Max Clark’s three hit day powers Lakeland

Toledo Mud Hens vs. Rochester Red Wings

Rain washed this one out in the second inning. After delaying the start time, they decided to try and get an official game in, but the window collapsed within an hour and the deluge began again. Keider Montero gave up a run on a single and a double in the bottom of the first, striking out two hitters. The Hens got a leadoff walk from Bligh Madris to lead off the second inning, and Justice Bigbie followed with a single to center. A pair of ground balls from Buddy Kennedy and catcher Anthony Bemboom snuffed the rally.

The plan is to finish this one tomorrow at 4:05 p.m. ET prior to the regularly schedule game at 6:05 p.m. ET start time.

Erie SeaWolves 4, Akron RubberDucks 0 (box)

This one was delayed due to rain, but they managed to get it in once things cleared up. Lael Lockhart bounced back from a tricky relief appearance over the weekend for his second strong start of the young season. They lefty punched out six without a walk and just two hits allowed in five scoreless innings of work.

It took the SeaWolves a little while to get a run across. Trei Cruz opened the game with a triple, but was stranded on a strikeout and two pop-ups. In the fourth, they did break through.

Hao-Yu Lee started the fourth with a double and he scored on a Chris Meyers single. Lee sparked things again in the sixth with a leadoff walk. A Jake Holton single moved him to second, but the next two hitters went down on a routine fly ball and a strikeout. Stephen Scott drew a two-out walk to load the bases, and Gage Workman lined a two-run single to right field to make it 3-0.

RJ Petit spun perfect innings of relief with three strikeouts in the sixth and seventh. Carlos Mendoza, just promoted to Erie, launched his first home run of the year to right field in leading off the top of the seventh inning. 4-0 Erie.

PJ Poulin slammed the door with a six-out save.

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

Workman: 2-4, 2 RBI, CS

Meyers: 2-4, RBI

Lockhart (W, 1-1): 5.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:35 p.m. ET start on Thursday night.

West Michigan Whitecaps 7, Great Lakes Loons 5 (box)

The Whitecaps built an early lead behind a pretty good outing from Garrett Burhenn, then survived a bullpen meltdown to come back and win in the ninth inning on Wednesday.

Burhenn spun five innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts and no walks. He allowed a solo shot in the fourth inning, but left the game with a lead.

The Whitecaps offense was led by left fielder Cole Turney in this one. He launched a solo shot to left center field to lead off the second inning. Roberto Campos was then hit by a pitch. Izaac Pacheco popped out, but Danny Serretti and Austin Murr lashed back-to-back doubles to score Campos. Unfortunately, that was all they’d get out of the inning. 2-0 ‘Caps.

Turney doubled with two outs in the third inning as well, but was stranded. Apart from the solo shot Burhenn allowed, things were quiet in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. In the sixth, the Whitecaps put another run on the board when Turney led off with his second double of the day. Campos struck out, but a wild pitch moved Turney to third, where he jogged home on a Pacheco ground ball double down the right field line.

In the top of the seventh, a one-out line drive single left Max Anderson on third after a two-base error by the Loons center fielder Dylan Campbell. It was Cole Turney time yet again, as he dropped a single into right field to score Anderson and make it 4-1 Whitecaps.

However, after a clean sixth inning, reliever Chris Mauloni was rocked for four runs in the bottom of the seventh as the Loons seized a 5-4 lead. The Whitecaps weren’t having it though, and they fought right back.

In the top of the eighth, two-out walks drawn by Murr and Jose Sibrian set up Seth Stephenson, who singled to right to score Murr and tie the game. Peyton Graham took over as the pinch runner for Sibrian, and quickly took third on a wild pitch, but Anderson grounded out to end the frame.

Cleiverth Perez spun a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth to keep the score locked up at 5-5.

Andrew Jenkins led off the ninth with a single, and Turney reached on a ground ball that went for an error, with the runners ending up on second and third. Campos flew out, and Pacheco was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Danny Serretti fought through a seven pitch AB to draw a walk and force in the go ahead run, and Murr lifted a sacrifice fly to bring in Turney from third. 7-5 ‘Caps.

Matt Merrill picked up his first save with a perfect bottom of the ninth.

Turney: 4-5, 3 R, 2 RBI, HR, 2 2B

Murr: 2-2, R, 2 RBI, 2B, 2 BB, SB

Anderson: 2-5, R, K

Burhenn: 5.0 IP, ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m. ET on Thursday evening.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 7, Palm Beach Cardinals 6 (box)

This was a fun one. At least, I assume it was based on the box score, but Palm Beach is positively pre-Cambrian in their coverage, with no broadcast at all, so I guess I’m free to tell you a story…as long as it lines up with the box score.

This was a good day for Max Clark, who looks to be settling in at Lakeland. You may have listened to the recent podcast where we were taking certain local media members to task for flipping out over the slow start to his pro career. Perhaps Max was listening as well, in between designing custom shoes for himself. He racked up a couple key RBI in this one, posting a three hit day.

Another interesting note was the debut of right-hander Duque Hebbert. The Nicaraguan born pitcher burst on the scene in last year’s World Baseball Classic as a complete unknown by striking out Juan Soto, Jose Rodriguez, and Rafael Devers in an inning of work for Team Nicaragua, which as you’re probably aware, is not a baseball powerhouse. The buzz was high on the 22-year-old reliever and the Tigers immediately signed him.

Joe Adametz got the start in this one, and spun four scoreless innings with two hits, a walk, and four strikeouts on the day. Hebbert took over in the fifth, allowing just a single with one strikeout, and eventually earning the win in his Low-A debut.

The Flying Tigers took advantage of those six scoreless innings to build a nice lead, though they barely held on.

In the top of the first, a one-out single by Clark was followed by a ground ball that went for an error off the bat of Josue Briceño. Cristian Santana struck out, but Brett Callahan walked to load the bases. Unfortunately, Jose De La Cruz struck out to end the inning.

In the second, Jim Jarvis led off with an infield single back to the pitcher and then took second on a wild pitch. Catcher Eduardo Valencia singled him home and moved to second on a Dom Johnson single. John Peck struck out, but Clark pulled a single through the right side to score Valencia. 2-0 Lakeland.

In the third, Callahan led off with a single and De La Cruz moved him to third with a ground ball single to right. A wild pitch scored Callahan, and another Valencia single plated De La Cruz to make it 4-0 Lakeland.

They got another run in the sixth when Valencia was hit by a pitch to start the inning. A one-out single from John Peck moved Valencia to second, where a balk advanced them both another 90 feet. A Clark ground out scored Valencia to make it 5-0 Lakeland.

At this point, the Cardinals mounted a little comeback. They scored two against Luke Stofel in the seventh to make it 5-2, but the Flying Tigers answered right back.

Johnson walked with one out in the top of the eighth. Peck doubled him to third, and Clark brought them both home ripping a hard ground ball through the right side of the infield. 7-2 Lakeland.

Reliever Eiker Huizi nearly gave it all away in the bottom half, however. He hit his first batter and then gave up back-to-back singles. Valencia tried a back pick and threw it away, bringing home the second run off the inning. A sacrifice fly brought home another run, and a double and then a passed ball and a walk set the Cardinals up to complete the comeback. Yosber Sanchez took over and struck out his first hitter. He then allowed a single that made it 7-6 Lakeland, but got a ground out to escape the jam.

Sanchez slammed the door in the ninth for his third save.

Clark: 3-5, 4 RBI, K

Peck: 2-5, R, 2B, 2 K

Valencia: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI

Adametz: 4.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, BB, 4 K

Coming Up Next: First pitch on Thursday is set for 6:30 p.m. ET.