Toledo Mud Hens 7, Rochester Red Wings 3 (F/7)(Gm2)(box)
After the completion of Wednesday’s matchup, the Hens jumped all over the Red Wings in the regularly scheduled contest set for seven innings.
With MLB veteran Robert Gsellman on the mound, you might have expected a difficult go for the Hens offense. Instead, the game began with an Akil Baddoo single and then Justyn-Henry Malloy and Jace Jung both drew walks. Keston Hiura stepped into the box and absolutely roasted a shot to center field for a grand slam.
Lefty Adam Wolf was good for two innings in a spot start after Matt Manning took over Game 1 for Wednesday’s starter, Keider Montero. In the third, Wolf loaded the bases and was lifted for Sean Guenther, who allowed two inherited runners to score.
The Hens made it 5-2 in the fourth when Buddy Kennedy doubled and eventually scored on Dillon Dingler’s sacrifice fly. Wilmer Flores gave a run back on a walk and a single, but the Hens were still up 5-3.
In the sixth, Kennedy and Bligh Madris singled with one out. A passed ball advanced them both, and Ryan Vilade singled them in to make it 7-3.
Drew Anderson and Mason Englert handled the last two frames without issue, with Englert allowing a hit but striking out three in the seventh to wrap this one up.
Hiura: 2-4, R, 4 RBI, HR
Baddoo: 2-4, R, K
Kennedy: 2-4, 2 R, 2B, K
Rochester Red Wings 6, Toledo Mud Hens 5 (Gm1)(box)
Action began on Thursday with the continuation of Wednesday’s rain postponed matchup. Keider Montero had only made it through the first inning when the rains came, allowing one run. So Matt Manning took over for his regularly scheduled start and was pretty good. Manning spun five innings, allowing two runs, but he did strike out seven hitters.
In the fourth, the Hens got on the board when Jung singled to lead off the inning, stole second, and then rode home on a 417 foot missile to center field from Justice Bigbie that gave Toledo a 2-1 lead.
Ryan Vilade launched a solo shot in the fifth, and in the sixth with two outs, Kennedy singled and Anthony Bemboom doubled. A Vilade single scored them both, and it was 5-1. Manning leaked two runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it 5-3, but the Hens took that lead into the bottom of the ninth inning.
Unfortunately, Brenan Hanifee couldn’t hang on. He allowed a leadoff triple and things spiraled out of control. Alex Call ended it with a walkoff double to center field as Hanifee took the blown save and the loss.
Bigbie: 3-4, R, 2 RBI, HR
Vilade: 2-4, R, 3 RBI, HR
Manning: 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 7 K
Coming Up Next: The Red Wings hold a 2-1 lead in the series heading into Friday’s 6:05 p.m. ET matchup.
Erie SeaWolves 9, Akron RubberDucks 3 (box)
The SeaWolves bounced back from Wednesday’s loss with a strong night at the plate. Ty Madden got the start and had some struggles. He escaped a jam in the first inning, but leaked a run in the third inning and then gave up a solo shot in the fourth. He struck out five hitters, but it’s been a pattern for Madden to ride this rollercoaster from start to start, and it’s probably why he’s not pitching for the Mud Hens yet.
The SeaWolves took over the game with a five-run fifth inning. Jake Holton reached on an error to lead off the inning, and with one out, Eliezer Alfonzo and Daniel Cabrera reached on infield singles to load the bases. Carlos Mendoza drew a walk to force in the first run. Trei Cruz walked to force in another, and that knocked starter Tommy Mace from the game. His reliever immediately hit Hao-Yu Lee to force in yet another run and then walked TJ Hopkins to make it 4-2 Erie. A Chris Meyer sacrifice fly scored Cruz before the RubberDucks finally escaped the inning.
Jake Higginbotham allowed a run in relief to make it 5-3 in the seventh, but the SeaWolves had another big inning in the eighth. Holton singled with one out and Gage Workman reached on an error. Alfonzo singled in Holton and then stole second base. A balk scored Workman. A bloop hit from Mendoza scored Alfonzo and then Mendoza stole second as Akron pitching was the hottest of messes all game long. Trei Cruz pulled a single into left to score Mendoza and make it 9-3.
Alfonzo: 2-4, 2 R, RBI, SB
Lee: 2-4, RBI, K
Cruz: 1-3, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K
Madden: 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves lead the series 2-1. First pitch on Friday is set for 7:05 p.m. ET.
West Michigan Whitecaps 12, Great Lakes Loons 0 (box)
Jaden Hamm spun a third strong start and the Whitecaps eventually blew the game wide open in the fifth to turn this into a laugher.
They’re still keeping Hamm on a strict count early in his full season pro debut. He only got four innings in this one, but he blanked the Loons on three hits with no walks and six strikeouts. The whiffs on the fastball and breaker continue to pile up, and Hamm refuses to issue walks.
We’re only 11 1⁄3 innings into the year, but he’s allowed one run on 10 hits and a walk, and he’s got 20 strikeouts already. Very impressive start for the Tigers 2023 fifth rounder. The big lead didn’t come until after he left the game, either.
The scoring opened in the second when Roberto Campos singled in the second inning and rode home on an opposite field shot from Luke Gold. Austin Murr followed with a single and Peyton Graham drew a walk, but they couldn’t push across another run until the fourth.
Murr was hit by a pitch in the fourth with one out. A wild pitch and a throwing error got Murr to third, and a ground out from Graham scored him. 3-0 West Michigan.
In the fifth, the Whitecaps posted seven runs to bury the Loons for good and ensure a win for Hamm. Danny Serretti led off with a double, but Max Anderson struck out and Andrew Jenkins flew out to move Serretti to second base. Cole Turney came through with an RBI double. Roberto Campos walked and Gold singled in Turney to make it 5-0. Murr and Graham then walked as well to score Campos and re-load the bases. At that point, Josh Crouch smoked a grand slam to right field to make it 10-0. They’d add two more against a position player in the top of the ninth.
Connor Holden, Marco Jimenez, and Zack Hess held the Loons to just two hits and a walk after Hamm departed.
Turney: 4-5, 2 R, RBI, 2B, K
Gold: 3-4, 3 R, 3 RBI, HR, BB
Crouch: 2-5, R, 5 RBI, HR, 2 K
Hamm: 4.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 BB, 6 K
Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps look to make it four straight over the Loons at 6:05 p.m. ET on Friday night.
Palm Beach Cardinals 9, Lakeland Flying Tigers 2 (box)
Well, this one was interesting at least. Pedro Garcia got the start, and if you look at the box score, you’ll see that he collected one out, allowed one hit and three walks with one strikeout, and somehow gave up six earned runs. Ah the grandeur of developmental baseball. It can only get better, Mr. Garcia.
The Flying Tigers had a look in the first inning anything went wrong. Max Clark and Clayton Campbell singled with one out, but were stranded.
Garcia hit the first batter he faced, walked the second, hit the third, struck out the fourth, who was probably in bailout mode, and then fired a wild pitch that scored the first run. Back-to-back walks followed, forcing in another run. A two-run single from Cardinals third baseman Trey Paige plated two and finally brought an end to Garcia’s outing.
Jake Miller came on and the first hitter he faced reached on catcher interference by Campbell. Wild times.
A two-run double followed before Miller got out of the inning. 6-0 Cardinals. Flying Tigers’ manager Andrew Graham was tossed in the top of the second inning and probably some of the players were looking to flee the scene as well. The Flying Tigers lineup didn’t draw a single walk in the game.
Other than an infield single from Clark in the third, the Flying Tigers didn’t manage another hit until the seventh. Garrett Apker allowed three runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it 9-0, and the Flying Tigers finally scored in the seventh.
With one out, Jim Jarvis smoked a double to center field and Dom Johnson was hit by a pitch for the second straight plate appearance. A two-run triple from David Smith made it 9-2, and that’s where it ended.
Smith: 1-4, 2 RBI, 3B, K
Clark: 2-4
Jarvis: 1-4, 2B, 3 K
Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers will get back in the air tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. ET looking to put this one behind them.