Blake Snell pitches 2 strong innings at Rancho Cucamonga

Dodgers LHP struck ouf 4 in 2 scoreless innings for the Quakes, his first rehab start and first game action since April 2

In Dodgers’ minor league games, Blake Snell goes “mach schnell” for two innings, Chris Campos’ compass suddenly reverses its magnetic field, and Landon Knack gets knocked around.

Player of the day

Landon Knack’s ascent to the major leagues took a fairly traditional path. A college pitcher drafted in the second round of the 2020 Major League draft, Knack opened some eyes in 2023, when he made 12 starts in Double-A with a 2.20 ERA and 10 starts in Triple-A with a 2.93 ERA. That earned him 15 appearances at the major league level in 2024, and he surpassed expectations with a performance that held its own when compared to fellow starters Gavin Stone and Tyler Glasnow. His numbers included a 3.65 ERA, a 69/18 strikeout/walk ratio, 1.101 WHIP, and a .220 batting average against.

Despite those excellent numbers, there were some red flags that gave a hint at the possibility of regression, such as hard hit rate and home runs surrendered (14 in 69 innings). And those red flags have proved prophetic, as Knack has gotten pounded unmercifully in 2025. In 39 innings for the Dodgers, Knack has given up ten home runs and has a 5.12 ERA. At Triple-A, in 52 innings, his ERA is 6.54. On Thursday, Knack was knocked around for seven runs, on six hits, including three home runs.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

The Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros) defeated the Comets 12-8. Knack started for the Comets and gave up seven runs (six earned) in five innings. The Comets sustained an attack for most of the game, scoring in six of the nine innings, and amassing 13 hits. But the Space Cowboys had a four-run inning, and two three-run innings, to outscore the Comets. Ryan Ward had three hits, including a triple, and Jose Ramos, in his third game since being promoted to Triple-A, hit his first homer for the Comets, an inside-the-park job. Its always fun to watch the ball roll away from the outfielders as the runner is circling the bases.

Double-A Tulsa

Chris Campos has pitched a seven-inning one-hit, no-walk shutout this season, and he has been raided for nine earned runs in less than three innings. So which Campos showed up on Thursday for a start against the Arkansas Travelers (Mariners)? The good Campos, almost to the end.

Campos was able to get through five and two-thirds innings, throwing 79 pitches, having surrendered just one unearned run, on four singles and no walks. He threw eight more pitches attempting to finish the inning, and those eight pitches resulted in a home run, a double, a walk, and another home run, almost instantly disappearing the four-run lead. The Drillers could only produce five runs out of fifteen hits and four walks, which wasn’t enough, losing 7-5.

High-A Great Lakes

After 30 dominant innings in Low-A (1.21 ERA), 20-year-old Sean Linan has continued to pitch extremely well in High-A for the Great Lakes Loons. In 33 innings, he has a 37/11 strikeout/walk ratio, a 1.050 WHIP, and a .194 average against. He started the make-up game from yesterday’s wash-out, and his line score was a very tidy six innings, 76 pitches, 55 strikes, one run, four hits, six strikeouts, no walks. Zyhir Hope hit a two-run triple to give the Loons a three-run lead, and they held on, winning the game against the Lansing Lugnuts (Athletics), 4-1.

In the regularly scheduled game, the Lugnuts blew out the Loons 10-1, holding them to just two hits. Payton Martin pitched two innings and gave up two runs on three hits.

Low-A Rancho Cucamonga

Eyes were on Rancho Cucamonga as Blake Snell made a rehab start on his way back from shoulder inflammation. He should have retired all six batters he faced, but the last of those reached base after a strikeout and a catcher’s throwing error. That extended the inning, but after a single, Snell struck out Kevin Bruggeman to end his outing on a high note. In less important matters, Rancho Cucamonga lost the game to the Inland Empire (Angels), 5-3. Niko Perez had three hits, and Eduardo Quintero had two hits for the Quakes.

Thursday scores

• Sugar Land 12, Oklahoma City 8
• Arkansas 7, Tulsa 5
• Great Lakes 4, Lansing 1, make up game for July 9
• Lansing 10, Great Lakes 1, regularly scheduled game
• Inland Empire 5, Rancho Cucamonga 3

Friday schedule

Lansing (Tzu-Chen Sha) at Great Lakes (Maddux Bruns), 4:05 PM PST

Sugar Land (Miguel Ullola) at Oklahoma City (Justin Wrobleski), 5:05 PM PST

Tulsa (Patrick Copen) at Arkansas (Dylan File), 5:05 PM PST

Inland Empire (Yeferson Vargas) at Rancho Cucamonga (Logan Tabeling), 6:30 PM PST