Roberto Campos and Dillon Dingler homer in losses

Omaha Storm Chasers 9, Toledo Mud Hens 6 (box)

After four straight losses to open the seven-game set, the Hens bounced back to win on Friday and Saturday as Akil Baddoo and Kerry Carpenter remained red hot. Unfortunately, they dropped another one on Sunday to lose the series five games to two.

Sunday was a bullpen day for the Hens, and it didn’t go very well. Bryan Garcia gave up two runs in three innings of work, and after Jose Cisnero blanked Omaha for an inning in his rehab outing, Nivaldo Rodriguez allowed two more in the fifth.

With the score 4-0, the Hens managed a big comeback in the sixth. Ali Sanchez led off with a walk, and after Derek Hill struck out, Akil Baddoo sprayed a double into the left field corner to get Sanchez to third. Brendon Davis walked to load the bases and Josh Lester then hammered a grand slam to left center field for his 14th of the season.

Just as they’d tied it up, the bullpen fell apart as Miguel Diaz allowed four runs in the seventh. In the eighth, the Hens loaded the bases again, but this time Omaha walked in a run and allowed one more on a Sanchez single before shutting the door. 8-6 Omaha.

They’d never get closer as Nolan Blackwood allowed one more in the bottom of the eighth, and the Hens went quickly in the top of the ninth.

Lester: 2-5, 2 R, 4 RBI, HR, SO

Davis: 2-3, 2 R, 2 BB, SO

Sanchez; 2-3, R, RBI, 2B, BB, SO

Coming Up Next: The Hens head from Omaha up to St. Paul, Minnesota to battle the Saints starting on Tuesday night.

Harrisburg Senators 6, Erie SeaWolves 5 (box)

After getting beat on a bit through four straight losses, the Senators bounced back with victories on Saturday and Sunday to salvage something from the six-game set.

The bullpen was the culprit in this one. The offense jumped all over the Senators in the first inning, as Wenceel Perez and Dillon Dingler each smacked two-run homers in the inning to put Erie up 4-0.

Meanwhile Austin Bergner, on a pitch count like many other as the Tigers look to lighten the load on their starting pitching prospects through the middle of the season, spun three scoreless frames. Joe Navilhon took over for two more scoreless frames, and things were looking pretty good.

The looked even better when Dane Myers clubbed his 12th homer of the year to lead off the sixth inning. However, things fell apart quickly from there as the Senators finally broke through for four runs in the bottom of the seventh. Zac Houston and Billy Lescher each allowed a pair of runs in the inning. Lescher spun a scoreless eighth, and it was up to Gerson Moreno to lock up the save. He couldn’t do it, walking two and giving up a pair of hits as Harrisburg walked it off.

Perez: 2-3, R, 2 RBI, HR, BB

Dingler: 1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR

Bergner: 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 3 SO

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves will host the Binghamton Rumble Ponies this week, starting Tuesday night at 6:05 p.m EDT.

West Michigan Whitecaps 4, Dayton Dragons 1 (box)

The Whitecaps swept Saturday’s doubleheader, and then backed it with a 4-1 victory to take the six game series with the Dayton Dragons five games to one.

Brett Hurter came up with a strong start in this one, tossing 5 ¹⁄₃ innings of one run ball. Pretty quickly, the lefty was working with a lead as the Dragons wild pitched Austin Murr, who initially reached on an error, home with the first run of the game. A two-run automatic double to right from Josh Crouch with the bases loaded in the third made it 3-0 ‘Caps.

Bryce Tassin took over from Hurter with one out in the sixth after the Dragons’ Elly De La Cruz singled. De La Cruz stole second and third on Tassin, and eventually scored on a ground out for the Dragons only run. The Whitecaps got the run back in the eighth on a Corey Joyce RBI single.

Jack O’Loughlin, Dario Gardea, and Andrew Magno each threw a scoreless frame of relief to shut the door on Dayton, with Magno earning his seventh save for West Michigan.

Crouch: 2-3, 2 RBI, 2B, BB

Chacon: 1-3, R, BB, SO

Hurter (W, 2-0): 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 5 SO

Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps welcome in the Wisconsin Timber Ratters starting Tuesday night at 6:35 p.m. EDT.

Bradenton Marauders 7, Lakeland Flying Tigers 6 (box)

Recently turned 19-year-old slugger Roberto Campos had a good series, with six hits including a double and two home runs, but otherwise the Flying Tigers got their butts kicked, losing all six to Bradenton last week.

After a strong first half, Carlos Pena had another rough outing on Sunday, struggling with his control and allowing five earned runs, including two homers, in five innings of work. Ty Mattison allowed two more in the seventh.

The Flying Tigers put a run on the board in the third when Lazaro Benitez led off with a walk and stole second base. Mike Rothenberg struck out, but Alvaro Gonzalez was hit by a pitch sparking an argument that got manager Andrew Graham ejected, and then Cristian Santana walked to load the bases with one out. A fielder’s choice off the bat of Izaac Pacheco brought Benitez home, but they wasted a chance for much more as Manuel Sequera popped out and Campos struck out to end the inning.

In the fifth, Lakeland finally made a move. Gonzalez led off with a single, Santana struck out, and Pacheco lined out, but Manuel Sequera drilled an automatic double to left to move Gonzalez to third. Roberto Campos then went yard to left field with authority for the second straight day, and it was 5-4 Marauders. Unfortunately, Mattison allowed those two in the seventh, and the Marauders pulled away again 7-4.

Justice Bigbie doubled in the eighth, advanced to third on a balk, and scored on a Benitez sac fly to cut the lead to two runs. In the bottom of the ninth, down to their final out, Sequera doubled again. This time Campos singled him home, and brought the potential game winning run to the dish in the form of Bigbie, but he grounded out to end the game.

Campos: 2-5, R, 4 RBI, HR, 2 SO

Sequera: 2-5, 2 R, 2 2B

Bigbie: 2-4, R, 2B, SO

Pena (L, 3-2): 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 5 SO

Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers travel to Palm Beach to tangle with the Cardinals beginning the six-game set on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. EDT.