Lehigh Valley IronPigs 5, Toledo Mud Hens 1 (box)
Jack O’Loughlin had a rough go in this one, and the offense was pretty quiet again. The young lefty allowed five earned runs over five innings of work, with all the runs scoring via the long ball. He allowed four home runs on the night, which is…not ideal.
Parker Meadows absolutely hammered a fastball in the third inning for his 14th home run of the season. However that was about all for the night. That had seven hits and four walks, so the opportunities were there, but the key hits never arrived.
Meadows: 2-3, R, RBI, HR, BB
Witherspoon: 2-4
Keith: 1-3, BB
O’Loughlin (L, 1-3): 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 6 SO
Coming Up Next: LHP Bryan Sammons (0-2, 6.26 ERA) gets the start on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. ET. The Pigs have yet to announce.
Binghamton Rumble Ponies 7, Erie SeaWolves 0 (box)
A rough night for the offense made this one pretty forgettable. The Rumble Ponies got to Brant Hurter and Layne Henderson for seven runs in a disastrous fifth inning, and that was all the offense on the night. The SeaWolves managed just five hits.
Hurter was absolutely cruising until his control failed him in the fifth. He walked the leadoff hitter and hit two batters, and by the time Henderson entered, three runs were in and there were still runners at first and third. Henderson walked the bases loaded and then allowed a grand slam to Matt O’Neill. That was that.
Navigato: 1-3, BB
Perez: 1-4, 2B
Hurter (L, 4-5): 4.2 IP, 5 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 SO, 3 HBP
Coming Up Next: RHP Wilmer Flores (4-3, 3.69 ERA) has been slowly coming around after a brutal start to the year. RHP Dominic Hamel (4-5, 5.07 ERA) goes for the Ponies at 6:35 p.m. ET.
South Bend Cubs 5, West Michigan Whitecaps 0 (box)
Wilkel Hernandez was good, but the bullpen was not. Meanwhile the entire system seemed bent on proving how badly the team needs hitting prospects on Wednesday.
Hernandez spun five innings of one run ball, scattering three hits, walking none, and striking out seven. Since returning from elbow surgery last year, Hernandez has put together a diverse mix of strong starts and real clunkers. The strikeouts have been lacking, but hopefully the 24-year-old right-hander is starting to put it together. I’m a little surprised they haven’t made him a reliever yet, now almost six years since he was acquired from the Angels for Ian Kinsler.
Jace Jung had two hits, including a double. Otherwise the offense didn’t do anything to deserve further mention.
Jung: 2-4, 2B, SO
Santana: 1-3, BB, SO
Hernandez (L, 2-6): 5.0 IP, ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 7 SO
Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps haven’t announced a starter yet for Thursday’s 7:05 p.m. ET start.
Dunedin Blue Jays 9, Lakeland Flying Tigers 8 (F/10)(box)
With the rest of the system getting nearly blanked, leave it to the Flying Tigers to put some offense. They didn’t really get it going until the 10th inning, and unfortunately the bullpen then allowed a five-run bottom half as the Blue Jays walked this one off.
Starter Carlos Marcano was strong in this one. He shut Dunedin out for five innings on two hits, two walks, and with five strikeouts. In the top of the fifth, Seth Stephenson made it happen with his legs, singling, stealing second, advancing to third on an error, and then scoring on a wild pitch to make it 1-0 Lakeland after five.
In the sixth, relief prospect Tanner Kohlhepp, still working his way back from Tommy John surgery, walked two batters and allowed an RBI single that tied the game. The Flying Tigers came right back as Carlos Pelegrin led off the seventh with a solo shot, and then Stephenson tripled. Luke Gold’s line drive double to left scored him, and they led 3-1.
Unfortunately the bullpen leaked three runs in the bottom half. Cristian Santana led off the eighth with a walk and a little small ball moved him around to score and tie things at 4-4.
In the 10th, Santana was hit by a pitch to lead off. Carlos Pelegrin drew a walk, loading the bases, and a Stephenson single scored one run. A walk to Gold pushed across another, and Andrew Jenkins came up with a big two-run single. At that point it was 8-4 and things looked pretty good. Unfortunately Cleiverth Perez allowed two runs and left with the bases loaded. Quinn Gudaitis took over and immediately allowed a three-run triple that ended it.
Prediction: Luke Gold will be in West Michigan by the end of the month.
Stephenson: 3-5, 3 R, 2 RBI, 3B, SO
Jenkins: 2-4, 2 RBI, 2 BB
Gold: 1-3, 2 RBI, 2B, 3 BB
Marcano: 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 SO
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start from Dunedin on Thursday night.