Toledo Mud Hens 4, Omaha Storm Chasers 2 (box)
The Hens built an early lead and got really good work from the pitching staff on a bullpen day to take down the Storm Chasers on Thursday. They now lead the six-game set 2-1 heading into the weekend.
Tyler Nevin stayed hot in this one. With two outs in the bottom of the first, Colt Keith drew a walk and Nevin blasted a two-run shot to center field. 2-0 Hens.
Tyler Nevin goes 416 feet to center field for a 2-run bomb. It’s his 13th Mud Hens homer, and his 3rd in the last two games. pic.twitter.com/6cN9smpbm0
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) August 17, 2023
With that lead, the bullpen put together a pretty good combined start. Brenan Hanifee tossed three scoreless frames, and then Garrett Hill took over for three more, striking out six along the way. Aneurys Zabala struck out three in the seventh, allowing just one hit. Trey Wingenter allowed just a walk and struck out two in the eighth.
Hill got a little extra help from Parker Meadows here.
By then, it was 4-0 Hens. Wenceel Perez tripled to lead off the bottom of the sixth and scored on an Andre Lipcius single back through the box. In the seventh, Justyn-Henry Malloy led off with a single and eventually scored on a Perez single when the comebacker hit the pitcher and catcher Jose Briceno threw it away trying to get the swift Perez at first. 4-0 Hens.
Miguel Diaz had a rocky ninth inning, allowing two runs, but managed to close the door.
Nevin: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, K
Perez: 2-4, R, 3B, CS
Dingler: 1-4, 2B, 2 K
Hill (W, 3-1): 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, BB, 6 SO
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Friday night. LHP Bryan Sammons (0-3, 6.70 ERA) is scheduled to pitch for Toledo while RHP Jonathan Bowlan (3-3, 4.71 ERA) starts for Omaha.
Eddys Leonard with a sharp double to left at 108.3 mph off the bat. It’s his 6th extra-base hit in just 10 games with Toledo. pic.twitter.com/L3AEwJ888a
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) August 17, 2023
Erie SeaWolves at Akron RubberDucks (postponed)
They were rained out in Firestone country on Thursday. Instead they’ll play two on Friday night, with Game 1 set for 5:05 p.m. ET.
West Michigan Whitecaps 3, South Bend Cubs 2 (box)
The Whitecaps made it three in a row at home over South Bend on Thursday. They built a slim early lead, and the bullpen and a timely late run made it hold up.
Garrett Burhenn was solid in this one. He tossed 4 1⁄3 innings of one-run ball and turned it over to the bullpen with a one-run lead. The offense generated that lead in the first when Carlos Mendoza led off with a single and Gage Workman followed suit. Andrew Jenkins reached on catcher interference, and a Luke Gold single back up the middle scored Mendoza and Workman.
It was still 2-1 ‘Caps in the eighth when Izaac Pacheco doubled with one out, then stole third base. He scored on an Austin Murr ground out, and it was well that he did. Elvis Alvarado allowed a leadoff homer in the bottom of the ninth, but collected the final three outs without issue from there.
Mendoza: 2-4, R
Workman: 1-3, R, BB, K
Burhenn: 4.1 IP, ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: RHP Jackson Jobe (2-0, 4.20 ERA) will be the featured attraction on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. ET. RHP Brody McCullough (0-2, 4.56 ERA) will start for South Bend.
Bradenton Marauders 4, Lakeland Flying Tigers 3 (F/7)(Gm1)(box)
Lakeland Flying Tigers 6, Bradenton Marauders 2 (F/7)(Gm2)(box)
A tight game ended in a walkoff victory for Bradenton in Game 1 on Thursday.
RHP Carlos Marcano was decent but got into some trouble in the bottom of the third, allowing three runs on a pair of dingers before settling back in. He went five innings total, striking out six.
The Flying Tigers came back to tie it up in the top of the fifth. Manuel Sequera walked with one out and J.D. McLaughlin doubled him home. Seth Stephenson followed with another double, scoring McLaughlin, and a wild pitch moved Stephenson to third. They walked Cristian Santana, but a Jim Jarvis ground out scored Stephenson to tie things at 3-3.
Cleiverth Perez allowed an RBI single in the seventh that walked it off for the Marauders.
Stephenson: 2-3, R, RBI, 2B, K, 2 SB
Santana: 0-2, 2 BB
McLaughlin: 1-3, R, RBI, 2B, K
Marcano: 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K
Right-hander Joe Miller gave Lakeland a decent start and a four-run rally in the seventh carried them to victory in Game 2.
Miller allowed a run in the first, but settled in to pitch through the fourth with no further trouble. He struck out five on the day.
In the top of the third, Sergio Tapia led off with a single and Seth Stephenson dropped down a bunt single to move Tapia to second. Cristian Santana drilled a line drive to left field at 104.3 mph (hardest hit ball of the game) to score Tapia, and Max Anderson pulled a double to right field to plate Stephenson. 2-1 Lakeland.
Cam Brown allowed a run in relief in the fifth, tying the game. However in the seventh the Flying Tigers took over for good. With two outs, Tapia walked and Stephenson was hit by a pitch. Then Santana drew a walk to load the bases. Max Anderson cleared them with a triple off the right field wall, and then he scored on a wild pitch. 6-2 Lakeland.
Reliever Max Alba showed off his high spin stuff in the sixth and seventh, walking two but collecting five of six outs via the strikeout.
Anderson: 2-4, R, 4 RBI, 3B, 2B, K
Stephenson: 1-3, 2 R, K
Santana: 1-3, R, RBI, BB, K
Miller: 4.0 IP, ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start from Bradenton on Friday night.
FCL Tigers 8, FCL Blue Jays 0 (box)(suspended)
This one was suspended after five innings due to rain after the Tigers scored seven runs in the top of the fifth. They’ll try to finish it at 10:00 a.m. ET on Friday, before the regularly schedule game with the Blue Jays starts at noon.
Adinso Reyes led off the second inning with a double and Carson Rucker walked. A Brent Callahan single scored Reyes and moved Rucker to second. A wild pitch moved Rucker to third, but John Peck, Ricardo Hurtado, and Max Clark all struck out to strand him.
In the top of the fifth, Max Clark reached on an error with one out. Samuel Gil singled and Josue Briceno reached on an Arjun Nimmala error at shortstop, loading the bases. Cole Turney’s second hit of the day was a double than scored Clark and Gil, moving Briceno to third. Adinso Reyes singled on a ball back to the pitcher, but Briceno held on the play. No matter, as Rucker picked a great time for his first pro home run, launching a grand slam to left field. 7-0 Tigers.
From there, Callahan reached on an error, Peck singled, and Hurtado singled to load the bases. Clark flew out to left, but Gil drew a walk to force in another run.
Zach Hess came on in the bottom half and allowed a pair of singles before play was suspended.