Dodgers minors: Maddux Bruns, Michael Busch, pitchers of the month

A trio of Dodgers pitchers earned monthly honors for their June performances on the mound, including a pair of 2021 draft picks.

Justin Wrobleski had a 1.09 ERA in 24⅔ innings with 28 strikeouts and six walks in his five starts for High-A Great Lakes to capture Midwest League honors, including a 10-strikeout game in a scoreless start on June 14.

Gabe Emmett captured the California League award despite missing about a week and a half on the developmental list. In four games, the Low-A Rancho Cucamonga right-hander had a 1.29 ERA in 21 innings, with 15 strikeouts and nine walks.

Aldrin Batista had a 1.40 ERA with 25 strikeouts and 11 walks in 19⅓ innings in the Arizona Complex League. The 20-year-old right-hander was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2022.

Player of the day

Just a few days before the MLB Draft, Dodgers’ 2021 first-round pick Maddux Bruns was lights out for High-A Great Lakes, striking out nine in five scoreless innings. What a way to make a living.

Bruns since getting promoted to High-A has a 2.52 ERA in 35⅔ innings, with 48 strikeouts and 27 walks.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City tied things after an early 7-0 hole, but still lost to the Albuquerque Isotopes (Rockies).

It’s been a rough pitching week for Oklahoma City, which saw starters Gavin Stone and Landon Knac get called to Los Angeles, as well as relievers Bryan Hudson, Nick Robertson, and Alex Vesia getting called up as well. They called up Robbie Peto to start, after making only one appearance in Tulsa, having ended June with High-A Great Lakes. It didn’t go well, allowing seven runs in two-plus innings.

Alec Gamboa kept Albuquerque at bay with four scoreless innings in relief, and the Oklahoma City offense went to work.

Michael Busch hit a three-run home run. Drew Avans doubled and hit a two-run single to tie the game in the eighth inning, only to see the Isotopes plate two in the ninth off Justin Bruihl to win.

Double-A Tulsa

Drillers pitchers walked a season-high 13 batters in a loss to the Wichita Wind Surge (Twins). Starter River Ryan walked four but also struck out six while allowing two runs in his four innings. Ben Harris followed with four walks of his own, but recorded only four outs and allowed three runs.

Eddys Leonard and Ismael Alcantara each had two hits for Tulsa in defeat.

High-A Great Lakes

In a game that only saw five combined hits and three runs in 11 innings, the Loons got the better of the Dayton Dragons (Reds). Yeiner Fernandez singled home free runner Max Hewitt in the top of the 11th to provide the game-winner. That was Great Lakes’ second hit of the game.

Great Lakes pitchers combined for 18 strikeouts, including four by reliever Michael Hobbs in two scoreless frames in the ninth and 10th.

Low-A Rancho Cucamonga

Four runs in the eighth inning off Jonathan Edwards turned a Quakes lead into a loss to the Inland Empire 66ers (Angels). Rancho Cucamonga led 4-1 entering the frame.

Quakes starter Peter Heubeck struck out five in his five innings, and allowed one run.

Catcher Jesus Galiz homered. Rayne Doncon, playing third base, had two hits.

Transactions

Triple-A: Pitcher Robbie Peto joined pitching-starved Oklahoma City. Nick Robertson and Alex Vesia were called up to the Dodgers.

Double-A: Pitcher Kyle Hurt was activated off the temporarily inactive list to start.

Thursday scores

• Albuquerque 9, Oklahoma City 7
• Wichita 8, Tulsa 2
• Great Lakes 2, Dayton 1 (11 innings)
• Inland Empire 5, Rancho Cucamonga 4

Friday schedule

• 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Kendall Williams) at Dayton (Chris McElvain)
• 5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Matt Andriese) vs. Albuquerque (Peter Lambert)
• 5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Nick Nastrini) vs. Wichita (Marco Raya)
• 6:35 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Payton Martin) at Inland Empire (Matt Albright)