Rochester Red Wings 7, Toledo Mud Hens 6 (box)
The Hens jumped out to an early lead on Thursday, but a late rally from the Red Wings sank their chances.
Justyn-Henry Malloy got the night off, but the Hens’ patience team wide paid off right out of the gate in this one. With one out, Parker Meadows walked and then scored on a hit and run when Tyler Nevin singled to center field. Grant Witherspoon walked and then Andre Lipcius flew out, moving Nevin to third after tagging up. Donny Sands came up with a big knock, doubled in Nevin, and Corey Joyce followed with a double of his own to score Witherspoon and Sands. 4-0 Hens.
Starter Austin Bergner gave a few runs back in his four innings of work, and Rony Garcia, just reinstated from the injured list, surrendered a run in the fifth as the Red Wings tied things up at 4-4.
Andre Lipcius got the lead back in the bottom of the fifth with a leadoff walk, a steal of second base, and then scoring on a Michael Papierski single. In the eighth, Papierski doubled to lead off the inning and eventually scored on a Parker Meadows single.
At that point it was 6-4 Hens, but right-hander Brendan White couldn’t hold it. White gave up a three-run shot to old friend Nomar Mazara, and while the Hens got a pair of two-out singles in the bottom of the ninth, Papierski’s line drive to right was caught by Mazara to turn the Hens away.
Sands: 2-5, R, RBI, 2B, 2 SO
Papierski: 2-5, R, RBI, 2B, SO
Meadows: 1-4, R, RBI, BB, 2 SO
Bergner: 4.0 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO
Coming Up Next: RHP Reese Olson (2-3, 7.11 ERA) coming off a pair of good outings, takes on the Red Wings on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. ET. Rochester has yet to announce a starter.
Erie SeaWolves 7, Somerset Patriots 6 (box)
A strong outing from Brant Hurter and several clutch hits in the middle innings helped carry Erie over Somerset on Thursday.
Hurter allowed a run in the first inning, but then settled down to blank the Patriots over the next four, racking up six strikeouts to two walks and four singles allowed.
Unfortunately, reliever Dario Gardea did not fare so well as he was rocked for four runs in the top of the sixth inning.
That irritated the offense, which finally caught fire once Somerset starter Clayton Beeter was out of the game. Trei Cruz and Colt Keith singled to start the bottom of the sixth. Wenceel Perez drew a walk, and Dillon Dingler ripped a two-run double to left. Perez later scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-3 Somerset.
It was 6-3 Somerset after the top of the seventh, but the SeaWolves were just getting warmed up offensively. The bottom of the seventh started with Justin Wilson issuing a free pass to Ben Malgeri, then wild pitching him to second. Trei Cruz singled him home, and then scored on Colt Keith’s double. Wenceel Perez, who has been getting on base plenty but hasn’t shown the power surge we saw last year, followed Keith with a two-run shot, his third, to right field. That would prove to be the game winner as the bullpen locked it down from there.
Perez: 2-2, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, 2 BB
Keith: 2-3, 2 R, RBI, 2B, BB
Cruz: 3-4, 2 R, RBI
Hurter: 5.0 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 SO
Coming Up Next: RHP Keider Montero (1-1, 9.20 ERA) takes on Patriots’ RHP Gray Fenter (2-1, 3.96 ERA) on Friday night at 6:35 p.m. ET. It’s been a rough go for Montero since making the leap to Double-A at the beginning of May. Hopefully he can start turning the tide in this one.
West Michigan Whitecaps 4, Lake County Captains 0 (box)
The Whitecaps pitching and defense were sharp on Thursday, and the offense made it count with a solid night at the plate.
Garrett Burhenn got the start in this one, and while he only recorded one strikeout, he blanked the Captains for five innings, helping himself out by starting a 1-5-3 double play in the fourth after allowing two singles to start the inning.
The ‘Caps got the scoring started in the third when Luis Garcia was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Danny Serretti doubled him to third, and Brady Allen singled him home, moving Serretti to third in the process. An Eliezer Alfonzo sac fly scored Serretti to make it 2-0 West Michigan.
The offense was pretty quiet until the seventh. Garcia led off with a single this time, and it was Alvaro Gonzalez doubling him to third. Serretti’s single to right field scored them both, though that was all they’d get.
Jake Holub tossed a scoreless eighth, while Erick Pinales locked down the ninth inning.
Serretti: 3-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B
Allen: 2-4, RBI, 2 SO
Crouch: 3-4
Burhenn (W, 2-2): 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, SO
Coming Up Next: RHP Troy Melton will make his Whitecaps debut on Friday night at 6:35 p.m. ET. He features a fourseam fastball that routinely gets into the high 90’s and a solid cutter that has developed further this spring. Still has a long way to go in the command department, but he’s one to watch this year. He’ll take on RHP Ethan Hankins (0-2, 5.14 ERA) in what should be an interesting battle as the former Guardians top pitching prospect works his way back from Tommy John surgery.
Lakeland Flying Tigers 3, Daytona Tortugas 2 (box)
Right-hander Garrett Apker gave the Flying Tigers a solid start, and the offense had just enough to take this one after beating up on the Tortugas pretty handily on Wednesday.
Apker gave up a run in the second inning, but the Flying Tigers struck back in the top of the third. Mike Rothenberg led off with a double, and Dom Johnson walked with one out. Seth Stephenson reached on a fielder’s choice, with everyone safe on the play. A wild pitch scored Rothenberg, and Carlos Pelegrin came up with a two-run double.
Apker gave up a run in the bottom of the third, but the Flying Tigers pitching staff locked it down from there. Cristian Santana was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a Rothenberg single in the fourth, and they wouldn’t even muster a real threat until the eighth, but the bullpen had it covered.
Pelegrin: 2-4, 2 RBI, 2B, SO
Rothenberg: 3-4, R, 2B, SO
Apker: 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 SO
Coming Up Next: First pitch from Daytona on Friday night is set for 6:35 p.m. ET.