Torkelson homers twice as Hens crush Louisville

Toledo Mud Hens 14, Louisville Bats 4 (box)

Spencer Torkelson and Parker Meadows went off on Tuesday night, while Brent Hurter, the recipient of ample run support, put together his best outing of the season as the Hens welcomed in the Bats like the Red Wedding.

Alex Faedo made a rehab appearance in the first inning, getting two outs before getting pulled as per the plan of only letting him face three hitters tonight. I assume that means they wanted to see him out there for a minute, but that he’s also ready to return to the Tigers’ bullpen on Thursday.

In the bottom of the first, Parker Meadows led off by serving a changeup into center field and then stealing second base. Torkelson spanked a 96 mph fastball to right for a single, and Dillon Dingler did likewise to center field to score Meadows. A wild pitch advanced the runners with one out and Ryan Vilade walkekd to load the bases. Eddys Leonard grounded into a force of Vilade, but Torkelson scored, and Riley Unroe singled in Dingler to make it 3-0. Unfortunately, Leonard pulled up a little lame on his ground ball and was replaced by Alvaro Gonzalez.

The bottom of the second started with a walk to Andrew Navigato. Meadows nailed a sinker up and away for a double to left, and Torkelson got a 95 mph sinker down the middle in a 3-0 count and smoked it to right-center for a two-run homer.

Sean Guenther finished the first inning for Faedo and then spun a clean second inning before they turned to Hurter. He blanked the Bats on six hits and no walks, with four strikeouts, over six innings of work. It was 6-0 at that point, and more run support was coming.

In the fifth, Unroe cracked a solo shot with one out. Justince Bigbie, Navigato, and Meadows all singled to load the bases. Lefty Evan Kravetz threw Torkelson seven straight changeups. The last one in a 3-2 count was up and away and Tork lifted a solid fly ball to left and it carried out for a grand slam. 11-0 Toledo.

The Hens batted around in the seventh, scoring three more runs. Bryce Tassin melted down in the top of the ninth to allow four runs, but this was already over.

Torkelson: 3-4, 4 R, 6 RBI, 2 HR, BB, K

Meadows: 3-6, 3 R, RBI, 2B, SB

Dingler: 2-6, 2 R, RBI, K

Hurter: 6.0 IP, 0 R, 6 H, 0 BB, 4 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 12:05 p.m. ET start at Fifth Third Field on Wednesday. With Keider Montero in Detroit to start for the Tigers, expect a bullpen day for the Hens.

Harrisburg Senators 6, Erie SeaWolves (F/10)(box)

The Harrisburg Senators came to town presumably seeking a little revenge for Erie’s last minute clutch play to snatch the divisional first half title last week. Meanwhile, the SeaWolves are coming down off the high and preparing for the long second half. It played to the Senators favor as they won in 10 innings on Tuesday.

Wilkel Hernandez got the start for Erie, and despite a decided lack of strikeouts, he spun five innings of two-hit shutout ball in this one. The Senators RHP Rodney Theophile matched him with the exact same line.

So it was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth when the bullpens came into play. Setting the table, of course, was Carlos Mendoza, who got hit by a pitch for approximately the 43rd time in the past 10 days. He took second on a passed ball, moved to third on a Gage Workman ground out, and scored on a Jake Holton grounder that went for an error.

Jake Higginbotham, a lefty acquired from Atlanta in the Joe Jimeñez trade, took the mound in the top of the seventh and gave up a Dermis Garcia solo shot to tie the game.

In the bottom of the seventh the SeaWolves fought right back as Ben Malgeri singled with one out and Eliezer Alfonzo blasted a two-run shot to straightaway center field. In the top of the eighth, Higginbotham was touched up again, allowing a single and then a Brady House home run that tied things up 3-3.

The SeaWolves got the leadoff man on in the eighth but stranded him. Austin Murr doubled with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but was stranded at third after a wild pitch.

Garrett Hill spun a solid ninth inning, but gave up three runs in the top of the tenth to take the loss. Gage Workman doubled in a run in the bottom of the tenth but the rally ran out of steam.

Workman: 2-5, RBI, 2B, K

Alfonzo: 1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR

Hernandez: 5.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, BB, 2 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 1:05 p.m. ET start on Wednesday.

West Michigan Whitecaps 15, Lansing Lugnuts 9 (box)

Outfielder Patrick Lee made an impression in his first High-A contest, blasting a three-run shot in this one as the Whitecaps came into Lansing and went off in a big way.

The much maligned Whitecaps’ offense needed a game like this. Seth Stephenson singled with one out in the top of the first, and Max Anderson launched his sixth home run of the season.

In the top of the second they erupted for seven runs. Three straight singles and then a Dom Johnson double made it 4-1 before Lansing recorded an out. Jim Jarvis made that out on ground ball that scored Bennett Lee, and then Stephenson and Anderson doubled back-to-back. A three-run shot from Luke Gold, a rare oppo job from Gold, made it 9-1.

Lefty Joe Miller got the start for West Michigan, and he surrendered a run in the bottom of the first, and then two more in the third before departing. So it was 9-3 after three frames.

In the fourth, Stephenson led off with a single, stole second, and Anderson launched his second homer in as many at-bats to make it 11-3 West Michigan.

Chris Mauloni allowed a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. The Whitecaps pushed across another run in the top of the eighth to make it 12-5.

In the top of the ninth, Anderson led off with a double to complete a monster day at the plate for the scuffling 2023 second round pick. Gold followed with a single, and Patrick Lee completed his High-A debut with a three-run shot to right center field. 15-5 West Michigan.

Signed out of the Frontier League last month, Lee has speed and solid power. We’ll see how his approach develops as he’s just a little old for the league despite his limited experience.

After a run of nice outings that led me to hope for a turnaround on the podcast Monday night, Tanner Kohlhepp again lost the plot in this one. The right-handed reliever gave up four runs in the bottom of the ninth before Gabriel Sequeira came on to close the door.

Anderson: 4-5, 4 R, 4 RBI, 2 2B, 2 HR

Stephenson: 4-5, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2B, SB

Gold: 2-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR

Patrick Lee: 1-5, R, 3 RBI, K

Miller: 3.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start in Lansing on Wednesday.

Dunedin Blue Jays 5, Lakeland Flying Tigers 4 (box)

19-year-old Rayner Castillo has been excellent this season and worked his way into the conversation as one of the best young pitchers in the organization, but he faltered in this one, allowing three runs in four innings of work as the Flying Tigers fell to the Blue Jays.

Lakeland was off to a good start in the second inning. Brett Callahan, in his first game back from injury, singled with one out and a wild pitch moved Callahan to third with two outs. Cristian Santana, also recently returned from the FCL, walked and Archer Brookman doubled them both home. David Smith singled in Brookman to make it 3-0. McGonigle followed with a walk, but the Blue Jays were fortunate that a laser of a line drive to right field off the bat of Max Clark was right to the right fielder to end the inning.

In the third, Eduardo Valencia stayed hot, leading off with a double and scoring on a Jose De La Cruz double that made it 4-0 Lakeland.

Unfortunately, Castillo ran into an ambush in the top of the fourth, surrendering three runs. Cam Brown gave up two more in the middle innings, and the bats missed multiple opportunities with runners in scoring position the rest of the game.

J. De La Cruz: 2-4, RBI, 2B, BB, K

Brookman: 1-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B, BB

Castillo: 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:00 p.m. ET start in Lakeland on Wednesday.