Josue De Paula wasted no time making June feel loud.
The Dodgers prospect turned in the kind of night that grabs attention anywhere in the system, powering Tulsa in a 10-3 win with two home runs, a double and a single. He drove in four and scored four, serving as the engine for a Drillers offense that rolled to its 51st win of the season.
De Paula’s season line keeps getting stronger, too. He’s already over 60 runs and 60 RBI, has walked 49 times against 43 strikeouts, and his two-homer night pushed him to 15 home runs on the year - a season high. He also has 15 stolen bases and is closing in on a 20-20 season.
Tulsa wasn’t the only affiliate to get a big offensive jolt. Mike Sirota also went deep for the Drillers, tying the 13 home runs he hit a year ago while continuing to produce at the same level he showed in High-A before the promotion.
The pitching side of that win did its part, too. Christian Zazueta and Wyatt Crowell each gave Tulsa four solid innings, with Crowell earning his sixth win of the season.
At Triple-A Oklahoma City, the Comets got strikeouts in bunches from Nick Frasso and the rest of the staff, but the offense couldn’t keep pace in a 4-3 loss. Frasso set the tone by striking out five of the hitters he retired, and the Comets staff piled up 16 strikeouts overall while the other side managed just seven.
Jack Suwinski was the only Oklahoma City hitter with multiple hits, going 3-for-4, though he didn’t drive in a run or score. Ryan Fitzgerald picked up his 55th RBI, and shortstop Noah Miller now has eight triples and eight home runs.
High-A Great Lakes had a tighter finish to sweat through, but the Loons held on for an 8-7 win over the TinCaps. Chase Harlan and Samuel Munoz did most of the damage, combining for seven of the team’s eight RBI. Munoz hit a grand slam in the third inning, while Harlan delivered a three-run single.
Aidan Foeller stayed unbeaten, earning his third win of the season after allowing two solo homers in five innings. The TinCaps still had a shot late, putting the tying run in scoring position in the bottom of the eighth, but Alex Makarewicz shut it down by striking out Ryan Wideman for the biggest out of the game.
Ontario’s night was less forgiving. The Tower Buzzers outhit the Grizzlies 12-9 and got two team home runs, including another from Mairoshendrick Martinus, who homered for the second straight game. Still, it ended in a 9-5 road loss.
Conner O’Neal had the best individual line for Ontario, reaching safely in all four plate appearances with three hits, a walk and a home run. Every hitter in the lineup reached at least once, but the Tower Buzzers stranded 10 and couldn’t cash in enough of their chances.
On the transactions front, right-handed pitcher Wyatt Mills was optioned to Triple-A after the call-up of lefty Charlie Barnes. Lefty Garrett McDaniels was activated off the injured list by the Comets, and Jake Eder was placed on it.
In Other News...
Dodgers Face A Deadline Choice Fans Know Could Sting Again
The Dodgers deadline planning is starting to look familiar in a way that will not surprise anyone who has watched how they operate around this time of year. Instead of chasing the loudest major league upgrade, they are reportedly leaning toward using the market to replenish the farm system with top prospects, a strategy that has helped them stay stocked even while they keep contending at the big league level. It is the kind of approach that can pay off later, but it also means every possible deal gets weighed against what comes out the other side.
Tarik Skubal remains a name tied to Los Angeles, and the possibility of Detroit moving him this summer only adds another layer to the equation. Even if the Dodgers stay interested, the price would come from the same kind of prospect depth they are trying to protect, which is why their recent history matters here. Trading Michael Busch to the Cubs in 2024 brought back Zyhir Hope and Jackson Ferris, and deals like that have become part of the blueprint. Whether they follow it again may say as much about their long view as it does about this deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Former Dodgers Fan Favorite Joe Kelly Is Starting A Coaching Chapter
Joe Kellys next baseball stop is close to home. The former major league reliever has been hired as an assistant coach at Corona High School, where he will work with the teams pitchers, bringing a long pro career back into a setting that shaped him. It is a familiar kind of move for a player whose resume includes World Series rings and years of big league experience, but this one carries a personal angle too.
Corona High is Kellys alma mater, so the job amounts to a return to the program that helped launch him. After recently retiring from pitching and stepping away from comeback hopes, he is starting a new chapter in baseball with a high school staff, and for Dodgers fans who watched his wild ride over the years, it is a reminder that his connection to the game is not ending so much as changing form. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Waste Big Opportunity After Unexpected Lineup Change
The Dodgers tried a bullpen-game approach Sunday, hoping to piece together enough pitching behind an altered lineup and keep pace in a series that had already turned into a grind. Instead, the Athletics kept landing early blows and stretched the lead all game, taking advantage of a night when Los Angeles could not cash in on traffic and never found a rhythm at the plate.
A rough first inning set the tone when the Dodgers loaded the bases but came away empty, and the missed chance hung around after Jonah Heims long home run put the As in front. Los Angeles briefly answered, but Shea Langeliers 20th homer of the season helped open the gap again, and the Dodgers spent the rest of the night stranding runners and chasing a game that slipped farther away with every inning. [Read more 🡒]