The Dodgers ran into a buzzsaw by the name of Domingo Germán. Germán was pitching a 2-hit shutout with 2 outs in the 7th when JD Martinez hit his 14th HR. David Peralta followed with an infield single, and Clay Holmes came in to relieve Germán.
Holmes walked Miguel Vargas, but followed that with three called strikes on 3 pitches to Chris Taylor to end the threat.
The Dodgers got another outstanding start from Bobby Miller. The biggest problem Miller faced was the two walks he issued in the 1st inning. He walked Gleyber Torres on 4 pitches that were not close. He followed that with strikeouts to both Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton. Bobby got two quick strikes on Willie Calhoun, but could not put him away, and ended up walking him. Miller struck out DL LeMahieu to end the inning. He walked two, but struck out the side.
From there thru 6 innings, Bobby Miller was in total control. He threw 86 pitches and 57 strikes. He had 5 pitches in his arsenal:
- Sinker – 38 pitches, 20 swings, 2 whiffs, 10 called strikes
- Slider – 30 pitches, 19 swings, 11 whiffs, 0 called strikes
- 4-Seam – 9 pitches, 4 swings, 1 whiffs, 3 called strikes
- Change – 5 pitches, 0 swings, 0 whiffs, 0 called strikes
- Curve – 4 pitches, 0 swings, 0 whiffs, 1 called strike
Miller had 14 whiffs, primarily on his slider, which was outstanding. He had 7 Ks and 2 BBs. His ERA over his first 3 starts is now at 1.06 and a WHIP of 0.76. In 17 IP, he has 16 Ks and 4 BBs. His last two starts have been quality starts. Not bad for a pitcher who was considered not quite ready. Especially when considering that those three starts were against good offensive teams. Now, I do not know how you take him out of the rotation.
To some the starting pitching is a weak link. For most of us, the weakest link is the bullpen and by a large margin. In Sunday’s game, Brusdar Graterol got the first out and had Jake Bauers 0-2 when he made middle-middle 96.4 MPH cutter that Bauers turned into a single. Brusdar made yet another bone-headed play on a Isiah Kiner-Falefa bunt, and threw it away. This is the second time that Graterol has made an ill-advised throw that led to a run. With runners on 2nd and 3rd and 1 out, Graterol needed a strikeout. He had backup catcher Kyle Higashioka, a .209 hitter with 32% strikeout rate down 0-2. Graterol then threw a 1-2 sinker (98.3 MPH) middle in that Higashioka hit a grounder to SS Chris Taylor. He apparently did not have a play at the plate. Some have speculated that Graterol in trying to make a play on the bouncer got into Taylor’s way to make a throw. I do not know what the reason was, but Taylor did not throw to the plate. 1-0 NYY.
JDM hit his 14th HR to tie the score. 1-1.
In the 8th, with Evan Phillips on the hill, Gleyber Torres grounded out for the first out. But he then walked Anthony Rizzo on a 3-2 pitch. Next batter, Giancarlo Stanton, took a 2-2 sweeper, middle down, apparently right where Stanton loves it. He hit a 112.3 MPH double putting runners on 2nd and 3rd. In somewhat of a déjà vu, Oswaldo Cabrera hit a slow ground ball to Miguel Vargas that he gloved and did not have the time to make a play at the plate. Could he have made the play if he had bare-handed the ball? We will never know. 2-1 NYY.
In the 9th, Caleb Ferguson took the mound. He too got the first out and walked the next batter on a 3-2 pitch. In both ABs, the pitchers could not get that last strike after multiple fouls.
After a WP and ground out, and a runner on 3rd with two outs, Ferguson left a 95.2 MPH 4-seamer middle/middle and Anthony Volpe slugged it for a 2-run HR. 4-1 NYY.
The Dodgers could not make a dent in the relievers Clay Holmes or Wandy Peralta.
Domingo Germán was dominant and Bobby Miller matched him. But the quality of the two bullpens was apparent. The Dodgers two best relievers were not very good in this one.
06-04-2023 – MiLB SUMMARY REPORT
OKC Dodgers 7 – Reno Aces (Arizona) 3
OKC spotted Reno a run in the 3rd, but scored 3 of their own in the 5th and 6th. Reno tied it up in the 8th, but OKC scored 4 in the bottom of the 8th to take a 7-3 lead. Reno got one back in the 9th, but could not get closer.
The four OKC pitchers each surrendered one run. They allowed 14 hits and 3 walks with 6 K. Matt Andriese pitched another decent game. He went 6.0 innings, giving up just the one run on 7 hits. His ERA is down to 4.45, which is good for #4 in the PCL
Drew Avans and Jahmai Jones each hit go-ahead home runs during the Oklahoma City Dodgers’ eventual 7-4 win Sunday afternoon in their series finale. The Aces took the game’s first lead in the third inning on a RBI single by Dominic Fletcher. Avans’ two-run homer in the fifth inning put the Dodgers in front, 2-1. Devin Mann’s RBI double in the sixth inning extended OKC’s lead to 3-1. The Aces came back to tie the score, 3-3, with two runs in the eighth inning. The Dodgers responded with four runs in the eighth inning to build a 7-3 lead. Jones hit a home run out to right-center field to give OKC a 4-3 edge. Bryson Brigman and David Freitas later hit back-to-back RBI doubles, with Freitas driving in two runs, for a 7-3 Dodgers lead before Reno added a run in the ninth inning.
With the series win (4-2), the Dodgers now lead Reno by 9.0 games in the PCL. They are closing in on the first half championship. The first half ends 06-25 (18 games). Magic number for 1st half is 9.
- Devin Mann – 2-4, double (22)
- David Freitas – 2-3, 2 RBIs, double (1)
- Drew Avans – 1-5, 2 RBIs, HR (5)
- Jahmai Jones – 1-4, HR (6)
Tulsa Drillers 6 – Wichita Wind Surge (Minnesota) 5 – 10 innings
Landon Knack started for Tulsa and was able to complete just 4.2 IP. He allowed 3 runs (1 earned), on 6 hits and 1 BB to go with 4 K. He had 79 pitches (50 strikes). He did not allow much over the first 4 innings, but ran into trouble in the 5th.
After a BB, the next batter dropped down a sac bunt that was thrown away and the runner scored. A double scored an unearned run, and after two fly outs, 2 more singles scored another unearned run. Ryan Sublette was summoned to get the final out.
Knack was leading when he was relieved for. The Drillers were first on the board with a Jorbit Vivas 1st inning HR (6). Vivas drove in the run in the 3rd with a single. Tulsa scored a pair in the 5th with one hit. A BB and HBP put runners on 1st and 2nd. They were balked to 2nd and 3rd, and both scored on an Austin Gauthier single.
DaShawn Keirsey hit his 5th HR off Sublette in the 7th to know the game at 4-4. The two teams entered into extra innings at 4-4. With Carson Taylor starting at 2nd, the next two batters were out without moving the runner. Austin Gauthier drew a walk and Jorbit Vivas got his third RBI with a single, and a 5-4 lead. Jose Ramos reached on a throwing error to load the bases for Imanol Vargas. Vargas drew a walk to force in the eventual game winning run.
The Wind Surge scored a run in the bottom of the tenth on a bases loaded BB, but left the go-ahead run on base with a strike out to Aaron Sabato to end the game.
- Jorbit Vivas – 3-4, HR (6), 3 RBI
- Austin Gauthier, 1-3, 2 BB, 2 runs, 2 RBI
Tulsa currently leads Arkansas Travelers (Seattle) by 3.0 games. The two teams are due to go head to head for a six game series beginning on Tuesday.
Beloit Sky Carp 6 – Great Lakes Loons 0
5 Beloit pitchers shutout the Loons on 5 hits. The Loons had a bullpen game. Mitch Tyranski started and gave up a 1st inning HR that stood up. Michael Hobbs and Jack Dreyer pitched 2.0 perfect innings each.
Benony Robles gave up a 2-run HR in the 6th. Franklin De La Paz came in the 7th and faced 4 batters, three reaching to load the bases. Carlos De Los Santos comes in for De La Paz and immediately gives up a 2-run single. With runners on the corners, De Los Santos walked the next batter and the bases were loaded again. A sac fly plated the 6th run.
The biggest action that the Loons had was in the first inning. In the top of the first inning, Great Lakes’ first baseman Dalton Rushing was hit by a pitch. After a couple of words vocalized in frustration, Rushing was ejected by home plate Guillermo Rodriguez.
- Yeiner Fernandez – 2-5, 2 doubles (8)
- Griffin Lockwood-Powell – 2-3, 1 BB
- Jake Vogel – 1-5, double (8)
That was the entirety of the Loons offense.
The Loons just ended a 12 game road trip. They lost the first game of the trip and the last game of the trip. In between, the Loons had a franchise tying 10 game winning streak.
Atop the Midwest League East standings are the Great Lakes Loons possessing a seven-game lead over the West Michigan Whitecaps with 15 games to go in the first half.
Inland Empire 66ers (LAA) 8 – Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 1
The Quakes scuffled offensively for a second straight day, dropping an 8-1 decision to the Inland Empire 66ers.
Rancho’s second straight loss clinched their first series loss of the year, as Inland won four of six in the series.
Inland Empire starter Michael Derrell-Hicks went seven innings and allowed just one run to earn the win.
Rancho starter Chris Campos (5-3) had a 1-2-3 first inning, but surrendered back-to-back homers to open the second, as Matt Coutney (8) and Christian Sepulveda (3) gave the 66ers a 2-0 lead.
Nick Biddison tripled to open the fourth, then scored on a Jorge Puerta RBI single, bringing the Quakes to within three at 4-1.
Inland got one in the sixth and put it away in the ninth with three more to take a seven-run lead.
The Quakes (32-19) remain 4.5 games up on the second-place Storm, now with 15 to play in the first half.
- Nick Biddison 2-4, triple (3)
Thanks for all your hard work Jeff. The minor league reports are especially appreciated. Bad game today but it’s a long season so don’t panic. A lot of good things happening and what isn’t good AF will make moves to fix.
it’s a unique year with a bunch of new talent and I think it’s really exciting and I’m encouraged by how they are performing. Go Dodgers!
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A 4 hit game is never acceptable. The whole top of the order was silenced. If JDM slumps, look out for the rabbit hole. How could a batting order like this underachieve like they do? Is it the L.A. air?
Jeez Jeff, this does happen all the time in baseball. If JDM slumps then Muncy or Peralta gets hot, like Outman did.
Yay Bobby Miller. Bullpen and offense were pathetic. Outman is a mess and Taylor just sucks. When the top of the order goes cold, they have little to no chance of winning. AF needs to make the bullpen a priority at the trade deadline.
I’m completely over Peralta. Dude sucks.
Dude had two of the Dodgers four hits. So you missed that did you?
The Yankees are formidable.
We are now 4-6. I believe this is the first sub .500 10 game stretch of the year.
Yes, when the top of the order doesn’t hit, this team is in trouble. That won’t happen often, but it will happen.
Outman. #9 in the order now. There is no where else for him to go, except gone.
This team needs Urias. It also needs Peralta, Taylor and Heyward to hit like the veterans they are.
You are right, they went through two 5-5 stretches but this is the first they are 4-6.
Base running; our pitchers can’t hold runners. Meanwhile, Vargas, Thompson, Outman and Smith have all been picked off base recently. The last two being picked off this weekend at times when they had no basis for venturing too far off base. And can someone tell Vargas that if your going to slide into second start the slide when your not three quarters of the way there.
I think this is an interesting angle. Its not that the team doesn’t have the skills to be aggressive on the base paths, its that they lack thr practice
To me it has the look of players who don’t practice base running, they practice slugging. It might be a system issue. Do they even have sliding pits anymore?
Getting picked shouldn’t happen. Not on this team. Not on any team really but this team doesn’t steal that often. And where are the coaches on this? Their job is to keep this from happening. These are fundamentals that appear to be lacking with this team. Attention to detail.
This team is about the worst sliding Major League team I’ve ever seen. And, on a close third out force at second I saw JD run through the bag like he was running to first. He didn’t bother to slide. What if he had been called safe? He was 12’ past the bag on his way to left field. Does that guy even know how to slide?
Back up bases, hit the cutoff, hit behind runners, bunt, slide properly, protect the plate with two strikes, etc. Fundamentals. Attention to detail. Only a few guys on this team do these things.
It appears we are built to score by slugging. When it works, we win and look like a juggernaut. When it doesn’t work we look like the Chula Vista JV.
Badger, you are completely accurate with your comments above. A total lack of concentration all day long. I could see this happening with playing against a substandard team, but against the Yankees on a nationally televised game? The pickoffs (come on Will Smith) and poor fielding decisions recently are concerning. And the baserunning…yikes. That WTF moment with JD was baffling. It could have ended up being the most embarrassing play of the year if the fielder had misplayed the ball.
You have to give credit to German with how well he dominated the Dodger hitters. Although, those Dodger hitters did themselves no favors on how they approached German’s stuff. Not domineering, but created a lot of soft contact and too much “watching” balls over the plate.
On to Cincinnati.
Carry on.
Max Muncy did the same thing a few games back (run through 2B). I talked to a former MLB player (not my son), last week at an event, and I asked that specific question. He asked was there a runner on 3rd? Yes. Then the runner from first knew he could not slide to get to the bag before the force out, but just maybe if he did not slow down and run threw the bag he might get there first and then force the fielder to make a tag, and by the time that was done the run would have scored. He says it is not very common, but it is advised for slower runners to try and steal a run.
Ok. I get that, I guess. But, I would never coach it. If you’re somehow ruled safe on that, isn’t it better you are safe standing on second with the bases loaded than standing near the outfield grass? I don’t recall ever seeing that before.
I saw it a week ago with Muncy, which prompted the question. I did not see JDM do it at the time. He said it is very rare, but he has seen it. He was fast and had a good pop up slide so he never used it, and he was a teammate of my slow running son, and he never saw him do it. I checked he did not. For the record, my son was actually very good at sliding. Both plays were close, but would not have been had they slid. In the runners mind, there was a better chance that they could get to the bag by running through it than by getting to the bag with a slide and having a dropped throw. Neither was going to beat the throw with a slide. They would never have done it unless there was a runner on starting on third. I have seen both Max and JDM with pop up slides, so it is not that they do not know how to slide. Maybe it will come out they were lazy, I like to think there was a reason for the play. Anyway just another thought process; FWIW.
Hmm. Never heard of it, and never seen it until now. Yeah, it’s a play. I’m trying to think how I might defend it. If I have the ball, I just slowly walk over and tag him.
Why?
Thinking as an umpire. The runner establishes his own baseline, right? JD established his baseline to third by running straight into left field. That IS now the baseline. Technically, once he moves 3’ any direction, he’s out.
Strange play. I’m still in favor of the pop up slide.
Germain pitched a helluva game himself. He had all of the Dodger hitters whiffing at the wind. When your top four don’t so much as hit a loud foul, you are going to lose.
https://theathletic.com/4580312/2023/06/05/mlb-season-2023-takeaways?source=user-shared-article
Great article. Very interesting look at pitching injuries.
I posted last night.
did it get 86’ed?
Ask El Jefe
No. I got caught in moderation, and has been posted. That should not happen again. If it does, please let me know.
Thru 60 games the Dodgers have an overall record of 35-25. They have a losing record against teams that are currently at .500 or better at 13-16, .448. They are 22-9, .709 against the sub .500 teams. So we are getting the job done against the teams we should be beating. Not doing so well against the better teams and playoff contenders. The very teams we would have to play in the post season.
We are playing 16 games against sub .500 teams and only 5 against teams with a winning record the rest of June. The Angels for 2 and Asstros for 3 are the only winning teams. With every Monday and one Thursday off, hopefully it will help the Dodgers pitching staff until we get some guys healthy.
I think AF’s main focus at the trade deadline needs to be the bullpen.
Good stats Ohio. I didn’t know the numbers but reading them is not all that surprising to me.
I had the feeling going into this weekend the Yankees might take the series, but not because German would shut them down. I figured it was advantage Yankees because we were throwing two rookies. But Miller was nails.
Who knows, and it’s way too early to speculate, but it looks to me like we would a have very tough time against the better teams in 5 or 7 game series.
Thanks Badger. I have a feeling the roster will look better when some arms get healthy and AF works some deals at the trade deadline.
Luke Williams must have been DFA’d. I have no idea when they did that. He played the entire game yesterday. There is no transaction log mention. MLBTR says that Atlanta picked him up on waivers and have assigned him to Gwinnett (AAA). I have to say, I am sorry to see him go. He will never be more than a reserve, but I still liked him. I always seem to like guys who are always on the cusp, but not quite getting over the hump. I wonder why that is.
I guess Yonny Hernandez has just moved up one rung on the ladder. He’s having a very nice season at OKC and can play all over the infield.
With Williams off the 40-man, are we now at 39 or has that spot already been filled?
The waiver transaction has not been officially reported, so Luke is still on the 40 man. But it is possible that his spot is being held for one of two recently signed ML relievers to MiLB contracts
Ken Giles – Assigned to ACL
Ryan Brasier – Assigned to ACL – From Boston
With the current bullpen, could either one be worse right now. They have both been successful relievers and bad relievers. At least Giles has closing experience. I suspect if Giles looks good in Arizona, he will quickly move up the chain on the fast track to LAD. I guess the same is true for Brasier.
Yonny is having a very good season at OKC. I also saw him make a couple of fantastic plays at 2B at my two games he played in Sacramento. He is on a one-year deal, and I suspect he will not re-sign with LAD with Taylor and Rojas due back in 2024 as the utility players. But you never know.
Jared Karros was California League Pitcher of the Month