Mud Hens mash three homers to take down the Storm Chasers

Toledo Mud Hens 5, Omaha Storm Chasers 1 (box)

The Hens started their road series with Omaha the right way, putting together a solid all-around effort to win going away on Tuesday afternoon.

Chase Anderson got the start and limited the Storm Chasers to one run on one hit, with three walks issued and three strikeouts. Jason Foley, Luis Castillo, Bryan Garcia, and recent minor league signing Derek Law each spinning a scoreless inning of relief.

The Hens brought out the whooping stick in this one, launching three home runs. Kody Clemens pulled a solo shot out in the top of the first, his third of the year. Zack Short added a solo shot in the third, his second of the year. With the score 2-1 in the sixth, Josh Lester reached on a misplayed ball in center field, and Ryan Kreidler crushed number four on the year about 420 feet to center field to make it 4-1. The Hens pushed across one more in the top of the ninth, with Chris Rabago singling, advancing to second on a Short walk, and then taking third on a wild pitch. A Clemens ground out brought him home with the final run of the night.

Clemens had a single as well for the only multi-hit game for the Hens. Jack Lopez doubled and walked in the winning effort.

Up Next: RHP Alex Faedo is done with his rehab assignment in Lakeland and will get the start on Wednesday night, marking his return to regular duty for the first time since the end of the 2019 season. The Storm Chasers haven’t announced their starter yet.

Erie SeaWolves vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies (postponed)

The SeaWolves were rained out in Binghamton on Tuesday. They’ll make that one up in a doubleheader on Wednesday.

Great Lakes Loons 7, West Michigan Whitecaps 5 (box)

After the Whitecaps had opened up a nice lead, starter Carlos Guzman came unglued in the five and the Loons surged ahead and held on to take the first of six in Comstock Park.

The Loons opened the scoring with runners on first and third in the third inning. Eddys Leonard broke for second and Whitecaps catcher Cooper Johnson fired to second in plenty of time, catching Leonard in a rundown, but allowing Ryan January to score from third.

Chastened by that experience, the Whitecaps put together a big rally in the bottom half with help from the Loons defense. Austin Murr led off with a double, and Colt Keith singled him to third after Trei Cruz struck out. Jake Holton walked, and the bases were loaded. Murr scored on a wild pitch as everyone advanced a base. Then, after Wenceel Perez struck out, Andrew Navigato grounded to third and the Loons defender threw the ball away, allowing both Keith and Holton to score. Navigato took second on the play and scored on a Ben Malgeri double before the inning came to an end. 4-1 Whitecaps.

Guzman returned the favor by falling apart in the fifth. he issued three walks and two singles before he was yanked, and then reliever Hendry Nunez wild pitched home the third run of the inning before allowing a sacrifice fly that scored the go ahead run. Nunez allowed another run in the sixth to make it 7-4. Wenceel Perez tripled to lead off the bottom of the eighth, and scored on a sacrifice fly, but that was all the offense West Michigan could manage in the late innings.

Up Next: LHP Jack O’Loughlin (0-0, 7.71 ERA) gets the start on Wednesday. He’ll take on Loons RHP Nick Nastrini (0-0, 4.05 ERA) at 12:05 p.m.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 5, Tampa Tarpons 4 (box)

After a tight low scoring affair for eight innings, this one featured a wild ninth inning that saw the Flying Tigers blow the game open, only for the Tarpons to nearly return fire and walk them off. Instead, the Tigers held on to take game one of the six-game set.

RHP Garrett Burhenn, the Tigers ninth round pick in 2021 out of Ohio State, got the start and dominated early on. He allowed a solo shot in the second but struck out 10 Tarpons in 4 ²⁄₃ innings of work. As for the offense, they racked up nine hits on the night, but didn’t score until Roberto Campos tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth to tie things at one apiece.

Then all hell broke loose. Cristian Santana led off the top of the ninth with a walk and advanced on a Justice Bigbie single that was misplayed by Tarpons CF Jasson Dominguez, allowing Santana to take third. Carlos Mendoza followed with an RBI double. Manuel Sequera stroked an RBI line drive single to left to score Bigbie and move Mendoza to third. Sequera waltzed to second on defensive indifference, and then Izaac Pacheco and Chris Meyers drew back-to-back walks, scoring Mendoza to make it 4-1. Campos lifted a sacrifice fly to score Sequera, and the Flying Tigers took a four run lead into the bottom of the ninth.

Reliever Cristhian Tortosa was looking for the six-out save, but things went quite poorly instead. As is so often the case, a leadoff walk was a key culprit. Tortosa bounced back with a strikeout, then gave up a single, then K’d the Tarpons Grant Richardson on three pitches. Runners on first and second, two outs, this one looked in the bag, but Tortosa surrendered a two-run double, and a Sequera error kept the Tarpons alive. The Flying Tigers turned to Erick Pinales, and while he walked back-to-back hitters to force in a run, he was able to collect himself and get a strikeout to finally end the game.

Sequera and Mendoza had two hit games in this one, while Josh Crouch racked up three singles in the winning effort, with one RBI. It was a quiet night for Pacheco and Santana.

Up Next: They’ll get back at it on Wednesday with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. RHP Richard Fitts (0-1, 7.94 ERA) will start for Tampa, while the Flying Tigers have yet to announce.