Dodgers' Lux crushes first Triple-A homer

The competition is supposed to get harder when a player moves up a level in the Minor Leagues. But three games into his first stint in the Pacific Coast League, Gavin Lux is making the transition look easy.
The Dodgers' No. 2 prospect led off Triple-A Oklahoma City's 13-2 win over Nashville on Sunday night with his first homer since Thursday's promotion. Lux went 4-for-6 with two doubles and an infield single, scoring three runs and driving in two. 

"The strides he's made on both sides of the ball and the confidence that he's playing with right now [are most impressive,]" Dodgers manager Travis Barbary said. "He fits right in with an older group. He carries himself well, a real professional. He's shown that he belongs at this level."

The 21-year-old's solo shot came against veteran right-hander Tim Dillard and bounced off the batter's eye in center field at First Tennessee Park. Lux doubled to center field in the second, scoring Angelo Mora as part of a four-run frame, and again to left in the sixth. Both knocks came off Dillard.
Through three games with Oklahoma City, Lux is 8-for-13 with five extra-base hits for a .615 average and 1.821 OPS. He's struck out twice and walked twice and seems to have quickly acclimated from Double-A Tulsa, where he hit .313/.376/.521 with 13 homers in 64 games.
But look at it this way: Lux hit seven doubles in 269 at-bats with the Drillers; he has four in 13 at-bats since leaving them. 
Gameday box score
Results aside, it has been the sheer quality of those at-bats that has struck Barbary during the brief sample from his new shortstop.
"That's one of the things that stands out for a young player," the manager said. "Just the way he has at-bats and conducts them, very disciplined. When he gets a good pitch to hit, he doesn't miss it."
Third-ranked Dodgers prospect Dustin May (1-0) headed to Oklahoma City with Lux and made his first Pacific Coast League start on Sunday. He earned the promotion after posting a 3.74 ERA and striking out 86 batters over 79 1/3 innings for Tulsa, with 14 of those punchouts coming in his finale last week.
The 21-year-old right-hander allowed two runs -- one earned -- on four hits over five innings against the Sounds, walking two and striking out three.

"Dustin is a tremendous competitor," Barbary said. "He really expects a lot out of himself. He's always ready to take the ball. ... He walked out there like he belonged. Obviously, he didn't have his best stuff tonight. Command was a little erratic at times, but he was able to make pitches when he needed to with guys on base."
The Dodgers lineup took some pressure off May by scoring all 13 runs while he was in the game. Zach Reks reached base five times and drove in three runs while falling a triple shy of the cycle. Dodgers No. 10 prospect DJ Peters, another recent Tulsa promotion, also belted his first Triple-A homer.
All 13 runs were charged to Dillard (5-4), who surrendered 15 hits and two walks while fanning five over 4 2/3 innings.