. France)
• 12:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Juan Morillo) at Visalia (Brock Jones)