The Dodgers’ farm system had a strong Wednesday, with all four affiliates winning and doing it by a combined 19 runs. The headline performance belonged to Emmet Sheehan, who looked far more like himself in Triple-A and gave the Comets a needed lift.
After a demotion that had been building toward this point, Sheehan turned in his best outing since returning to Oklahoma City. He worked 5.2 scoreless innings in a 6-0 win, striking out eight before being lifted at 97 pitches with two outs in the third. The outing gave the right-hander something to build on as he waits for his next shot in the majors.
Oklahoma City backed him with steady scoring and one big swing. The Comets scored once in each of the first three innings, then blew it open in the eighth when Ryan Ward launched his 15th Triple-A homer of the season, a three-run shot.
James Tibbs III also kept adding to a strong year, driving in the game’s first run and pushing his RBI total to 84. Ben Casparius picked up one of two holds out of the bullpen.
Tulsa was in the middle of the day’s wildest game, a back-and-forth 8-7 win over the Travelers. The teams combined for 12 runs between the fifth and sixth innings, and the Drillers had to answer a comeback before finally taking control again. Mike Sirota and Logan Wagner delivered the key RBI singles that flipped the game back Tulsa’s way.
That win also carried some weight in the standings. The Drillers reached 70 victories in just 110 games, good for first place in their division.
Taylor Young led the offense with three hits and two runs scored, even without an RBI. On the mound, Cam Day settled things down late with two scoreless innings for the save after Adam Serwinowski, Evan Shaw and Christin Suarez all had rougher stretches earlier.
In High-A, Great Lakes rolled past the Cubs behind a huge night from Eduardo Guerrero. He drove in five of the Loons’ 11 runs, including a bases-loaded three-run single, while somehow finishing without scoring himself.
Eduardo Quintero reached base in all four plate appearances with two hits and two walks before being pinch-hit for late. Nico Perez kept the momentum going after his big day the day before, adding three RBIs of his own.
The lone close game in the system came in Single-A, where Ontario’s 5-1 win was tighter than the final score suggests. The Tower Buzzers didn’t really pull away until the top of the ninth, when the top of the order finally came through.
Kellon Lindsey and Joendry Vargas each knocked in a run to give the game some breathing room. Brendan Tunink, batting second, struck out four times in what was otherwise a difficult night for the lineup.
On the pitching side, Luis Carias gave Ontario three innings of one-run ball to start it off, and Luis Gamez followed with four scoreless frames.
There were also several roster moves across the system. Right-handed pitcher Payton Martin and outfielder Chris Newell went on the injured list with Tulsa.
With Landon Knack called up to the big league club, Seth Halvorsen was sent to Oklahoma City, which also released catcher Chuckie Robinson. The Tower Buzzers placed right-hander Will Gagnon on the injured list.
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