Dodgers levels ambushed in Independence Day massacre

Best organization in baseball can laugh it off

And the rockets red glare

the bombs bursting in air

but after the night

best record in baseball is still there

In an Independence Day Massacre, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the best organization in professional sports, were brutally assaulted on all fronts in a coordinated, simultaneous attack at five locations. The cumulative score for the one major league game and four minor league affiliate games was an unprecedented 72-13. That differential, for five games, is larger than that of 18 major league teams after over 90 games, in either direction.

However, an early assessment indicates the Dodgers have weathered this massacre with little or no material damage. Rumor has it Dodger manager Dave Roberts was heard brazenly telling reporters, “Go to the other teams and tell them what you saw here.”

Player of the day

Let’s take a moment to be grateful for something/anything.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Landon Knack got knocked for five runs and seven hits in five innings as he took the loss in the Comets’ 10-6 drubbing by the Las Vegas Aviators (Athletics). Since Knack was sent back to Triple-A after a stint with the Dodgers, he has given up four runs or more in four of five appearances for Oklahoma City.

James Outman had three hits, including his 20th home run, a double, and three RBIs, giving him 70 on the year.

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Double-A Tulsa

It got worse for team-Dodgers in Double-A, as the Tulsa Drillers fell behind 4-0 to the Wichita Wind Surge (Twins) in the second inning, 9-0 in the third, 11-0 in the fourth, until the game mercifully ended with a 14-2 final score. Chris Campos’ ERA took a brutal hit, which happens when you give up nine earned runs. When Campos pitched six scoreless innings against Wichita in April, they apparently took it very personally. In two games since then, they have scored 14 runs off of him in three and two-thirds innings.

High-A Great Lakes

The West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers) deployed the single, hit by pitch, walk, grand slam strategy, and jumped on the Loons 5-0 before the Loons came to bat. The Whitecaps then wasted precious energy scoring ten more runs, and the Loons avoided a 15-0 embarrassment by scoring a run in the ninth, losing 15-1. If Maddox Bruns’ name looks a little bit like 8runs, well, check the box score.

Low-A Rancho Cucamonga

One thing is probable: with the High-A Loons down 15-0 at one point in their game Friday night, it’d probably be at least 10 years until another Dodger affiliate is down 15-0 again. But it only took a few hours, as the Quakes didn’t score until the eighth inning of a 15-3 loss to the Visalia Rawhide (D-backs).

Friday scores

• Las Vegas 10, Oklahoma City 6
• Wichita 14, Tulsa 2
• West Michigan 15, Great Lakes 1
• Visalia 15, Rancho Cucamonga 3

Saturday scores

• West Michigan (Max Alba) at Great Lakes (Eriq Swan), 4:05 PM PST
• Tulsa (Patrick Copen) at Wichita (Christian MacLeod) , 4:05 PM PST
• Las Vegas (Aaron Brooks) at Oklahoma City (Matt Sauer), 5:05 PM PST
• Rancho Cucamonga (Logan Tabeling) at Visalia (Wilkin Paredes), 6:30 PM PST