The Dodgers' minor league season kicked off with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets taking a tough 3-1 loss against the Albuquerque Isotopes at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. It was a night where offense was hard to come by, but there were still some bright spots worth noting.
Hyeseong Kim set the tone early, leading off with a single. An errant pickoff throw gave him a free pass to scoring position, and Zach Ehrhard wasted no time in bringing him home with a single in his first Triple-A at-bat. Kim, who played the entire game at second base, is expected to showcase his versatility by playing multiple positions this season.
Ehrhard showed some promise beyond his RBI, drawing a walk and swiping second base in the third inning. However, the Comets struggled to capitalize on their opportunities, managing just five singles and five walks throughout the game.
On the mound, Cole Irvin had a mixed outing. He pitched five innings, allowing five walks, but kept the damage to a minimum in four of those frames. Unfortunately, a three-run second inning by the Isotopes was enough to spoil his night.
The standout performance came from Paul Gervase, who relieved Irvin and delivered two perfect innings, complete with a pair of strikeouts. His effort was a silver lining in an otherwise challenging game.
Defensively, Ryan Fitzgerald made a memorable play at third base, turning a spectacular double play to end the third inning and giving the fans something to cheer about.
In terms of roster moves, the Comets are starting the season with a few players on the injured list. Pitchers José Rodríguez and first baseman Matt Gorski are on the 60-day injured list, while pitchers Yency Almonte, Nick Frasso, and Ryan Sublette, along with catcher Chuckie Robinson, were placed on the 7-day injured list. Left-hander Logan Allen was the only player not listed as active on the preliminary roster.
While the opening night didn't go as hoped for the Comets, there are plenty of games ahead, and the team will look to build on the positives from this outing.