Charlotte Knights 3, Toledo Mud Hens 2 (F/10)(box)
Another really good performance from the Mud Hens bullpen went for naught as the offense lost two of its best hitters as Jace Jung and Trey Sweeney were promoted to Detroit. On the other hand, they did add a decent little hitter in one Riley Greene, who began his rehab assignment on Thursday night.
Tony Watson and PJ Poulin started things off, combining for five scoreless innings of work. In the fifth, Drew Maggi walked with one out and Ryan Vilade launched a home run to left field. 2-0 Hens. Easton Lucas took over on the mound in the sixth, and promptly gave up two runs that tied the game.
The Hens only managed four hits in the game as both Greene and Spencer Torkelson were blanked in this one. So they couldn’t develop much in the way of scoring opportunities, and the Knights didn’t do much better. But the Hens were set down in order in the top of the tenth and Devin Sweet allowed the runner on second to score as the Knights walked them off.
Vilade: 2-5, R, 2 RBI, HR, 2 K
Unroe: 1-4, 2B, K
Watson: 3.2 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 BB, 2 K
Matt Manning is on the mend, as Evan Petzold of the Free Press reports. He is completing a throwing program three times a week but hasn’t thrown off a mound yet as he recovers from a lat strain. Petzold reports that the Tigers hope to get him back in action before the season ends. Wilmer Flores is now throwing live batting practice, so his return is probably going to come a little sooner. The right-hander recaptured his velocity this spring and was routinely hitting 98-99 mph before a shoulder sprain put him out of action.
Akron RubberDucks 5, Erie SeaWolves 2 (box)
Carlos Pena had a rough outing and the SeaWolves wasted some chances in this one. The lefty allowed five runs over six innings of work. He ran into big trouble in the third, allowing a single and a double before Chase DeLauter stepped to the dish. Not ideal, as the Guardians prospect smoked a three-run shot and the Ducks added another run in the inning.
As for the SeaWolves, a Gage Workman two-out triple in the first inning was squandered. Luis Santana led off the third with a single, and after Workman struck out, Chris Meyers singled as well. They were both stranded. And so it went.
Finally in the fifth, Austin Murr led off with a single and later scored on a Carlos Mendoza single to get Erie on the board. Workman led off the sixth with a walk and was later driven in on a single by Liam Hicks, but that was all the SeaWolves could manage.
Hao-Yu Lee was pulled after one at-bat, and speculation is that he’s headed to Charlotte to join the Toledo Mud Hens.
Meyers: 3-4
Workman: 1-3, R, 3B, BB, 2 K
Pena (L, 6-6): 6.0 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 5 K
Mendoza: 2-5, RBI, K
Lansing Lugnuts 6, West Michigan Whitecaps 5 (box)
With most of the club’s upper level position prospects now in the major leagues, the focus is now firmly on the prospects acquired by Scott Harris. Other than Jackson Jobe, Hao-Yu Lee, Troy Melton and Ty Madden, most of the upper level prospects are now in the show.
The spotlight is now centered on Max Clark, Thayron Liranzo, and Jaden Hamm, with Kevin McGonigle out for the rest of the year with a hamate injury. They’re thriving in that spotlight so far.
Liranzo drew four walks and reached base five times in this one. Lugnuts pitching appears to want nothing to do with him after his assault over the first two games of the series. Meanwhile, Clark only had one hit, but it was his first High-A home run.
Colin Fields got the start, and while it wasn’t his best he was victimized by a couple of errors. He gave up three runs, one earned, across four innings of work.
The Whitecaps briefly tied it up in the fourth. Liranzo walked, Roberto Campos singled, and a wild pitch advanced them both into scoring position. Luke Gold drew a walk to load the bases, and Patrick Lee lined a single into right field. The Lugnuts threw the ball away, Liranzo and Campos scored, and it was 2-2. The Lugnuts then took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
Josh Crouch doubled to lead off the fifth and later scored on a Max Anderson single. The game was again tied but only briefly, as Jake Miller allowed two runs in the bottom half. In the eighth, Campos led off with a double and singles from Gold and Jim Jarvis drove him in, but again the Lugnuts answered right back with a run off Miller in the bottom half.
Clark brought them within one with a solo shot to lead off the ninth, but that was as close as they’d get.
Liranzo: 1-1, R, 4 BB
Campos: 2-5, 2 R, 2B, K
Clark: 1-4, R, RBI, HR, BB, K
Fields: 4.0 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 3 K
In other injury news, right-hander Donye Evans is down from UCL reconstruction and will miss the 2025 season. The Tigers 16th rounder in 2023 showed a pretty live arm in 19 1⁄3 innings with Lakeland this spring, but has been out since May. Apparently rest and rehab wasn’t enough to avoid Tommy John.
Josue Briceño and Peyton Graham return to action
With the Complex Leagues done for the season, the Bridge League has taken their place. This is a fancy way of saying there are still developmental games taking place for players who haven’t reached A-ball yet. The Bridge League will be 20 games long.
Two familiar faces were on hand for the Tigers squad. Catcher Josue Briceño is back from a knee ligament injury suffered in mid-May. That was good to hear as there’s been little word about his rehab and it seemed like his season might be over. Perhaps we’ll see him back with the Flying Tigers before year’s end, if only in a 1B/DH role to protect the knee. With his ability to develop into a good catcher very much a question mark, this may prove to be a permanent transition.
Shortstop Peyton Graham, the Tigers 2022 second rounder, was also on hand. Graham has really struggled to gain any traction, but he’s also dealt with a steady stream of injuries. The 23-year-old has the tools to play a really good shortstop, and a good combination of power and plate discipline, but he continues to strike out a lot and hit the ball on the ground a lot. Hopefully he can finally get right physically, put on some good muscle, and make some real progress next year. We’ll see if he returns to the Whitecaps this year or not. Their season ends on September 8, so it seems unlikely.