Iowa Cubs 10, Toledo Mud Hens 7 (box)
The Cubs scored last in a game that was a fairly wild, back and forth affair, until both bullpens shut down the scoring over the final three frames.
The Mud Hens pretty quickly handed lefty Zach Logue a lead to work with. Justyn-Henry Malloy doubled in the first and Andre Lipcius cracked home run number 11 on the year. Lipcius would later be pulled in the seventh inning and called up for his major league debut with the Tigers on Friday.
In the second inning, Ryan Kreidler led off with a walk, stole second, and then took third base on a wild pitch from Caleb Kilian. Wenceel Perez lined a single to left to score him and give the Hens a 3-0 lead.
However, Logue gave up that lead in the top of the fourth, allowing three runs. Kreidler launched a solo shot in the bottom half to make it 4-3 Hens, and then both teams scored three runs in the fifth.
The Cubs made it a 6-5 game with three runs off of Mason Englert in the top of the fifth. Perez led off the bottom half with a triple, continuing his red hot play in August, and Malloy cranked his 20th home run of the year. The next batter, Colt Keith, followed suit by crushing his 24th home run of the season, and it was 7-6 Toledo.
Unfortunately, reliever Sean Guenther surrendered four runs in the top of the sixth, and neither team could get anything done offensively the rest of the way as the Cubs held on to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
Perez: 2-3, R, RBI, 3B, SB
Malloy: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, 2B, K
Kreidler: 1-2, 2 R, RBI, HR, 2 BB
Logue: 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: RHP Spencer Turnbull takes on RHP Nick Neidert on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. ET from Fifth Third Field.
Erie SeaWolves 4, Altoona Curve 3 (box)
The SeaWolves gave lefty Brant Hurter an early lead in this one and then held up a late rally from Altoona to win on Thursday.
Hurter scattered three hits, striking out three, across four scoreless innings of work. He threw 31 of 47 pitches for strikes and was cruising. As I was watching Toledo, I’m assuming this was a planned short outing for him rather than an injury, as I see nothing on social media about it.
Back-to-back doubles from Justice Bigbie and Jace Jung opened the scored in the bottom of the third. In the fourth, singles from Luis Santana and Chris Meyers opened the inning and Corey Joyce walked to load the bases. Julio E. Rodriguez singled in Santana, and Meyers scored on a Trei Cruz ground out to make it 3-0 SeaWolves.
Altoona got a run against Michael Bienlien in the fifth, and then tied it in the top of the eighth with two runs against RJ Petit. However, Luis Santana, who has really been on a roll in August, launched his ninth home run for the SeaWolves leading off the bottom of the eighth. That would prove the game winner as Blake Holub managed to shut the door on the Curve with a four-out save.
Bigbie: 2-4, R, 2 2B
Santana: 2-4, 2 R, RBI, HR, K
Jung: 1-3, RBI, 2B, BB
Hurter: 4.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: Friday night will feature some major talent on the mound as 2023 first overall pick Paul Skenes goes for the Curve. LHP Lael Lockhart, who has been pitching very well for Erie, will oppose him. That will be the free game of the day on MiLB.tv, with first pitch set for 6:05 p.m. ET.
Lansing Lugnuts 5, West Michigan Whitecaps 3 (box)
The Lugnuts jumped on Dylan Smith as he stretched out in what is perhaps his last rehab appearances with the Whitecaps.
Smith didn’t walk anyone, but he wasn’t particularly sharp either. The Lugnuts got single runs in the first and third, and scored two in the second with a pair of RBI doubles.
Meanwhile, the Whitecaps offense couldn’t get anything going until the sixth. Seth Stephenson led off with a bunt single, and Brady Allen and Gage Workman followed with singles to make it 4-1 Lansing. Andrew Jenkins struck out, but Luke Gold walked to load the bases, and an Eliezer Alfonzo singled scored Allen. Workman came home on an Izaac Pacheco ground out to make it 4-3 Lansing, but the Lugnuts got a run in the seventh, and their bullpen held on to win.
Stephenson: 2-5, R, 2 K
Workman: 2-5, R, RBI, 2K
Smith (L, 1-1): 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 9 H, 0 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: RHP Troy Melton (3-1, 1.73 ERA) gets the Friday night spotlight in this 7:05 p.m. ET start from Lansing. 20-year-old Cuban RHP Luis Morales will make his High-A debut for the Lugnuts.
Lakeland Flying Tigers 6, Jupiter Hammerheads 1 (F/7)(Gm1)(box)
Lakeland Flying Tigers 2 , Jupiter Hammerheads 1 (F/8)(Gm2)(box)
The Flying Tigers swept Thursday’s doubleheader to take a 2-1 lead in the series into the weekend.
In Game 1, Carlos Marcano and Tanner Kohlhepp combined for five innings of one run ball, each striking out four, in something of a combo start.
Meanwhile the Flying Tigers offense busted the game open a bit early with four runs in the top of the second. With two outs, Clayton Campbell walked, and a Kevin McGonigle single scored Campbell with the help of an error. Bennett Lee walked as well, and David Smith cracked a three-run shot to left center field. 4-0 Lakeland.
Jupiter got a run back in the third, but it was their only one in the game. In the fourth, Campbell walked, and singles from McGonigle and Lee scored him to make it 5-1. Smith singled in Cole Turney in the sixth to make it 6-1, and that was where it ended.
Smith: 2-3, R, 4 RBI, HR, SB
McGonigle: 2-3, R
Lee: 1-1, R, RBI, 2 BB
Marcano: 3.0 IP, ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 4 K
Game 2, a makeup game for Tuesday’s rain out, was a low scoring affair. Joe Miller started for Lakeland and went five innings, allowing just a run on four hits and a walk, with five strikeouts.
Jupiter got their run in the bottom of the fourth, but in the fifth Cole Turney tripled and scored on a Brett Callahan single. Both teams survived some trouble in the sixth and seventh, and this eventually went to extra innings.
With Jim Jarvis starting on second base, Max Anderson singled him to third in the top of the eighth. A Jose De La Cruz doubled scored Jarvis and moved Anderson to third. Unfortunately he was stranded there, but it didn’t matter as Cam Brown shut the door in the bottom half to earn his ninth save.
De La Cruz: 1-3, RBI, 2B, BB, K
Anderson: 1-3, BB
Miller: 5.0 IP, ER, 4 H, BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Friday night.