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Minor League Update: Gailen, Tulsa inch closer to league championship

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The following are updates on local baseball players at the minor league level.

Blake Gailen (Glendale Community College, 2005) Tulsa Drillers outfielder: After helping Tulsa win the double-A Texas League’s North Division, Gailen and the Drillers are off to an excellent start in their best-of-five series league championship series against the Midland RockHounds.

Tulsa took a commanding 2-0 series lead Wednesday with a 5-4 road win. Tulsa scored five runs in the fourth inning before holding off a late comeback bid. Gailen had a superb effort, finishing with three hits and one run.

In the opening game of the series Tuesday, Gailen, who represented Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic in the spring, walked twice and scored one run in Tulsa’s 5-3 road win. Tulsa scored four runs in the second to build a 4-1 lead. Gailen led off the second with a walk and scored on a two-run triple by Drew Jackson to make it 2-1. Gailen, who signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers on June 29, walked in the eighth.

Tulsa can wrap up the series with a home win at 5:05 p.m. PDT Friday. A fourth game would be held Saturday and a deciding contest would take place Sunday at Tulsa.

Gailen, 32, is batting .300 (45 for 150) with nine doubles, seven home runs and 35 runs batted in. He’s scored 23 runs and walked 17 times in 49 games for the Drillers.

David Olmedo-Barrera (St. Francis High, 2012) Charlotte Stone Crabs outfielder: Olmedo-Barrera ended his third season hitting safely in his last two contests for Charlotte, the class-A advanced affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.

The former All-Area and All-Mission League selection recorded two hits and scored a run in a 4-2 defeat against the Bradenton Marauders on Sept. 3. Olmedo-Barrera, a Cal State Fullerton product, singled and scored a run in the second inning. He had a lead-off single in the seventh.

On Sept. 2 against Bradenton, Olmedo-Barrera collected a single in the fifth in a 1-0 10-inning defeat.

Olmedo-Barrera, 23, batted .248 (109 for 440) with five home runs and 46 runs batted in. He registered 17 doubles, four triples and scored 46 runs in 119 contests.

Charlotte finished 69-66 for fourth place in the Florida State League’s South Division.

Justin Lewis (La Cañada High, 2014) Arizona League Dodgers pitcher: The left-hander completed his first season with the Dodgers and provided stability in the bullpen..

Lewis, a former All-Area and All-Rio Hondo League honoree who was taken by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 28th round (850th overall) of the Major League Baseball First-Year Draft in June, went 1-0 with two saves for Arizona. He appeared in six games with Arizona, striking out 10 and walking six. In 10 1/3 innings, Lewis, who attended Cornell University, allowed five runs (four earned) and eight hits.

In his last outing, which came Sept. 4 against the visiting Cubs, Lewis went 1 2/3 innings. He struck out two and allowed two hits in the Dodgers’ 7-6 defeat. The Dodgers finished 37-19 for first place in the Arizona League’s Central Division.

Lewis also appeared in eight games with the Ogden Raptors, another rookie affiliate team. In eight appearances at Ogden, Lewis went 0-0 with a 10.45 ERA. He struck out 10 and walked six in 10 1/3 innings. Lewis, 20, surrendered 14 runs (12 earned) and 20 hits.

Julian Jarrard (Glendale Community College, 2014) Arizona Brewers infielder: Jarrard turned in an excellent season for Arizona, the rookie league team for the Los Angeles Dodgers, after signing as a minor league free agent in June.

In 37 games, Jarrard batted .287 (43 for 150) with two home runs and 37 runs batted in. He registered 16 doubles and scored 19 runs for the Brewers, who finished 33-23 for second place in the Arizona League’s Central Division.

Jarrard, 25, ended the season on a positive note, recording two hits and scoring twice in a 9-6 loss to the Cubs on Sept. 2. Jarrard, a former All-Western State Conference South Division selection, had a single and scored a run in the bottom of the second inning. He accomplished the feat again in the seventh.

On Aug. 31 against the visiting Athletics, Jarrard had a walk and scored a run in the second inning to help the Brewers notch an 8-3 victory. Jarrard later had a single in the seventh.

charles.rich@latimes.com

Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich

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