Nick Frasso dominant again for Double-A Tulsa, but leaves after trainer visit

Saturday in the Dodgers minors saw a doubleheader sweep, a walk-off win in extra innings, a late comeback win, and an offensive outburst. But the story of the day was on the mound in Tulsa.

Player of the day

Nick Frasso dominated another start for Double-A Tulsa, but also left with two outs in the fifth inning after a mound visit by trainer Jesse Guffey and manager Scott Hennessey. Frasso was only at 60 pitches and nobody was on base, after an error earlier in the frame was erased by a double play.

Frasso struck out six and allowed no runs in his start, and has allowed only three runs in his six starts, lowering his ERA to 1.01, fresh off winning Texas League pitcher of the month for April.

The six starting pitchers Tulsa has used this season are off to a hot start, and through the first five games of this series against San Antonio the group combined to allow only three runs in 26 innings for a 1.04 ERA with 28 strikeouts against only two walks.

That includes three innings of one-run relief on Tuesday from River Ryan, who also started four games this season. Here are the season stats for every pitcher who has started for the Drillers in 2023.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Hunter Feduccia’s two-run home run gave Oklahoma City a late road win over the El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres).

Down a run in the eighth inning, Yonny Hernández singled to open the frame, and Feduccia cashed him in on the next pitch.

Justin Bruihl’s tour continued with two scoreless innings Saturday to earn the win in El Paso, Texas. He retired five of his six batters faced with one strikeout. José Iglesias doubled in the eighth but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. Bruihl this week also pitched a scoreless sixth inning in Lake Elsinore, California with the Low-A Quakes on Wednesday.

Double-A Tulsa

Frasso was great while in the game, but the Drillers offense stole the show in a blowout win over the San Antonio Missions (Padres). Tulsa scored three runs in the first inning then added four more in the second inning.

Andy Pages hit a two-run home run, singled twice, walked, and scored twice.

Carson Taylor had three hits. Jonny DeLuca and Eddys Leonard each doubled and singled. Jorbit Vivas singled twice in walked.

Four of the top five batters in Tulsa’s Saturday lineup — DeLuca (1.011), Vivas (1.059), Pages (.922), and first baseman Imanol Vargas (.966) — have at least a .900 OPS, all ranking in the top 12 in the Texas League. Jose Ramos, who singled in five at-bats while batting cleanup Saturday, has an .853 OPS this season. The league as a whole has a .745 OPS.

High-A Great Lakes

Yeiner Fernandez singled on the second pitch of the 10th inning, scoring placed runner Dalton Rushing to give the Loons their second walk-off win over the Quad Cities River Bandits (Royals) in five days. Great Lakes led 2-0 in the first inning, then erased deficits in the fourth and seventh before winning in the 10th. The scoring-ever-three-innings plan worked like a charm.

Fernandez, who was the designated hitter on Saturday, and third baseman Taylor Young each had a pair of RBI singles in the win. Loons infielder and leadoff hitter Austin Gauthier drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, singled, and he walked twice for the fourth straight game. During the series Gauthier’s reached base 17 times in 25 trips to the plate.

Ronan Kopp allowed his first home run of the season, part of a three-inning, two-run start that was filled with strikeouts (five) and walks (three). On the season, the left-hander has a 3.06 ERA with 31 strikeouts (a 40.3-percent rate) and 14 walks (an 18.2-percent rate) in 17⅔ innings.

Antonio Knowles escaped inheriting two runners in scoring position with no outs in the seventh, and pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Aldry Acosta retired all six batters he faced to earn the win.

Low-A Rancho Cucamonga

One day after their 10-game win streak was snapped, the Quakes started another streak with a road doubleheader sweep of the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres).

Nick Biddison homered in the first game and reached base six times in the doubleheader on three hits and three walks. He played left field in the first game, and at third base in the nightcap. Catcher Thayron Liranzo homered twice in the second game.

Jesus Galiz and Rayne Doncon each had three hits in the doubleheader.

Jared Karros pitched 3⅔ scoreless innings in relief to win the opener, striking out three. He followed starter Payton Martin, who also didn’t allow a run and got seven outs, though he walked four, matching his total from his first 11⅔innings this season.

Maddux Bruns struck out seven in the second game, allowing a run on two hits in 3⅔ innings with two walks in the second game.

Saturday scores

• Oklahoma City 3, El Paso 2
• Tulsa 9, San Antonio 2
• Great Lakes 7, Quad Cities 6 (10 innings)
• Rancho Cucamonga 10, Lake Elsinore 0 (Game 1)
• Rancho Cucamonga 4, Lake Elsinore 3 (Game 2)

Sunday schedule

• 10:05 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (Ben Casparius) vs. Quad Cities (Tyson Guerrero)
• 11:05 a.m.: Oklahoma City (Robbie Erlin) at El Paso (Jay Groome)
• 11:05 a.m.: Tulsa (Kyle Hurt) vs. San Antonio (Jackson Wolf)
• 1:15 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Peter Heubeck) at Lake Elsinore (Austin Krob)