Dillon Dingler and Spencer Torkelson homer in Whitecaps’ rout

Memphis Redbirds 10, Toledo Mud Hens 6 (F/7)(Gm 1)(box)

Matt Manning got absolutely clobbered again, and despite a strong performance from the offense, the Hens couldn’t overcome it. Manning allowed a single and a double to start the game on a bad footing, allowing one run before he’d thrown 10 pitches. He settled down from there, retiring the next six in a row, including striking out the side in the third. However in the fourth, things went very wrong.

With one out, Manning allowed three straight doubles and a single, with three runs in. He popped up the next hitter, but then allowed a two-run shot to Justin Toerner. Another single followed, and with it came the hook, as Alex Lange came on in relief. Lange didn’t acquit himself real well either, allowing two runs. Wladmir Pinto, fresh from Erie, allowed a run in his 1 ¹⁄₃ innings of work as well.

The Hens got on the board with three straight singles in the top of the first. JaCoby Jones, Isaac Paredes, and Yariel Gonzalez accounted for those, with Jones scoring the game’s first run. An Aderlin Rodriguez solo shot in the second, followed later by a two-out triple from Cole Peterson and an RBI single from Daz Cameron actually had the Hens up 3-1 at that point. They scored three more after Manning was blown up. Cameron singled with two outs in the top of the fifth, followed by a Jones double, an Isaac Paredes single, and a Gonzalez double made it 9-6 at that point, but that was as close as they’d get.

Cameron: 2-4, R, RBI, SO

Jones: 2-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B, SO

Manning (L, 0-3): 3.2 IP, 7 ER, 9 H, 5 SO

Memphis Redbirds 3, Toledo Mud Hens 2 (F/7)(Gm 2)(box)

The Hens built a two-run lead in the top of the second inning on RBI singles from Christin Stewart and Daz Cameron, but they couldn’t hold it. Locke St. John started the game and allowed a run in the second inning, while Beau Burrows leaked one in the third. The Hens collected just four hits and two walks in the contest, and really didn’t muster another threat. Reliever Miguel Del Pozo allowed a solo shot to blow the save in the bottom of the seventh as the Redbirds walked it off, and swept the doubleheader.

Cameron: 2-3, RBI, 2B, SB

Burrows: 2.0 IP, ER, 2 H, 3 SO

Coming Up Next: RHP Drew Hutchison (1-2, 4.07 ERA) starts for the Hens in Memphis on Friday night at 8:10 p.m. EDT.

Erie SeaWolves vs. Akron RubberDucks (postponed)

These two were rained out for the second straight day, with this one getting postponed until June 23rd. They’ll try to make up Wednesday’s game with a Friday doubleheader starting at 5:30 p.m. EDT.

West Michigan Whitecaps 12, Great Lakes Loons 1 (box)

After making a mess of the second round for years, the Tigers appear to have finally hit the jackpot with catcher Dillon Dingler. He continued his reign of terror over Midwest League pitching on Thursday night, and is going to be featured in top 100 prospect lists quite soon.

Dingler collected a pair of doubles in this one, and topped it off with a towering grand slam in a six-run eighth inning for the Whitecaps as they throttled the Loons. That other guy, Spencer Torkelson, also homered, and it was a 442 foot missile out to straightaway center field. Wenceel Perez and Daniel Cabrera added a pair of hits apiece to the proceedings as well, while catcher Eliezer Alfonso collected three of his own. Dane Myers also homered, his first of the year.

Meanwhile, one of the Tigers better young pitching prospects, Keider Montero, has gotten into a groove. He allowed an unearned run and punched out six, walking two, over five innings of work. After a rough start to the year, he’s settled in with back-to-back good performances.

Dingler: 3-4, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2 2B, HR (GS), HBP

Torkelson: 2-4, 2 R, RBI, HR, 2 BB, 2 SO

Cabrera: 2-6: 2 R, RBI, SO, SB

Montero (W, 2-3): 5.0 IP, R, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 SO

Coming Up Next: The two clubs meet up again on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. EDT in Midland.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 7, Tampa Tarpons 6 (box)

The Flying Tigers built an early lead, lost it, and then fought back to pull away in this one. A two-run single from Kody Clemens scored Kingston Liniak and Gage Workman to open the scoring in the third inning. In the fifth, they added two more on RBI hits from Connor Perry and Workman. Workman then proceeded to steal second before being thrown out trying to take third as well.

The Tarpons closed the gap in the bottom of the fifth on a three-run shot by Jesus Bastidas off of Lakeland starter Adam Wolf. Wolf then surrendered a leadoff shot in the sixth that tied the game. The Tarpons scored two more in the seventh, but in the eighth, the Flying Tigers roared back.

An Alvaro Gonzalez single and a Nick Quintana double set the table. Jimmy Kerr sacrificed home Gonzalez, while an error by the Tarpons on a Jose de la Cruz grounder to third plated Gonzalez. Sam McMillan then punched a single the opposite way, with de la Cruz, who had stolen second base, coming around to score the eventual game winner.

Clemens: 1-3, 2 RBI

Workman: 1-4, RBI, BB, SB, CS

Wolf: 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 6 SO

Coming Up Next: RHP Carlos Guzman (2-1, 3.38 ERA) is one to watch in the Tigers system. He’ll take on RHP Randy Vasquez (0-1, 6.06 ERA) on Friday at 6:30 p.m. EDT.