Trey Sweeney introduces himself as the Mud Hens take three straight

Toledo Mud Hens 5, Indianapolis Indians 4 (Fri)(box)

Toledo Mud Hens 8, Indianapolis Indians 7 (Sat)(F/10)(box)

Toledo Mud Hens 10, Indianapolis Indians 8 (Sun)(box)

The Mud Hens rallied back in this series after losing the first three games to earn a split with three hard fought victories over the weekend.

On Friday night, Ty Madden put together one of the better outings in what has been a really rough 2024 campaign for him. The Hens hit three home runs, built an early lead, and fought off a late run by Indy to hold on.

The Hens jumped right out in front in the first inning when Spencer Torkelson and Jace Jung doubled back to back to make it 1-0. Riley Unroe smacked a solo shot in the second inning and they got a double from Andrew Navigato that later produced a run on a Torkelson sacrifice fly. 3-0 Hens. Stephen Scott made it 4-0 with a solo shot in the fourth.

Meanwhile, Madden was cruising. He was perfect for four innings, then allowed a solo shot in the fifth and a two-run shot in the sixth, spoiling the day for him a little, but he did strike out nine without allowing a walk.

Riley Unroe hit his second home run of the game in the sixth, leading off the inning with a solo shot. So it was 5-3 when Madden departed. New reliever Chase Lee allowed a run in the eighth to make it 5-4—we have a whole lot of Lee’s in this system now—but Devin Sweet closed it out in the ninth.

Unroe: 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 HR, BB

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

Jung: 2-4, RBI, 2B, BB, K

Madden (W, 3-4): 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 9 K

On Saturday, while the Hens rolled out another bullpen game in the series, the Indians had a major league veteran in Domingo German on the mound. However the Hens lineup was unphased and jumped all over German early in this one.

Justice Bigbie led off the second with a triple, and shortstop Trey Sweeney smoked a two-run shot to right in his sixth at-bat in the Tigers’ organization. Riley Unroe singled, and two batters later Andrew Navigato smacked his 14th homer of the season for the Hens to make it 4-0.

Austin Bergner then proceeded to get shelled out of the game, allowing a run in the second, and six runs in the third, all without allowing a home run. 7-4 Indy and it stayed that way until the seventh inning when the Hens embarked on one heck of a comeback.

Drew Maggi got them started with a solo shot in the seventh. In the eighth, Akil Baddoo led off with a single and then stole second base. Jace Jung walked and Sweeney doubled the opposite way to drive in both runners and tie the game 7-7.

Meanwhile the Hens bullpen was doing great work. Andrew Magno, Garrett Hill, and Austin Schulfer all went more than an inning of scoreless work.

In the tenth, a wild pitch moved Navigato, who started on second, to third base. Baddoo and Torkleson both struck out, but Jace Jung came through with a clutch single to take a one-run lead into the bottom half.

Schulfer shut Indy down in the 10th to pick up the win.

Sweeney: 2-4, R, 4 RBI, 2B, HR

Jung: 2-4, R, RBI, BB, K

Navigato: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, K

Bergner: 2.1 IP, 7 R, 6 ER, 6 H, BB, 5 K

Sundays’ matchup was a game of keep away most of the day. The Indians built a lead and rallied every time the Hens closed the gap until finally Toledo had enough to surge ahead late and win their third straight.

It was another bullpen day, as the Hens are in worse shape than the Tigers in the starting rotation department. Angel Reyes got the start, and promptly allowed four runs in the first, and two more in the third.

In between those innings, the Hens scored three in the second. Justice Bigbie led off with a walk and singles from Sweeney and Ryan Kreidler followed to load the bases. Stephen Scott knocked in two with a double, and Kreidler would eventually score on a Navigato ground out. Still it was 6-3 Indy after three innings.

In the fifth, Navigato led off with a single and Torkelson launched a two-run shot, his 10th with the Hens, to left field. That made it 6-5 Indy, but they pulled away again in the sixth with two runs off of PJ Poulin.

Finally, in the seventh, the Hens ran them down. Navigato was hit by a pitch to open the inning, and Baddoo singled to right field. Torkelson hammered a double up the right center field gap to score them both, and would later score on a Bigbie ground out to make it 8-8.

In the top of the ninth, Bigbie came up with a two-out single, and it was Trey Sweeney once again. A deep drive to center field made it 10-8 Hens, and Devin Sweet shut down the Indians in the eighth and ninth to collect the win.

Sweeney: 3-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR

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

Sweet (W, 7-5): 2.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: The Hens will welcome in a rare foe in the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, the Miami Marlins Triple-A affilate, this week.

Portland Sea Dogs 8, Erie SeaWolves 5 (Fri)(box)

Portland Sea Dogs 5, Erie SeaWolves 3 (Sat)(box)

Erie SeaWolves 5, Portland Sea Dogs 3 (Sun)(box)

The SeaWolves had a rough week, salvaging a game on Sunday to avoid the sweep. Without Hao-Yu Lee, this offense has little to offer, and Lee himself hasn’t been the same since getting hit in the head twice in one week back in early July. There has been no word from the Tigers as to why he didn’t play in the series.

On Friday, they were in it early, but the bullpen crumbled and the SeaWolves just don’t the offensive firepower to produce a bunch of runs game in and game out.

The SeaWolves got on the board first, when new deadline acquisition catcher Liam Hicks singled in Jake Holton. Lefty Carlos Pena allowed a run in the bottom half that tied things up, but in the fourth, Austin Murr singled in Ben Malgeri to make it 2-1 Erie.

Pena surrendered two runs that ended his day in the fifth inning. In the seventh, the SeaWolves fought back. Carlos Mendoza led off with a walk and then stole second base. Gage Workman was hit by a pitch with one out, and a ground out by Holton scored Mendoza. Holton later scored as an Eliezer Alfonzo grounder went for an error, and it was 4-3 SeaWolves. That was the last time they led.

Tyler Owens, another deadline acquisition, allowed a run in the bottom of the seventh to blow the lead. Eric Silva, the return for the Mark Canha trade, then got shelled for four runs in the eighth. Alfonzo singled in Holton in the ninth, but no rally was forthcoming.

Murr: 3-4, RBI, 2 2B

Mendoza: 1-3, R, 2 BB, K

Pena: 4.1 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 3 K

Troy Melton had another Jekyll and Hyde outing on Saturday. He struck out eight and didn’t walk a batter in six innings of work, and threw 103 pitches as the Tigers finally are stretching their starters out. However, two home runs allowed was his undoing as he gave up four runs total to take the loss. Blaze Jordan and Kyle Teel had the dingers for the Sea Dogs and both are notable power threats, if not coming along quite as the prospecterati had hoped.

Chris Meyers hit a solo shot in the fourth, and Trei Cruz homered with Mendoza aboard in the seventh to account for the SeaWolves offense in this one. Jake Higginbotham allowed a run in the eighth, and the SeaWolves couldn’t muster anything in the eighth and ninth.

Meyers: 3-4, R, RBI, HR

Cruz: 3-5, R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR

Melton (L, 6-6): 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 8 K

On Sunday, Garrett Burhenn gave the SeaWolves a decent outing, allowing a pair of runs in the second but no more. His offense slowly but surely ran down the Sea Dogs and finally seized control in the eighth and ninth innings.

Down 2-0, Gage Workman led off the fourth with a single but was picked off. Holton and Meyers followed with singles, and a Hicks sacrifice fly scored Holton to get Erie on the board.

Meyers and Hicks then singled with one out in the sixth. Meyers scored on an Alfonzo ground out to tie the game 2-2.

RJ Petit, Eric Silva, and Joel Peguero all spun solid innings of relief to hold Portland in place, and in the eighth the SeaWolves seized control.

Holton led off the inning with a walk and Meyers singled him to second. Hicks flew out, but Alfonzo lined a single to left to load the bases, and the Sea Dogs went back to the pen. It didn’t help, as Ben Malgeri and Carlos Mendoza drew RBI walks to make it 4-2.

Tyler Owens struggled again, allowing a run in the eighth, but Holton added a solo shot for Erie in the top of the ninth, and Matt Seelinger closed out the game without issue.

Holton: 2-4, 3 R, RBI, HR, BB, K

Meyers: 3-5, 2 R

Burhenn: 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves stay on the rode next week as they take on the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Fort Wayne TinCaps 5, West Michigan Whitecaps 2 (Sat)(Gm1)(box)

West Michigan Whitecaps 3, Fort Wayne TinCaps 2 (Sat)(Gm2)(box)

West Michigan Whitecaps 5, Fort Wayne TinCaps 2 (Sun)(box)

The West Michigan Whitecaps are certainly enjoying a massive infusion of hitting talent, but it was their pitching that largely led the way, taking five of six from the TinCaps last week.

After getting rained out on Friday, they played a doubleheader on Saturday. Game 1 was seven innings, and the Whitecaps just never got much going at the plate.

Joe Miller allowed three runs in the second inning before settling down for three scoreless frames. Unfortunately they pushed him too far, and a pair of solo shots allowed before departing in the sixth put this one away for Fort Wayne.

Still, the offense only had three hits all game and couldn’t score despite drawing five walks. Finally in the top of the seventh, Seth Stephenson, Max Clark, and Max Anderson all singled with one out, and Kevin McGonigle lifted a sac fly to plate Clark. It was 5-2 at that point, but that was as close as they’d get.

Clark: 2-3, R, 2B

Stephenson: 1-2, R, BB, SB

Miller (L, 2-3): 5.2 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, BB, 6 K

Game 2 was also seven innings, and while Jaden Hamm didn’t have one of his better outings, the offense took advantage of six walks issued by TinCaps pitching to win 3-2.

Hamm allowed two solo shots, dealing with mild Melton-itis, but that was all he allowed in five innings of work. He walked one and struck out five on the day.

In the top of the second, Thayron Liranzo walked to lead off, and Roberto Campos reached on an error in center field, moving Liranzo to third. A wild pitch scored Liranzo to tie the game 1-1.

In the third, Max Anderson walked with one out, and Kevin McGonigle hit an absolute rocket for his first Whitecaps’ home run. My minor concerns about McGonigle’s power potential if he has to move to second base were erased by this one shot, which left the bat at 111.8 mph according to the Whitecaps’ broadcast. As far as I can tell, Spencer Torkelson only has two balls hit harder than that in his three years of major league time.

That made it 3-1 Whitecaps. Hamm allowed the second home run of the day by the TinCaps in the fourth, but Marco Jimenez and Tanner Kohlhepp spun scoreless innings of relief to lock this one down.

McGonigle: 1-3, R, 2 RBI, HR

Hamm (W, 5-3): 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 5 K

Pitching led the way again on Sunday, as Carlos Marcano and the bullpen kept the TinCaps pretty well in check until the offense finally broke through in the late innings against the Fort Wayne bullpen.

The Whitecaps squandered a good scoring opportunity in the first with Clark and McGonigle on base and one out. Marcano then allowed one of his two runs allowed in the bottom half. He’d allow another in the fourth, while the Whitecaps offense struggled to develop scoring chances for most of the game.

Finally, in the seventh, Jim Jarvis drew a walk and Patrick Lee—who was not promoted to Triple-A Toledo despite erroneous reports—doubled to left field. Josh Crouch singled them both in to tie the game 2-2.

In the eighth, Jim Jarvis reached on an error, and it was Patrick Lee again, this time dumping a pop up in shallow right field that the Fort Wayne first baseman couldn’t handle. It was ruled a double, which, okay, and it was 3-2 Whitecaps.

Yosber Sanchez kept the TinCaps off the board in the sixth and the seventh, striking out three, and Max Alba collected a six-out save, his fourth on the year.

Seth Stephenson led off the ninth with a single, and then stole second and third as Max Clark struck out. A Max Anderson ground out scored Stephenson, and then McGonigle singled and stole second, scoring on a Liranzo single to make it 5-2 where it ended.

Patrick Lee: 2-4, R, RBI, 2 2B, K

McGonigle: 2-3, R, BB, K, SB

Marcano: 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps welcome in the Benoit Sky Carp this week.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 4, Tampa Tarpons 3 (Fri)(box)

Tampa Tarpons 4, Lakeland Flying Tigers 3 (Sat)(Gm1)(box)

Lakeland Flying Tigers 6, Tampa Tarpons 5 (Sat)(Gm2)(box)

A rainout plagued series ended only getting five games in after they were washed out again on Sunday. The Flying Tigers won on Friday night and then split a doubleheader on Saturday to come out ahead three games to two. The two teams don’t play again, and with only five weeks left in the Florida State League regular season calendar, it presumably won’t be made up.

On Friday night, the Flying Tigers bullpen was the star of the show.

Cole Patten got the start, and he allowed a run in the first inning. In the bottom half, Brett Callahan tripled in John Peck to tie things at 1-1.

Patten allowed two more in the third, but the Flying Tigers got one back in the bottom half. Izaac Pacheco led off with a single and later scored on a Jose De La Cruz single. 3-2 Tampa.

At that point, lefty Jake Miller took over and was lethal as usual, shutting out the Tarpons to run his ERA to just 1.16 on the year.

In the sixth, Samuel Gil singled with one out and stole second base. Eduardo Valencia reached on an error, and Gil scored on a Clayton Campbell ground out to tie the game. And that’s where things stayed until the bottom of the ninth.

Conner Holden, Thomas Bruss, and Eiker Huizi then no-hit the Tarpons over the final three innings, with Huizi striking out the side in the ninth.

In the bottom half, John Peck walked and stole second base. Pacheco lined a single to center for a walkoff winner.

Peck: 2-4, 2 R, 2B, BB, 2 SB

Pacheco: 2-5, R, RBI, K

Jake Miller: 3.0 IP, 0 R, H, 2 BB, 3 K

Rayner Castillo struggled with his command a bit in Saturday’s seven inning Game 1. He allowed three runs and ran afoul of the Tigers pitches per inning prescription. Garrett Apker took over and cleaned things up and then spun two perfect innings of relief.

Down 3-0, the Flying Tigers got a run back in the third when Archer Brookman led off with a walk. A Dom Johnson ground rule double got Brookman to third where he scored on a Peck ground out.

In the fifth, Johnson reached on a two-base error, stole third, and scored on a Cristian Santana sacrifice fly. Peck then singled, stole second, and scored on a Pacheco single to tie the game at 3-3.

That’s where things stayed deadlocked until the bottom of the seventh. Luke Stofel got knocked around a bit, allowing the go-ahead run, and the Flying Tigers couldn’t answer back.

Peck: 2-3, R, RBI, BB, SB

Johnson: 2-3, R, 2B, SB

Castillo: 0.2 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, BB, K

Hayden Minton had a rough outing in Game 2, but the bats came alive a bit and the Tarpons issued seven walks to ease the path. Even so, the Flying Tigers had to storm back from a 5-1 deficit in the final two innings to win the game and the series.

Minton allowed a run in the top of the first, but the Flygers answered back as Brett Callahan singled in Peck to tie things at 1-1. Minton then allowed three runs in a messy fourth inning that knocked him out of the game. Carlos Lequerica allowed a run in the fifth, and it was 5-1 Tampa.

Brett Callahan sparked the beginnings of the comeback with a one out double in the sixth. Samuel Gil flew out, but David Smith and Clayton Campbell walked to load the bases. A wild pitch scored a run, and Daneurys De La Cruz drove in two with a single to make it 5-4 Tampa.

Cam Brown held the Tarpons in place in the seventh, and in the bottom half the Tarpons bullpen collapsed again.

Pacheco singled with one out and Callahan drew a walk. A Gil fly out advanced them, and a passed ball scored Pacheco from third as David Smith walked. Campbell lined a single into center field, and Callahan raced home as the walk off run.

Callahan: 3-3, 2 R, RBI, 2B, BB

Campbell: 2-3, R, RBI, BB

Minton: 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers welcome in the Clearwater Threshers again this week.