Ryan Ward homers twice, Matt Andriese strikes out 8 in Oklahoma City Dodgers win

Sunday in the Dodgers minors saw one rainout and some standout performances in Triple-A.

Player of the day

Ryan Ward homered twice for Oklahoma City, part of a three-hit, three-RBI, three-run game. He also made this fine running catch in left field.

Ward, the Dodgers’ eighth-round draft pick in 2019, has split time between the corner outfield and first base this season, hitting .229/.329/.408 in the Pacific Coast League.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Ward and the offense did their job, and Matt Andriese was stingy on the mound to beat the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros). Andriese struck out a season-high eight in his six innings, allowing only a run with no walks.

Justin Yurchak also homered for Oklahoma City. Michael Busch tripled, singled, and walked twice. Devin Mann hit his 28th double, which leads the PCL.

Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers road game against the Amarillo Sod Poodles (D-backs) was rained out. The two teams will play a doubleheader of two seven-inning games on Monday beginning at 2:05 p.m. PT.

High-A Great Lakes

Chris Alleyne drove in all four Loons runs to beat the Lansing Lugnuts (A’s). Last year’s 19th-round draft pick out of Maryland hit a two-run double in the fifth inning and a two-run triple in the seventh.

Six Loons pitchers combined to allow only two runs. Something to watch going forward is why Hyun-il Choi left after only 30 pitches and three scoreless innings, and whether that affects his next start.

Low-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes allowed only three hits but still lost to the Visalia Rawhide (D-backs). Two of the Visalia hits were solo home runs off starter Gabe Emmett, and the other was an RBI double in the seventh inning off right-hander Jonathan Edwards that was the game-winner.

Checking in on the fascinating season of effectively wild pitcher Joel Ibarra, the 20-year-old walked two and struck out three in his 2⅓ scoreless, hitless innings. On the season, Ibarra has 41 strikeouts (30.3-percent K rate) and 29 walks (21.5 percent) in 33 innings, but because opposing batters have only seven hits in 103 at-bats (.068), he has a 1.64 ERA.

Transactions

Triple-A: Presumably for some just-in-case bullpen coverage, 20-year-old Roque Gutierrez was promoted from Low-A Rancho Cucamonga. Gutierrez, signed by the Dodgers out of Mexico in 2020, allowed one run in seven innings with seven strikeouts and four walks in five relief appearances this season with the Quakes and in the Arizona Complex League. Lefty Adam Kolarek was placed on the temporarily inactive list.

Low-A: Pitcher Gabe Emmett was activated from the developmental list to start Sunday’s game. Outfielder Nick Biddison, who last played on June 25, landed on the injured list. Infielder Luis Guerra joined the Quakes from the Arizona Complex League.

Sunday scores

• Oklahoma City 8, Sugar Land 2
• Tulsa at Amarillo, postponed
• Great Lakes 4, Lansing 2
• Visalia 3, Rancho Cucamonga 2

Monday schedule

• 10:05 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (Justin Wrobleski) vs. Lansing (Mitch Myers)
• 2:05 p.m.: Tulsa (River Ryan, Ben Casparius) at Amarillo (Chad Patrick, Deyni Olivero), doubleheader
• 4:35 p.m.: Oklahoma City (TBD) at Sugar Land (Kyle McGowin)
• 6:30 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Jared Karros) vs. Visalia (Yoscar Pimentel)