Jackson Jobe dominates, Parker Meadows hits his 18th HR in weekend action

Iowa Cubs 3, Toledo Mud Hens 1 (Fri)(box)

Toledo Mud Hens 19, Iowa Cubs 8 (Sat)(box)

Toledo Mud Hens 6, Iowa Cubs 4 (F/10)(Sun)(box)

The Mud Hens lost a close fought game on Friday night, but came back for victories on Saturday and Sunday to take the six-game set 5-1.

Spencer Turnbull’s rehab outing on Friday didn’t go particularly well, though it may not have helped that the start of the game was delayed for an hour and a half. The right-hander, whose return from Tommy John surgery was cut short early in the season due to neck discomfort, threw 33 of 56 pitches for strikes, which is okay but still probably leaves him at least one more rehab start from returning to the Tigers.

Turnbull had a slim early lead to work with when Justyn-Henry Malloy walked in the top of the first, advanced to third on a Ryan Kreidler double, and then scored on a wild pitch. Turnbull allowed a run in the bottom half that tied it, and one more before exiting in the fourth. Will Vest gave up a solo shot in the fifth, but struck out two. Hopefully he’s not far from returning to the Tigers’ bullpen. The problem is that the Tigers held onto their entire relief corps at the deadline, so finding a spot might take a little time.

Either way, the offfense just didn’t do much to make a game of it, collecting just three hits and three walks on the night, to 10 strikeouts.

Nevin: 2-4, 3B, SO

Turnbull (L, 0-1): 3.1 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, BB, 2 K

Saturday’s contest was just the opposite. The Hens cranked out 18 hits and drew nine walks to crush the Cubs despite some poor pitching on their own end of things.

Ashton Goudeau started and was pummeled for five runs in five innings of work.

The Hens were down 3-0 when Colt Keith tripled to right in the fourth inning and scored on a Nevin sacrifice fly. In the fifth, Corey Joyce singled in a run with the bases loaded, and Malloy and Keith each drew bases loaded walks to make it 4-3 Hens, and they didn’t look back.

Michael Papierski and Parker Meadows homered in the sixth, with the latter cranking his farm system leading 18th on the year. A two-run double from Malloy sparked another four-run inning in the seventh. Another four-run inning in the eighth featured Leonard walking with the bases loaded and Meadows and Malloy collecting RBI singles. It was all over by then despite some shoddy work from the bullpen.

Malloy: 2-4, 5 RBI, 2B, 2 BB, K

Meadows: 2-6, R, 4 RBI, HR, 2 K

Keith: 1-5, R, RBI, 3B, BB, K

Goudeau (W, 2-5): 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 3 K

A bullpen day closed out the series for the Hens on Sunday. Vest got the start and collected four outs, but was really struggling to locate his fastball, walking four batters and allowing an earned run. Bryan Sammons allowed two more, and Rony Garcia the fourth of the game.

Down 1-0, the Hens got a two-run double from Colt Keith to score Andrew Knapp and Parker Meadows in the third. Iowa took the lead again with a two-run fifth against Sammons, but in the seventh, an error and a pair of walks loaded the bases for Meadows, who lifted a sacrifice fly that tied the game at 3-3. A Malloy single made it 4-3, but the Cubs tied it up again in the bottom half, and this eventually went to extra innings.

With Malloy the starting runner on second, Keith doubled again, scoring him, then took third on a Nevin ground out and scored on a sac fly to center field from Wenceel Perez. Aneurys Zabala shut the door to earn the save in the bottom half.

Keith: 2-5, R, 3 RBI, 2 2B, K

Malloy: 2-5, R, RBI, K

Perez: 1-3, RBI, 2B, BB, 2 K, CS

Sammons: 3.2 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: The Hens will next welcome in the Columbus Clippers for six starting on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. ET.

Harrisburg Senators 13, Erie SeaWolves 3 (box)(Fri)

Erie SeaWolves 8, Harrisburg Senators 0 (box)(Sat)

Harrisburg Senators 8, Erie SeaWolves 4 (box)(Sun)

The Erie SeaWolves needed to take two of three over the weekend to earn a split in the series, but could only come up with a win on Saturday.

On Friday, Ty Madden’s outing went really well for four innings, but he fell apart in the fifth and sixth, allowing six runs before getting lifted for Austin Bergner, who finally closed the door on a three-run sixth.

In the bottom of the sixth, Erie managed a two-out rally with four straight singles by Chris Meyers, Ben Malgeri, Daniel Cabrera, and Mario Feliciano, plating a pair of runs to make the score 7-2 Harrisburg. Justice Bigbie hit homer number 14 on the year in the bottom of the seventh to make it 7-3, but Michael Bienlien got mauled in the eighth as Harrisburg pulled away for good.

Feliciano: 3-4, RBI

Meyers: 2-4, K

Madden (L, 2-3): 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 3 BB, 6 K

A big early lead and a dominant set of outings from the bullpen turned the tide on Saturday as the SeaWolves cruised to an 8-0 victory.

Lefty Adam Wolf one-hit the Senators and racked up five strikeouts in four innings of work. In the bottom of the third, Danny Serretti doubled with one out and took third on a wild pitch. Malgeri walked and Trei Cruz reached on an error, scoring Serretti with a ground ball to third. Bigbie singled in Malgeri, and then Donny Sands cracked a three-run shot to the opposite field. 5-0 Erie.

The SeaWolves loaded the bases in the fourth on a single from Serretti, a double from Malgeri, and then a walk to Trei Cruz. And yes, it was Bigbie again, clearing the bases with a three-run double to make it 8-0.

Tim Naughton and Blake Holub took it from there, combining for nine punch outs over the final five innings to put this one to bed.

Bigbie: 2-4, R, 4 RBI, 2B, 2 K

Sands: 2-4, R, 3 RBI, HR, 2 K

Holub: 2.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 4 K

Sunday’s contest was a rough one for starter Brent Hurter, who allowed five runs in just 3 ²⁄₃ innings of work despite allowing only six singles and three walks. He struck out six.

Trei Cruz singled in Danny Serretti in the bottom of the third to get Erie on the board. The middle innings were quiet until Jake Holton led off the bottom of the seventh with a double and later scored on a Feliciano sacrifice fly to make it 5-2 Harrisburg. In the eighth Chris Meyers hit a two-run homer after Jace Jung walked, and it was 5-4. Unfortunately, Tyler Mattison ran into trouble in the top of the ninth, and that put the game out of reach.

Meyers: 1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, 2 K

Holton: 1-3, R, 2B, BB, 2 K

Hurter (L, 5-7): 3.2 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves are on the road for six with the Altoona Curve this week.

West Michigan Whitecaps 2, Lake County Captains 0 (Fri)(box)

West Michigan Whitecaps 3, Lake County Captains 1 (Sat)(box)

West Michigan Whitecaps vs. Lake County Captains (Sun)(cancelled)

The Whitecaps ran their winning streak to seven games by taking five in a row to start this home series with Lake County. They were rained out on Sunday.

Jackson Jobe was the star of the show on Friday. The Tigers top pitching prospect allowed just four singles and no runs over five innings of work, mixing with cutter and slider well off the fastball and striking out six along the way. There weren’t more than two hard hit balls off his the whole outing, and Jobe threw 45-66 pitches for strikes and picked off two of the four hitters who singled against him. Pretty impressive stuff.

The Whitecaps didn’t get it going until the bottom of the fourth, offensively. Brady Allen led off with a walk and Gage Workman reached on a fielder’s choice that went for a throwing error on the Captains’ first baseman as he tried to start a 3-6-1 double play. Luke Gold singled in Allen and Eliezer Alfonzo dropped a sac bunt to move both runners up to second and third. A Roberto Campos ground out scored Workman, and that knocked Guardians pitching prospect Ethan Hankins from the game.

Both bullpens were nails, allowing just one hit on either side.

Gold: 2-3, RBI, K

Allen: 1-3, R, 2B, BB

Jobe (W, 1-0): 5.0 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 0 BB, 6 SO

Lefty Carlos Pena outstripped even Jobe’s performance with a fantastic outing on Saturday. The low-powered lefty carved up the Captains, allowing just three singles, no walks, while striking out eight over six innings of work. Gotta love the walkless starts back-to-back from Jobe and Pena.

In the bottom of the fourth, Hao-Yu Lee reached on an error, and advanced to second on an Andre Lipcius ground out. Eliezer Alfonzo singled him in, and then Roberto Campos ripped a triple to left to score Alfonzo. In the sixth, Lee tripled to center, and again scored on Alfonzo knock, this time a double to right field to make it 3-0.

Dario Gardea allowed a run in the ninth, but held on to collect his sixth save for West Michigan.

Lee: 1-4, 2 R, 3B, K

Alfonzo: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B

Pena (W, 4-6): 6.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 BB, 8 K

Coming Up Next: Rain washed out Sunday’s contest. The Whitecaps now head on the road to take on the Great Lakes Loons starting Tuesday night.

Clearwater Threshers 7, Lakeland Flying Tigers 6 (Fri)(F/10)(box)

Lakeland Flying Tigers 10, Clearwater Threshers 9 (Sat)(box)

Lakeland Flying Tigers 8, Clearwater Threshers 4 (Sun)(box)

After a tough loss on Friday night, the Flying Tigers came back to win on Saturday and Sunday, splitting the six-game set.

The Flying Tigers jumped on Clearwater right out of the gate on Friday. Seth Stephenson walked and stole second to open the top of the first, and Cristian Santana followed with a walk. Andrew Jenkins singled in Stephenson, and Jose De La Cruz drew a walk. Mike Rothenberg doubled in Santana and Jenkins, and a Carlos Pelegrin ground out scored De La Cruz. The Threshers went right to their bullpen, but reliever Jonathan Petit was greeted by Abel Bastidas with a two-run shot to make it 6-0 Lakeland.

Unfortunately, starter Colin Fields was a little wild in the second inning, giving up a run on a walk, a single, and a sacrifice fly. He then struck out Jordan Dissin for the second out of the inning, but hit a batter and then allowed a three-run shot. Fields is an interesting one to watch. He ran into a rough inning there, but otherwise he was superb, allowing just three hits and a walk, striking out six over five innings of work.

Unfortunately, the Flying Tigers offense went ice cold the rest of the game, while Garrett Apker allowed the Threshers to tie it 6-6 with a two-run sixth inning.

Eventually this went to the 10th inning, where Pelegrin started on second. A fly ball from Manuel Sequera allowed Pelegrin to tag and take third, but he was thrown out at home trying to score on a Bastidas grounder to first base, and Bennett Lee struck out to end the inning. Cam Brown allowed a walkoff single in the bottom half.

Stephenson: 1-3, R, 2 BB, K, SB

Bastidas: 1-5, R, 2 RBI, HR, 2 K

Fields: 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 3 H, BB, 6 K

Matt Walker got the start on Saturday, and he was decent, allowing three runs over five innings of work. Dillon Dingler doubled in Stephenson in the first, but Walker allowed two in the bottom of the first. However, the Flying Tigers came back in the top of the second inning.

Jim Jarvis singled with one out, and J.D. McLaughlin doubled him home to tie the game at 2-2. Seth Stephenson flew out, but Max Anderson followed with a two-run shot to right, his first professional home run. 4-2 Lakeland.

The Flying Tigers scored three more in the fourth, and then in the fifth, Jarvis hit an inside-the-park home run with Jose De La Cruz aboard after a single, making it 9-2 Lakeland.

The Threshers got single runs in the fifth and sixth to make it 9-4 Lakeland, but the Flying Tigers took advantage of three walks in the seventh to plate one more run on a Stephenson sacrifice fly.

Quinn Gudaitis allowed four runs in the bottom of the ninth trying to close it out, but managed to hang on.

Anderson: 1-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR

Jarvis: 4-4, 3 R, 2 RBI, HR, 2B, BB

Dingler: 3-4, 2 RBI, 2B, BB, K

Stephenson: 3-5, 2 R, RBI, 2 SB

Walker (W, 1-0): 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 3 K

Jake Miller gave Lakeland four innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts on Sunday. The game was scoreless until the top of the third, when who else? Seth Stephenson led off with a double, stole third, and scored on a throwing error on the play. Dillon Dingler followed with a double, and Mike Rothenberg homered to make it 3-0.

Miller allowed a run in the bottom half, but in the fourth, Cristian Santana launched a two-run homer to make it 5-1. At that point, Threshers pitcher Estibenzon Jimenez drilled Dingler and got tossed, as did Threshers manager Marty Malloy as he took umbrage with the decision.

Carlos Pelegrin led off the fifth with a walk and Abel Bastidas singled. An error on the play allowed Pelegrin to score, and Sequera cracked a two-run shot to make it 8-1 Lakeland.

The Flying Tigers had plenty of baserunners the rest of the way, but the offense couldn’t push another run across. The bullpen made the lead hold up anyway.

Stephenson: 2-5, 2 R, 2B, K, 2 SB

Santana: 1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, BB, K, SB

Bastidas: 3-5, R, 2B, K

Miller: 4.0 IP, ER, 4 H, BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers welcome in the Dunedin Blue Jays on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. ET.