Toledo Mud Hens 9, Memphis Redbirds 3 (box)
The Hens powered up to take the series 4-2 over the Redbirds on Sunday. They jumped on them with a four-run first inning sparked by an two run single from Renato Nuñez to score Kody Clemens and Isaac Paredes. One batter later Aderlin Rodriguez pulled a two-run shot to left for his 11th of the season.
Starter Drew Hutchison gave two back in the second inning, but Clemens powered a solo shot to left center field in the third to open the lead back up at 5-2. Hutchison was solid the rest of his outing, spinning five frames of two run ball on four hits, no walks, with five strikeouts. Jason Foley allowed a run in the sixth, but the Hens gave back with two runs in both the bottom of the sixth and the seventh to pull away. Kody Clemens was lifted for Dylan Rosa prior to the fourth inning with no explanation as of yet.
Nuñez: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI
Clemens: 2-2, 2 R, RBI, HR
Coming Up Next: The Hens will welcome in the Columbus Clippers for six starting on Tuesday.
Erie SeaWolves 9, Akron RubberDucks 4 (box)
The relief corps held Akron in check as the SeaWolves pounded out 11 hits and put together two four-run innings to take this seven game set—including one makeup game from early June—four games to three.
Ryan Kreidler got things started with a one out single in the top of the first. Spencer Torkelson and Dillon Dingler followed with solid singles, with Dingler’s plating Kreidler. After an Andre Lipcius ground out, Kerry Carpenter singled in Dingler and Brady Policelli followed with a two run double to make it 4-0 SeaWolves. They came back for four more in the fifth, with Kerry Carpenter’s two run double as the key hit in that inning. Chavez Fernander got the win with three innings of one run ball in relief, with three strikeouts.
Carpenter: 3-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B, 2 SO
Kreidler: 2-3, 3 R, 2B, 2 BB
Lipcius: 1-3, R, RBI, 2 BB, SO, CS
Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves will start a six game set with the Reading Fightin Phils on Tuesday night in UPMC Park.
West Michigan Whitecaps 12, Dayton Dragons 10 (F/8)(Gm 1)(box)
This didn’t start well, as the Dragons put five runs up in the top of the first on a bullpen day for the Whitecaps. However, they fought back furiously in the late innings, scoring four in the seventh, and four in the bottom of the eighth, with Eric de la Rosa ending it with a walkoff two run homer that also completed a cycle on the day.
Bryant Packard reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the first, and the ‘Caps got to work. De la Rosa and Parker Meadows followed with singles, scoring Packard on the latter, and a Wenceel Perez ground out scored de la Rosa to make it 5-2 Dragons after one. Perez tripled home Daniel Cabrera in the third to inch closer.
Zach Shepherd surrendered two runs in the top of the fifth, but de la Rosa tripled and scored on a passed ball in the bottom half of the inning to keep the Dragons in range. Again, the ‘Caps bullpen leaked a run in the seventh and things looked bleak only for the offense to respond with a four run frame. Packard and de la Rosa were in the thick of the action there, while Trei Cruz put an exclamation point on the inning with a two-run double to tie the game at eight apiece and take it to extra innings.
The pattern repeated in the eighth inning. Bryce Tassin allowed two runs to the Dragons, but the Whitecaps weren’t going to be denied. Cooper Johnson started on second base and quickly scored on a Reynaldo Rivera single. Rivera moved to second on a wild pitch, and then third on a King bunt single. King went to second on a passed ball, and Rivera scored on a Packard sacrifice fly to tie the game again. The Dragons had seen enough and went to their bullpen, but de la Rosa capped a heck of a day with a screaming line drive over the wall in right to walk them off.
De La Rosa: 4-5, 4 R, 2 RBI, 2B, 3B, HR, SO
Cruz: 1-3, 2 RBI, 2B, BB, SO
Packard: 1-4, 2 R, 2 RBI
Dayton Dragons 5, West Michigan Whitecaps 3 (Gm 2)(box)
Keider Montero pitched pretty well in this one, and the ‘Caps had a lead in the middle innings, but the bullpen folded late. Montero went 4 1⁄3 innings of scoreless ball on six hits, two walks, with five strikeouts to lead the Whitecaps. They didn’t muster a good scoring opportunity until the fifth, and they cashed it in. Wenceel Perez led off the inning with a single, stole second, and scored on a Jose King single. Bryant Packard pulled a ground ball through the right side for a single to move King to third, and Eric de la Rosa’s sacrifice fly brought him home.
The Dragons finally broke through against Angel Reyes in the sixth, but only managed one run. Unfortunately, Will Tobey allowed two runs in the eighth to lose the lead. The Caps’ tied things up with another run in the bottom half of the inning, but Zack Hess gave up two more runs in the top of the ninth, and the Whitecaps’ offense had no answer.
Alfonzo: 2-3, BB, SO
Montero: 4.1 IP, 0 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 5 SO
Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps head for Illinois next, prepping for a six game series against the Peoria Chiefs starting Tuesday night.
Tampa Tarpons 15, Lakeland Flying Tigers 2 (box)
Eh…there’s not a lot to say here. This one was a bloodbath as four different pitchers gave up multiple runs. Starter Joseph Salazar got it worst, surrendering six runs in three innings of work. Carson King and Andrew Magno didn’t fare any better, giving up four and three runs, respectively in their innings of work. The only real offensive highlight was Gage Workman’s two run double in the third inning to score Sam McMillan and Ulrich Bojarski. Jimmy Kerr had two hits in the losing effort.
Kerr: 2-3, SO, CS
Workman: 1-4, 2 RBI, 2B, SO
McMillan: 1-2, R, SO
Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers will be in Daytona next week to battle the Tortugas starting Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. ET.