OKC Baseball Club 22 – Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Houston) 3
25 year old RHP, Ben Casparius, made his AAA debut, and it turned out to be arguably his best game as a professional. 5.0 scoreless innings, 3 singles and 3 BB. He did not have much stress in his 5.0 IP. His BB/9 is still too high. But hopefully he can work on that. He is a step away from being a MLB pitcher.
Ben Casparius had a successful Triple-A debut for OKC, tossing 5.0 scoreless, allowing 3 hits, 3 walks, and 5 Ks.
Even with a couple misreads, the statcast data on his offerings was impressive:
4S – 94.9 avg t97.0, 2386 RPM
SL – 83.5, 2953
CB – 80.5, 2998
CT – 86.6, 3066— Josh Thomas (@jokeylocomotive) May 10, 2024
Tanner Dodson continued the shutout through 7, but John Rooney and Braydon Fisher surrendered 3 runs in the final two innings.
OKC scored 22 runs on 19 hits and 14 walks. They had 4 doubles, 1 triple, and 3 HRs, including Austin Gauthier’s first AAA HR.
Austin Gauthier came up just a triple shy of the Cycle. He hit his first AAA Home Run, and, of course, it went to Right Field. He's hitting .455 so far in AAA, OPS 1.509. Played mostly SS at Tulsa, played RF tonight, so Chris Taylor type versatility. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/5uyC9Iezps
— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) May 10, 2024
If you want to read the inning by inning rundown, please see the box score.
- Drew Avans – 4-6, 1 BB, 2 runs, 1 RBI
- Miguel Vargas – 1-3, 4 BB, 3 runs, 2 RBI, double (12)
Miguel Vargas had 3 hits for AAA OKC, including his 11th double of 2024. Average up to .287, OPS .971, hit 2 balls 100+ last night, then another at 97.1. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/vKHQOvUgYQ
— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) May 9, 2024
- Andre Lipcius – 3-5, 2 BB, 4 runs, 4 RBI, 2 doubles (6)
- Hunter Feduccia – 4-7, 2 runs, 6 RBI, triple (2), HR (2)
Things are officially off the rails in Sugar Land.
Hunter Feduccia now homers as part of a nine-run inning and the score is now 20-0! pic.twitter.com/tc2Sxcrgx3
— Oklahoma City Baseball Club (@okc_baseball) May 10, 2024
- Kody Hoese – 1-6, 1 run, 3 RBI, HR (4)
- Austin Gauthier – 3-4. 2 BB, 3 runs, 1 RBI, double (2), HR (1)
- Chris Owings – 2-4, 2 BB, 3 runs, 1 RBI
Midland RockHounds 9 – Tulsa Drillers 5
Kendall Williams and Juan Morillo continue their downward spirals. Williams started and completed 5.0 IP.
Williams allowed a pair of 2-run HRs in the 1st and 3rd. A double and single allowed another run. In the 6th, Williams allowed a walk and single to the first two batters. With runners on 1st and 3rd, he was lifted for Juan Morillo. A ground ball out, single, and another ground ball allowed both inherited runners to score.
In the 7th, Morillo allowed a single and walk. On a double steal, Dalton Rushing had a throwing error allowing one runner to score, and the other to end up at 3rd. A wild pitch allowed the second run to score.
Tulsa temporarily tied the score in the 3rd. Chris Alleyne doubled and scored on a Taylor Young single. Young was balked to 2nd and scored on a Dalton Rushing single.
Alex Freeland hit his first AA HR in the 6th. In the 7th, Taylor Young doubled and moved to 3rd on a ground out. Young scored on a Brendon Davis sac fly. A single and three walks gave the Drillers their final run.
- Taylor Young – 2-4, 1 BB, 2 runs, 1 RBI, double (7)
- Brandon Lewis – 2-3, 1 BB, 1 run
- Alex Freeland – 1-3, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (7)
- Chris Alleyne double (3)
Great Lakes Loons 5 – Lansing Lugnuts (A’s) 3
Maddux Bruns has now pitched back to back gems. He completed 4.0 innings of 3-hit scoreless baseball. His walks were at 2, and his strikeouts were 6. His only inning of stress was the 4th. With 2 outs, he walked a batter who took 3rd on a single. After a second walk in the inning, he had the bases full. He struck out the next batter for his last batter of the inning. 64 pitches in 4.0 innings, with 42 strikes (65.6%).
Maddux Bruns had another dominant outing!
4 IP
3 H
0 R
6 Ks
2 BB
This was Bruns 3rd outing of 2024 & he's allowed just 1 run in 8.2 Innings & has 12 Ks to just 3 Walks. Dude turned a corner towards the end of last year in terms of control & command & he's carried that momentum.… pic.twitter.com/I4THKlOhOk— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) May 10, 2024
He has gone from 1.2 IP, to 3.0, and now 4.0. He has allowed 3 runs (1 earned) in 8.2 IP. His walk total is still high at 6. His BB/9 is 6.23 which is an improvement of his 6.39 for 2023 at Great Lakes. He has 14 Ks. He is on the right track. He now needs to build on that consistency. He is also going to need to get up 5-6 IP is he wants to fulfill his starting role.
The Loons scored a pair in the 1st. Noah Miller drew a 2-out BB, and Chris Newell hit a 2-run HR.
The lead lasted until the 5th. Brandon Neeck relieved Bruns. He got two quick outs but then gave up a triple, 2 singles, and a double for three runs, and a Lansing 3-2 lead.
The Loons got the three back in the 6th. Thayron Liranzo had a one-out single, and Chris Newell drew a two-out BB before Jake Gelof hit a 3-run HR, his first High A HR.
Jake Gelof just absolutely destroyed his first HR at the High A Level. Gelof, as mentioned by Loons PxP @VicariJohn, is the All Time Home Runs leader at Virginia, and has a world of power. Like most Dodgers, great hitter first though, .301 OPS .917. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/QEOTA8XABm
— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) May 9, 2024
Kelvin Bautista (2.0 IP), Michael Martinez (1.0 IP), and Lucas Wepf (1.0 IP) finished the final 4.0 scoreless innings. Wepf earned his 4th save.
- Thayron Liranzo – 2-3, 1 BB, 1 run
- Chris Newell – 1-2, 2 BB, 2 runs, 2 RBI, HR (8)
- Jake Gelof – 1-4, 1 run, 3 RBI, HR (1)
Visalia Rawhide (Arizona) 4 – Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 0
Well I was wrong. Jose Rodriguez did indeed start for the Quakes. This was his first pro start going back to 2021. His start did not go as well as he undoubtedly hoped for. He got through the first two innings unscathed. But his next two innings did not go well. He gave up 4 runs in the 3rd, and 3 more in the 4th. Overall, In his 3.2 IP, he allowed 7 runs (all earned), 8 hits (1 HR), and 3 walks. He continued with his excellent strikeout numbers with 7 in 3.2 IP.
Rancho close the score to 7-5 in the 6th. With 2 outs, Visalia walked 6 straight Quakes, and Josue De Paula hit a 2-run single.
Robinson Ortiz came in to relieve. He retired the side in order in the 6th. In the 7th, 2 singles and a ground out moved them to 2nd and 3rd. RC got the runner at the plate on the next fielder’s choice. Ortiz picked off the runner on 1st, but Jefferson Valladares threw the ball away and the run scored (unearned).
Sean McLain opened the 9th with a single. He moves to 3rd on 2 wild pitches, and scores on a Samuel Munoz sacrifice fly. They narrowed the score to 8-6, but that is as close as it will get.
Rancho Cucamonga got 6 hits.
- Sean McLain – 2-3, 2 BB, 2 runs
Really enjoy these. Casparius is 6’2″ 215. About the same size as Landon Knack.
Casparius now has one more AAA start than did Emmet Sheehan last year when he was summoned to LAD.
A further connection: Sheehan had the special fastball and Casparius has the elite slider.
Very true
Jeff, I appreciate your support of Taylor, and while I agree the team doesn’t really need him at this time it’s my opinion any time you can upgrade the roster it should be considered. How long do the Dodgers wait? I said 100 at bats and that should happen sometime before summer arrives. If he’s still waving at air after those 100 at bats, what do you tell Lipcius, Gauthier and Owings if they have continued banging at AAA?
Casparius. I think he would look good in green and gold.
Gelof. 22 years old. Great looking swing. Crushed A league pitching. Steals bases and hits triples now and then. I’d like to see what he does in AA.
And Mason Miller would look in Dodger Blue???
Gelof – I hope he gets a fast track to AA this summer. Alex Freeland is there now, and he isn’t disappointing.
As far as Taylor goes, it is not Taylor per se. It is the Dodgers culture. How this front office treats their players, even after a really bad month. Boston treats their players very much like the Dodgers have. A tale of two teams:
Team 1 – After the 2004 season, Boston’s Theo Epstein and Ben Cherrington came to my son (who was a free agent), and wanted him to sign a MiLB contract with them. There was no promise that he would get to Boston, only that it would be off and on like it was in 2004. What they really wanted him for was to groom him to being manager/coach. Tito Francona loved my son when he was at Philly and at Boston. He was tempted to sign because he was very comfortable with Boston, but his agent advised him to hold off a little longer.
Team 2 – NYM contacted my son’s agent and said that they wanted Andy to be Piazza’s back up in the Bigs, on a MLB contract (split MiLB). My son couldn’t turn down that opportunity, and Boston understood, but said they will be calling when he decides to call it quits. Unfortunatley Omar Minaya became the GM late 2004 and wanted a “Latin Flair” to the Mets to improve their image in Latin America. He signed Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran…and a backup catcher named Ramon Castro. Castro was an accomplished MLB backup catcher. Andy understood. You have to compete. He learned that at an early age. His reward? He was sold to Toronto on April 1 2005 at the very end of ST. But when he left there were multiple Mets who came to him and told him he had no chance to be Piazza’s backup. Minaya wanted a Hispanic backup catcher. Those were their words.
It had nothing to do with Minaya wanting a Hispanic catcher, whether fact or fiction. As a 26th round draft pick and an 8 year MiLB player, he knew what it meant to compete just to stay in Baseball. But he had his choice of teams, and was told something that was never going to happen to sign with NYM and then right before Opening Day he gets sold to Toronto. He was told by one of the MiLB staff to pack his bags and go to Dunedin (Toronto’s ST site). That was his send off.
There is a way of treating players. With class like Boston and LAD, or like s*** like NYM and as it turned out Toronto.
Jeff,
In your opinion, how much of that is due to the people in charge and how much is institutionalized within teams?
IMO I think that it starts with the organization that creates the culture, and then transcends that culture to the staff. The Dodgers under O’Malley were far different than it was under the Fox Group and Frank McCourt. When Guggenheim bought the team they had an ownership group with impeccable character. The ownership group let Stan Kasten (also one of the owners) hire the right people. AF and Farhan Zaidi were both great people. Josh Byrnes, Alex Anthopoulos, Gabe Kapler, and yes Dave Roberts. Go up and down the organization, and the character is the key to the personnel. Nobody can question their character. For the most part, the owners have let AF run the franchise from a player and development standpoint. Of course he has a budget that comes from the owners. Mark Walter was absolutely involved in Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto signings.
Boston under John Henry was better than Miami under John Henry. At Boston, he hired Larry Lucchino who hired Theo Epstein. Ben Cherington grew up in the Red Sox organization from an area scout. Lucchino is very much involved with Special Olympics. Theo hired Tito Francona. You cannot have better character than any of those individuals. So the team takes on the character of Larry Lucchino and then Theo and then Tito. John Henry is there to make certain final decisions. I do not believe Mookie gets traded if Lucchino was still involved.
The current Dodgers emulate Stan Kasten/Andrew Friedman. Friedman has made one bad signing IMO and that was Trevor Bauer. That was totally out of character for AF. The Red Sox when my son was there emulated Larry Lucchino/Theo Epstein.
Cam Day will be getting the start for Rancho tonight. He has started two thus far this season, and in both games came out early to be relieved by Garrett McDaniels. Perhaps that is the game plan again tonight Rancho is running out of legit SP. Patrick Copen and Carlos Duran have 5 starts. Garrett McDaniels is next with 3. Right now Copen and Payton Martin are the two legit starters. I am not sure as to why Gabe Emmett has only two starts. He has not done well his last two relief appearances.
Day is a 2023 UDFA out of Utah. He is a 21 year old 6’2” RHP. He will turn 22 in July. This will be his 3rd start in 2024.
Hyun-il Choi or Yon Castro will get the start for Tulsa. Eduardo Salazar will start for OKC and Jacob Meador will start for Great Lakes.
Joc Pederson is leading AZ in all 4 categories of this line:
.302.415.535.950
All three.
And therefore 4
Well played, Garkel.
Be a good TD pick up
A sad story. Sean Burroughs has passed away at the age of 44. I can still see him celebrating the 1993 Little League World Series Championship game. He was on a 2-time Little League Championship team from Long Beach. Long Beach got to the finals in 1992 and were beat by The Philippines. Long Beach was later awarded the title because of the use of ineligible players by The Philippines. Long Beach won it outright in 1993 when they beat Panama 3-2.
Sean was later a 1998 1st round pick (#9 overall) of the San Diego Padres.
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Burroughs was coaching his son’s Little League baseball game when he collapsed and died. Burroughs was 44.
Condolences to the Burroughs family.
RIP Sean Burroughs! 🙏
Burroughs overcame some pretty tough substance abuse problems.
As I think about his poor kid watching his 43 year old Dad collapse in front of him I just shake my head and remind myself that there are more important things in life than worrying about how CT3 might be holding back the team.
What a horrible thing for a kid to have to go through.
RIP Sean.
Oh man. That poor kid.
I too remember Burroughs in Little League. Impressive run. 43. Too soon.
Yes, first thing I thought was “was his kid on the field and watching it happen?”
For those that live close enough to Rancho Cucamonga to make a game, the Quakes have a Jared and Eric Karros Bobblehead Night Giveaway next Friday (May 17).
Nobody wants a 3 digit number
Really happy for those guys to get “real” numbers.
It’s a small statement from the team that they expect them to be around for awhile.
On the other hand, I hear that CT3 will now be wearing number 87 and Outman number 92.
How about numbers that start with 0?
does this mean Bellinger cannot return??
Yes it does.
Al Oliver wore # 0 and Brian Wilson wore # 00. The pitcher, not the Beach Boy.
I’m thinking Taylor could wear 149.
The Dodgers are coasting along but the Lakers have drama. I am very tired of a player, any player, being able to overly influence who is on the roster and who is the coach. Pelenka needs to leave and replaced with someone who doesn’t defer to James.
I think the Lakers need to move on from James. I fear they will trade an asset to get a third superstar. They need Caldwell Pope if they keep Reeves, Davis, and James. He a shooter and a good defender. Russell was hot and cold as a shooter and a poor defender.
I would let James walk which would allow the team to hire a coach that wouldn’t be second guessed by James.
PG Reeves
SG Pope
C Davis
PF Vanderbilt
SF Hachimura
Welcome to Lakerchronicles.com.
Pelinka was trained by Kobe so he’s the perfect guy to be LBJ’s flunky.
They will definitely keep LeBron if he’s willing to stay and I’m guessing he will be.
That means they’ll go after a third star which will involve trading Reeves.
Not at all sure that will make the team better.
When Ham was fired most media folk speculated on 5 possibilities. Two have already gotten jobs with Charlotte and Phoenix. Balmer says he wants to keep Lue so that’s a third one.
I want to see JJ Reddick hired even though he has absolutely no coaching experience. He’s a very smart guy and was a smart basketball player. He’s an excellent communicator and has a good relationship with LBJ. He’ll be able to do the things Ham wasn’t doing with regard to lineups and late game strategy. I see him as another Steve Kerr in the making.
And now we return you to the already-in-progress Dodgerchronicles.com.