Brandon Lewis hits two 3-run home runs for Tulsa

The goal of these morning Dodgers minor league reports is to give a detailed report on the main things that happen each day. We can’t possibly cover every single detail, but I’d like to think we provide a reliable resource for Dodgers fans on a daily basis.

That said, I’d like to also recommend a pair of other writers who do a fantastic job in providing minor league updates and prospect analysis.

Josh Thomas writes regular reports at Dodgers Digest, and keeps a watchful eye on minor leaguers on Twitter (@jokeylocomotive), sharing several videos each week.

Bruce Kuntz has an informative newsletter, Rancho to the Ravine, which provides daily minor league updates as well as analysis. He’s also a great Twitter follow (@Bnicklaus7).

Now, let’s get to what happened on Saturday night on the farm.

Player of the day

Brandon Lewis snapped out of a long slump with a pair of three-run home runs for Double-A Tulsa.

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Lewis, the Dodgers’ fourth-round pick in 2019, is in his second year with the Drillers, and entered Saturday in a 3-for-29 slump and hitting just .151/.225/.214 on the season. The corner infielder had two home runs and nine RBI on the season entering Saturday, when he had two home runs and six RBI in four at-bats as the designated hitter.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Two runs in the eighth spoiled an otherwise exquisitely-pitched game in Oklahoma City’s loss to the Sacramento River Cats (Giants).

OKC’s only run came in the third inning, when Jahmai Jones led off with a double, the first of his two hits on the night. Drew Avans singled him home.

Michael Grove was impressive in his second minor league rehab start in Triple-A, striking out seven while pitching scoreless baseball into the sixth inning. Alex Vesia relieved Grove in the sixth and got a groundout to finish the inning, the only batter faced by the left-hander.

Sacramento started the eighth inning with a hit by pitch and single against lefty Adam Kolarek, who allowed a one-out double to Tyler Fitzgerald to turn the game around.

Double-A Tulsa

Lewis wasn’t the only Driller to hit a three-run home run on Saturday. Yusniel Díaz did so too in a drubbing of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals). Tulsa’s 12 runs tied for their second-most this season, trailing only a 14-1 win over Springfield on May 9.

Kody Hoese’s solo shot in the seventh was Tulsa’s fourth home run of the night.

River Ryan allowed only one hit in his 3⅔ scoreless innings, his fifth scoreless start of the season and four scoreless outing in his last six starts. Ryan worked around four and struck out five, lowering his ERA to 1.93. But most importantly, the confluence of River Ryan and Northwest Arkansas left fielder River Town produced two plate appearances, both resulting in walks.

Right-hander Antonio Knowles followed Ryan on the mound, and recorded four outs with two strikeouts, working around two singles to produce a scoreless Double-A debut after getting promoted on Thursday.

High-A Great Lakes

Down a run in the ninth, the Loons scored four times to stun the Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals).

Two walks and a single loaded the bases with nobody out. Austin Gauthier singled home the tying run with one out, and Dalton Rushing drove home the go-ahead run with two outs, and when his bloop single got past right fielder Darlin Moquete, two more insurance runs scored on the play.

Shortstop Alex Freeland singled four times. He and outfielder Chris Alleyne each stole their 11th base of the season, second to teammate Taylor Young’s 19 steals.

Justin Wrobleski allowed two runs and struck out three in his start, lasting exactly five innings for the third straight start. Great Lakes followed with four scoreless innings in relief by Mitchell Tyranski (five outs), Reinaldo De Paula (four outs), and Benony Robles (three outs), the latter logging his first save of the season.

Low-A Rancho Cucamonga

A seven-run sixth inning broke a tie and lifted the Quakes to a home win over the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres). Amazingly, that inning began with two strikeouts before Rancho Cucamonga followed with seven consecutive hits, including one double, one triple, and one home run.

After six home runs in his last nine games, center fielder Chris Newell hit two doubles and a triple on Saturday. He also walked, drove in three, and scored twice.

Shortstop Rayne Doncon homered, singled, and drove in three. Catcher Thayron Liranzo added a three-run home run to cap the seven-run sixth, his 12th of the season.

Luis Valdez struck out six in three scoreless innings in his start for Rancho Cucamonga, allowing only a single and a walk.

Transactions

Triple-A: On Friday, outfielder Steven Duggar was placed on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to Thursday. Pitcher Zack Burdi, who was claimed off waivers Friday, was simultaneously optioned to Oklahoma City.

Double-A: Pitcher Lael Lockhart was traded to the Tigers for cash, and assigned to Double-A Erie, which was first reported Friday by Kevin Bohanon at Arkansas Rivals. The lefty Lockhart, drafted by the Dodgers in the ninth round in 2021 out of Arkansas, had an 11.40 ERA in 15 innings for Tulsa, with 13 walks and 18 strikeouts in his eight appearances, all in relief.

Saturday scores

• Sacramento 2, Oklahoma City 1
• Tulsa 12, Northwest Arkansas 0
• Great Lakes 5, Peoria 2
• Rancho Cucamonga 10, Lake Elsinore 6

Sunday schedule

• 1:05 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Andre Jackson, after opener) at Sacramento (Kyle Harrison)
• 2 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Jared Karros) vs. Lake Elsinore (Miguel Mendez)
• 4:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Emmet Sheehan) vs. NW Arkansas (Jonathan Bowlan)
• 4:35 p.m.: Great Lakes (Maddux Bruns) at Peoria (Trent Baker)