Dodgers minors: Yeiner Fernandez, Michael Busch, Kyle Hurt, Tyler Cyr

Saturday in the Dodgers minors saw a reintroduction on defense, a doubleheader to remember, and a wild ejection-filled game in Double-A.

Player of the day

Yeiner Fernandez had two hits in both games of Saturday’s doubleheader for Great Lakes. He homered and singled as the designated hitter in the first game, and drove in two. He tripled and singled in the nightcap while catching.

In August, Fernandez is hitting .357/.467/.538 in 10 games.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

A solo home run by by David Dahl was the only offense in Oklahoma City’s loss to the Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners).

Landon Knack got the loss by allowing five runs (three earned) in four innings. Kyle Hurt followed him for a second straight outing, but not directly. Hurt pitched the final three innings and struck out seven of his 11 batters faced, allowing only a single and walk.

Michael Busch started in left field on Saturday for the first time this season. He played one inning there for the Dodgers this season, finishing off a 13-1 blowout win on May 2, and played 13 games at the position last year between Triple-A and Double-A. It’s a move to increase Busch’s versatility going forward, as he’s been blocked in the majors at third base, first base, and second base as he tears through the Pacific Coast League at the plate.

Right away, Busch made his presence felt in the field with a fine running catch at the wall in the first inning, then ended the frame by throwing out a runner at home plate, Busch’s first career outfield assist.

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Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers led 8-2 but lost to the Amarillo Sod Poodles (D-backs) in a hotly-contested game that featured two ejections.

Kody Hoese hit a two-out grand slam down the left field line in the first inning. But after all four Drillers were back in the dugout, the three umpires convened and overturned the call, saying it was a foul ball. Drillers interim manager Juan Apodaca was ejected for arguing.

Back up at the plate, Hoese struck out looking to end the inning then, still mad at the overturn of his grand slam, immediately started yelling “F*** you” multiple times and flipped off first base umpire Ray Patchen, the crew chief, who promptly ejected Hoese, too.

River Ryan made his first start since July 29. He was scratched from a start on August 4 with a stiff neck, per Tulsa announcer Dennis Higgins. Ryan was originally slated to pitch Thursday this week but instead, per Higgins on the game broadcast, was allowed by the Dodgers to go to Seattle to see the major league debut of his brother Ryder, a Mariners reliever who pitched on Friday.

Ryan pitched three innings on Saturday. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning — an inning-ending double play ball was botched by shortstop Austin Gauthier to load the bases — by striking out the final two batters. Ryan struck out six on the night, and allowed a two-run home run in the second inning.

First baseman Imanol Vargas hit a two-run home run and an RBI double, giving him three home runs and 10 RBI through the first five games of the series.

Jorbit Vivas doubled, singled, walked, scored three runs, and drove in one. He also stole a base, his team-leading 19th of the season.

High-A Great Lakes

The Loons split a doubleheader against the West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers). In addition to Fernandez’s big day at the plate, Jake Vogel hit a two-run home run in the nightcap after a two-hit game in the opener.

Saturday’s opener was incremental progress for Peter Heubeck, who has been rudely greeted in his first two starts in High-A. With one out in the first inning, the right-hander walked two then allowed a three-run home run. He settled down after that with only one run and three hits allowed after that to get through three innings, but he still has not struck out a batter in two starts with the Loons. But this was infinitely better than last Saturday, when all seven batters he faced scored.

Justin Wrobleski struck out four in four innings in the night cap, allowing a run on two hits and three walks. Benony Robles struck out four in 1⅔ scoreless innings of relief, upping his strikeout rate to 38.5 percent on the season.

Low-A Rancho Cucamonga

Joe Vetrano’s first professional home run was the difference in Rancho Cucamonga’s win over the Inland Empire 66ers (Angels). The two-run shot in the fifth inning for this year’s Dodgers fifth-round draft pick gave the Quakes a 5-2 lead, and they held on to win 5-3.

Brandon Neeck pitched 2⅓ scoreless innings in relief to earn the win.

Arizona Complex League

You may have forgotten, but right-hander Tyler Cyr has been on the 60-day injured list since May with a right-hander impingement. He started a rehab assignment on Saturday, pitching a scoreless inning with one walk against the ACL Mariners at Camelback Ranch.

The 30-year-old right-hander, who was a non-roster invitee in spring training after signing a minor league contract in February, pitched in two games for the Dodgers this season, retiring five of six batters in 1⅔ scoreless innings with two strikeouts.

Shelby Miller pitched in his third rehab game in Arizona, with two days rest after Wednesday’s outing. This was a wild one for Miller, with two walks and a run-scoring wild pitch. He also allowed two stolen bases. Both runs were unearned due to a throwing error by shortstop Bryan González, the Dodgers’ sixth-round draft pick this season who just turned 18 in July. Miller struck out two and was pulled with two outs in the inning. All eight of Miller’s outs on the rehab assignment so far are strikeouts.

Transactions

Triple-A: Left-hander Victor González was recalled to the Dodgers.

Double-A: Pitcher Aldry Acosta was placed on the 7-day injured list.

Arizona: Right-hander Tyler Cyr started a rehab assignment.

Saturday scores

• Tacoma 5, Oklahoma City 1
• Amarillo 10, Tulsa 9
• Game 1 — West Michigan 12, Great Lakes 4
• Game 2 — Great Lakes 3, West Michigan 2
• Rancho Cucamonga 5, Inland Empire 3

Sunday schedule

• 10:05 a.m.: Great Lakes (Jerming Rosario) vs. West Michigan (Dylan Smith)
• 11:05 a.m.: Tulsa (Orlando Ortiz-Mayr) vs. Amarillo (Jamison Hill)
• 1:35 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Ryan Pepiot) at Tacoma (Logan Allen)
• 5 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Gabe Emmett) vs. Inland Empire (Jorge Marcheco)