Omaha Storm Chasers 9, Toledo Mud Hens 0 (box)
Another game, another blowout as these two clubs don’t seem capable of playing a close one. Storm Chasers pitching throttled the Hens, holding them to just three hits on the night.
Brenan Hanifee got the start for Toledo and wasn’t terrible. He allowed three runs over 4 2⁄3 innings, managing to limit the damage from six hits and two walks. They just didn’t get any run support, and in the eighth inning Miguel Diaz had a rare terrible outing. Diaz just couldn’t get anyone out, allowing six runs in the inning as the Storm Chasers ran away with this one.
Hanifee (L, 0-3): 4.2 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 SO
Coming Up Next: RHP Daniel Mengden (0-0, 15.00 ERA) starts for the Storm Chasers at 7:35 p.m. ET on Friday night. The Hens have yet to announce.
Harrisburg Senators 4, Erie SeaWolves 2 (box)
The bats were cool again in this one as they only managed a pair of runs despite 10 walks issued. Good grief.
Grant Witherspoon continued his hot hitting with a leadoff double in the top of the second inning. Jake Holton singled him home, and Gage Workman followed with a single of his own. However, they couldn’t push another run across in the inning.
Starter Wilmer Flores was better in this one, but still not particularly strong. He allowed a run in the bottom of the second, and one in the third as the Senators opened a 2-1 lead. Erie tied it in the top of the fourth when Ben Malgeri walked and then was wild pitched around the basepaths to score. Bryce Tassin took over from Flores in the sixth and allowed a solo home run. Harrisburg scratched out another run in the seventh and held on to win.
Holton: 2-4, RBI
Flores: 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 SO
Coming Up Next: LHP Brant Hurter (1-1, 2.35 ERA) takes on LHP Alemao Hernandez (0-0, 2.25 ERA) Friday night at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Great Lakes Loons 10, West Michigan Whitecaps 0 (box)
Even lefty Carlos Pena wasn’t immune to the pain on Thursday. He was rocked for five runs in just three innings of work in this one, and the Whitecaps were never really in it. Jack Anderson allowed five more runs in relief in the seventh inning.
Danny Serretti singled and walked twice, while Robert Campos had a double as the ‘Caps lone extra base hit. They only struck out eight times, but with no walks drawn, they didn’t have the baserunners nor the hits to overcome this drubbing.
Serretti: 1-2, 2 BB
Campos: 1-4, 2B
Pena (L, 0-2): 3.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 5 SO
Coming Up Next: RHP Garrett Burhenn (1-2, 4.94 ERA) takes on RHP Ben Casparius (4-0, 2.43 ERA) on Friday night at 6:05 p.m. ET.
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels 2, Lakeland Flying Tigers 1 (box)
Troy Melton and Joe Miller combined to handle the first four innings with no runs and nine strikeouts, but the feeble Flying Tigers’ offense couldn’t take advantage. Melton was good, throwing 21 of 30 pitches for strikes, but lightning in the area caused a lengthy delay before Miller took over.
Mike Rothenberg cracked a solo shot in the fourth inning to give the Flying Tigers the early lead. It wasn’t until Peyton Graham leadoff the sixth with a walk and Jose De La Cruz singled next that Lakeland had a good scoring opportunity. They couldn’t take advantage of that one, and Jose Diaz had allowed a run in the top of the sixth to tie it up. In the eighth, Hendry Nunez allowed a leadoff single and then a bad pickoff throw sent the runner to third where he scored on a sacrifice fly with what proved the winning run.
Rothenberg: 1-4, R, RBI, HR, 2 SO
Miller: 2.2 IP, 0 ER, H, 2 BB, 6 SO
Coming Up Next: First pitch on Friday night is set for 6:30 p.m. ET.