Toledo Mud Hens 5, St. Paul Saints 2 (box)
Bryan Garcia got the start in this one, and the project continues to go surprisingly well in a starting role for the former college closer. Garcia tossed six innings of two-run ball with six strikeouts in this one.
After the teams traded runs in the first inning, they took the lead when Andre Lipcius doubled in Zack Short in the third inning. The Saints got a run back in the fifth, but the Hens finally took the lead for good in the sixth. Daz Cameron reached on a dropped strike three to lead off the inning, and Jamie Westbrook doubled him home with two outs to take the lead for good. In the eighth, Cameron walked with one out, and Lipcius and Brendon Davis singled back-to-back, scoring two more to reach the final score.
Lipcius: 2-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B, BB
Sanchez: 2-4, R
Garcia (W, 3-3): 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 6 SO
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. EDT start time at Fifth Third Field on Friday night. The Hens haven’t announced a starter. RHP Jordan Balazovic (0-6, 8.55 ERA) will go for the Saints.
Erie SeaWolves 9, Altoona Curve 2 (box)
The Bowie Baysox won on Thursday as well, so it was necessary that the SeaWolves got it done and they did so with emphasis. The two clubs are still tied up atop the Eastern League’s Southwest division in the second half with nine games left in the regular season.
Reese Olson tossed five innings of two-run ball, with both runs partly the result of a throwing error. He punched out six, allowing five hits and two walks along the way.
The SeaWolves staked Olson to a two-run lead in the bottom of the third when they loaded the bases and Andrew Navigato’s sacrifice fly scored recently acquired infielder Luis Garcia. Parker Meadows followed with an infield single, and it was 2-0. Unfortunately Quincy Nieporte and Dane Myers struck out or they could’ve blown this one open right there.
After the Curve tied it up in the top of the fourth, the SeaWolves came right back with five in the bottom half. Gage Workman led off with a double, and Daniel Cabrera and Luis Garcia walked to load the bases. This time they cashed in their chips as catcher Michael De La Cruz came through with a two-run single. A Bryant Packard ground out scored another run, and Andrew Navigato followed with an RBI single. After a Curve pitching change, Meadows walked and Nieporte singled home Navigato to make it 7-2 Erie. RBI singles from Packard and Meadows in the eighth added a pair of runs, but the bullpen needed no help in this one.
Meadows: 2-4, 2 RBI, BB
Nieporte: 2-5, RBI, 2 SO
Olson (W, 8-6): 5.0 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 6 SO
Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves haven’t announced a starter for Friday night’s 6:05 p.m. EDT matchup. RHP Quinn Priester (3-3, 2.37 ERA) starts for the Curve.
West Michigan Whitecaps 7, Great Lakes Loons 6 (box)
The Whitecaps came into this one desperately needing to win out over their last four games, and they got it done despite a furious rally from the Loons.
This all started with another strong start from Keider Montero. His own throwing error cost the Whitecaps a run, as the Loons scored first in the second inning. Still Montero spun five hitless innings with one unearned run allowed. He did walk four on the day though, striking out five. Still he departed after five with the Whitecaps in great shape.
The Whitecaps’ offense got going in the third when Justice Bigbie reached on an infield single that Loons starter River Ryan couldn’t convert into an out. After that play, Esney Chacon cheekily dropped down a bunt single, and a single from Jake Holton scored Bigbie. Jace Jung struck out, but Josh Crouch came through with a single to center field to score Chacon, and the ‘Caps led 2-1.
The Loons went to their bullpen in the bottom of the fourth, but immediately walked Danny Serretti on four straight pitches. Ben Malgeri followed by smoking an RBI triple to center field. Austin Murr lifted a fly ball to right, and Malgeri tagged and scored from third. 4-1 Whitecaps. Things almost went south in the sixth as Trevin Michael took over from Montero and allowed four runs. 5-4 Loons.
However, the ‘Caps fought right back with three in the bottom half of the inning. Izaac Pacheco led off with a walk and scored on a Serretti double. Justice Bigbie ripped a line drive two-run homer to left, and that proved the difference. However, the circumstances on that homer were rather bizarre as you’ll see in the clip below from Tigers Minor League Report. The Loons got another run in the seventh, but Chavez Fernander and Jack Anderson locked down the eighth and ninth innings to put this one away.
Justice Bigbie puts the Whitecaps ahead with a hit, but he’s thrown out at 2nd to end the inning. Fans at LMCU Ballpark are treated to mid-inning entertainment, only for the hit to be ruled a home run. It’s Bigbie’s first at High-A, and the Caps lead 7-5. @ThatDanHasty calls it. pic.twitter.com/pXCkaRfOvc
— Tigers Minor League Report (@tigersMLreport) September 9, 2022
Crouch: 3-4, RBI
Bigbie: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, SO
Serretti: 1-3, 2 R, RBI, 2B, BB
Malgeri: 2-3, R, RBI, 3B, BB
Montero: 5.0 IP, R, 0 ER, 0 H, 4 BB, 5 SO
Coming Up Next: RHP Dylan Smith (7-6, 4.31 ERA) starts for the Whitecaps on Friday night at 6:35 p.m. EDT, while RHP Robbie Peto (6-0, 3.79 ERA) goes for the Loons. Fort Wayne took down Lake County on Thursday, so the deficit is back to just one game with three to play.
Jupiter Hammerheads 7, Lakeland Flying Tigers 3 (box)
The two clubs traded blows early on, but the Hammerheads broke through with a four-run seventh inning to win on Thursday.
Marco Jimenez had a pretty wild three inning outing. He struck out six, but he also allowed three runs. After the Hammerheads scored two in the first, Lakeland came back with two of their own in the second. Adinso Reyes led off with a walk, and Jose De La Cruz and Manuel Garcia followed with singles. A sac fly by Cristian Santana scored De La Cruz, and the game was all tied up.
In the third, Roberto Campos reached on an error, and Andrew Jenkins singled him over to the third. Dom Johnson’s sacrifice fly scored Campos, but they couldn’t add on from there. Jupiter re-tied the game 3-3 in the bottom half of the inning, and things stayed knotted until the seventh when Jupiter scored four and went on to win.
De La Cruz: 1-3, R, BB, SO
Reyes: 0-2, R, 2 BB, 2 SO
Jimenez: 3.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, BB, 6 SO
Coming Up Next: First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. EDT on Friday night in Jupiter.