Columbus Clippers 5, Toledo Mud Hens 3 (F/12)(box)
It was a rough road trip for the Hens, as they lost on Friday, Saturday, and again on Sunday, this time in walkoff fashion in 12 innings, losing the series 1-5 to Columbus.
Drew Hutchison got this one off to a good start with three scoreless innings of one-hit ball, but the offense couldn’t take advantage. Columbus finally scored first, putting up a run on Miguel del Pozo in the seventh. Finally, Toledo’s offense awoke from their slumber — largely caused by terrible batted ball luck as they only struck out twice through seven innings — in the eighth.
With one out, Zack Short and Riley Greene walked, and Trayce Thompson smoked a fly ball to center field for a three-run shot, his fifth. Reliever Justin Garza then walked Ryan Lavarnway, still only with one out. The Clippers turned to old friend Anthony Castro, who punched out the next two hitters to escape further trouble.
Ricardo Pinto held the lead in the bottom half, allowing a single but no more. The Hens went quickly in the ninth, and Derek Law came on looking to lock up the save. Instead, he walked the leadoff hitter and eventually allowed a pair of runs, sending the game to extras.
In the 10th, Zack Short grounded out, and Riley Greene was punched out on three straight pitches, but Thompson came through again, lining a double to center field to score the extra innings runner. Unfortunately that was all they would muster in the frame, and Miguel Diaz gave back the run in the bottom half.
In the 11th, Brendon Davis singled the extra innings runner, Brady Policelli, over to third, but he was cut down at home plate trying to score on a Jamie Westbrook ground ball.
Nolan Blackwood worked around hitting the leadoff hitter, which put the force plays in play, and they got an out at third when Jose Fermin tried to bunt the runners over. A double play ball ended the threat and sent this to the 12th.
Unfortunately, the Hens went in order in the 12th, and Blackwood allowed a pair of one-out singles to push across the game winner.
Thompson: 2-4, R, 4 RBI, HR, 2B, BB
Greene: 1-5, R, BB, 2 SO
Meadows: 1-4, BB
Coming Up Next: The Hens rest on Monday, holding a 25-27 record. They’ll welcome in the Iowa Cubs on Tuesday night. You can probably expect Austin Meadows to rejoin the Tigers on Tuesday, and we’ll look for Ryan Carpenter to move up to Triple-A as he continues to absolutely dominate Double-A pitching.
Erie SeaWolves 6, Harrisburg Senators 3 (box)
The SeaWolves lost on Friday, but bounced back with victories on Saturday and Sunday to take the series decisively, 5 to 1.
Wilmer Flores was a little wild in this one. He struck out five and allowed two runs in five innings of work, one on a solo shot. Overall he just didn’t have his fastball command, and while he only walked one, he threw some meatballs over the middle that the Senators were able to square up. However, the offense staked him to a four-run lead in the bottom of the first, and that was enough to win.
Dylan Rosa started things off with a single, and Dillon Dingler followed by doubling him over to third. Kerry Carpenter grounded out, scoring Rosa, and Quincy Nieporte walked. Dane Myers ripped an RBI double to the opposite field to score Dingler, and after Parker Meadows popped out, Gage Workman drilled a triple to left, scoring Nieporte and Myers.
Flores two runs allowed left it at 4-2 through five innings. The SeaWolves put the game away in the sixth. A two-out single from Meadows preceded a two-run blast from Workman to right field, and it was 6-3. Yaya Chentouf allowed a solo shot in the bottom of the ninth, but otherwise held it down. Nick Kuzia deserves some love for a strong eighth inning where he allowed a walk, but struck out three in his inning of work.
Workman: 3-4, R, 4 RBI, HR, 3B, SO
Myers: 2-4, R, RBI, 2 2B
Dingler: 1-4, R, 2B, 2 SO
Flores (W, 2-0): 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, BB, 5 SO
Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves head to Richmond to take on the Flying Squirrels starting Tuesday night.
Lake County Captains 9, West Michigan Whitecaps 2 (box)
After a good start to the series, the Captains rallied to take all three games from Friday through Sunday to take the set 4-2.
The Whitecaps just didn’t get much going on offense in this one, collecting just three hits, though they walked six times in the game. They just couldn’t cash in their baserunners.
West Michigan scored first, in the top of the second inning, but it was indicative of their whole day. Colt Keith led off with a double, and Ben Malgeri and Trei Cruz walked to load the bases. However, they only got one run as Jose King grounded into a double play that scored Keith. Cooper Johnson followed with another walk, but Akil Baddoo flew out sharply to right field for the squander.
From there though, the Captains retired 15 straight Whitecaps’ hitters in a row until Cruz drew another walk with two outs in the seventh. At that point it was already 6-1 Lake County, as Jordan Marks had a rough start. Angel Reyes allowed a solo shot in the seventh, while Bryce Tassin allowed two more in the eighth. Thus it was rather moot when Malgeri singled home Daniel Cabrera in the top of the ninth inning.
Baddoo: 0-4, SO
Keith: 1-3, R, 2B
Marks (L, 0-4): 4.1 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, BB, 4 SO
Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps take a 23-28 record home with them as they welcome in the Lansing Lugnuts for six starting Tuesday night at 6:35 p.m. EDT.
Bradenton Marauders 4, Lakeland Flying Tigers 3 (box)
The Marauders took down Lakeland on Sunday after the two clubs split a doubleheader to make up for Friday night’s rainout. They split the series three games apiece.
Carlos Pena continues to be a real bright spot in the Flying Tigers rotation. The lefty with the nasty changeup punched out nine Marauders, no-hitting them for five innings. They did get an unearned run in the third when Randy Romero walked, stole second, and scored as the throw went wild into center field and Esney Chacon then made another error trying to collect it. Otherwise, just three walks, nine strikeouts, and no hits for Pena.
Meanwhile, the Flying Tigers’ offense gave Pena a little lead to work with in the bottom of the first. Izaac Pacheco led off with a single, and Carlos Mendoza drew a walk for what seems like the hundredth time already this season, but was actually the 36th of the disciplined young outfielders season to date. Manuel Sequera and Roberto Campos both flew out, but back-to-back two-out singles from Justice Bigbie and Daneurys De La Cruz plated both baserunners to make it 2-0 Lakeland. De La Cruz later crushed a solo shot to left, his second of the year, in the bottom of the sixth to make it 3-1.
Unfortunately Cristhian Tortosa struggled in the top of the eighth, allowing a three-run shot that put the Marauders on top, and they held on from there.
De La Cruz: 2-3, R, RBI, HR, BB, SO
Bigbie: 2-4, RBI, SO
Pacheco: 1-4, R, BB
Pena: 5.0 IP, R, 3 BB, 9 SO
Coming Up Next: At 24-27 on the season, Lakeland now travels to Dunedin for six with the Blue Jays.