Jace Jung homers twice for the second straight day; Justice Bigbie promoted to Toledo

Toledo Mud Hens 7, Indianapolis Indians 2 (box)

Lefty Zach Logue gave the Mud Hens a strong outing, punching out 10 on the night, and the offense just didn’t stop putting up runs. Nick Maton led the way in this one by hitting for the cycle and a 5-for-5 night overall at the plate.

The Hens jumped out to an early lead when Maton doubled to start the game. Colt Keith flew out, while Justyn-Henry Malloy sat for this one after getting pulled early in Tuesday night’s game, but Eddys Leonard stayed hot with a two-run shot to make it 2-0.

Logue ran into a little trouble in the third, allowing the only two runs he’d surrender in 4 ²⁄₃ innings. The Hens recaptured the lead in the fifth, when J.D. McLaughlin, up from A-ball to get some reps, walked with two outs and Maton rocked a triple off the right field wall.

In the seventh, Dillon Dingler led off with a single, and rode home on Maton’s two-run shot. It was 5-2 at that point. Ryan Kreidler double with one out in the eighth, stole third, and scored on a Michael Papierski ground out. Maton doubled in McLaughlin again in the ninth, but the game was no longer in doubt by then.

Maton: 5-5, 2 R, 4 RBI, HR, 3B, 2 2B, CS

Leonard: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, HR

Kreidler: 1-3, R, 2B, BB, SB

Logue: 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 10 K

Coming Up Next: LHP Jack O’Loughlin (3-5, 4.64 ERA) takes on RHP Quinn Priester (8-4, 4.13 ERA) at 6:35 p.m. ET on Thursday.

We did get some fun news after play concluded on the farm on Wednesday night. Justice Bigbie will be joining the Toledo Mud Hens in their playoff push.

Somerset Patriots 5, Erie SeaWolves 4 (F/10)(box)

Jace Jung and Justice Bigbie did their part, but the SeaWolves offense was otherwise quiet in this one. It came down to an extra inning face-off, and the Patriots came out on top in 10 innings.

Justice Bigbie opened the scoring in the top of the first, launching his 18th home run to left to make it 1-0 Erie.

Starter Brant Hurter was pretty good in this one, but had to overcome an error and a little uncharacteristic wildness that led to a pair of Somerset runs in the second inning. He blanked them otherwise, but did walk four, and the bullpen shut them down the rest of the way until the 10th inning.

Still down one, Jace Jung stepped to the plate to lead off the ninth inning and cracked his third home run in two games. Jung’s 25th on the year tied things up, and eventually sent them to the 10th.

With Danny Serretti starting on second, Trei Cruz struck out, and Bigbie grounded out to move Serretti to third. That mattered little, as Jung went yard again, this time to straightaway center field. Jung’s second straight two homer game made it 4-2 Erie, and all was well.

Unfortunately, Layne Henderson took over from Tyler Mattison in relief, and he was a completely mess, walking the leadoff hitter and then giving up four straight singles as Somerset walked them off.

Jung: 3-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR, 2 K

Cabrera: 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, K

Hurter: 5.0 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: Outfielder Brady Allen will come up from West Michigan to take Bigbie’s spot for a 6:35 p.m. ET start on Thursday. Starters are not yet announced.

West Michigan Whitecaps 6, Great Lakes Loons 5 (box)

Dylan Smith was a little shaky in this one as he works his way back from the injured list, but the Whitecaps’ offense poured it on late to win on Wednesday.

Smith gave up a run in the top of the third, but Brady Allen doubled home Josh Crouch in the third to tie things at 1-1. Singles from Andrew Jenkins and Izaac Pacheco, helped by a balk, led to another run in the fourth as Jenkins scored on a Crouch ground out to make it 2-1 ‘Caps.

The Loons got to Smith for two runs in the fifth, and two against Angel Reyes in the sixth to take a 5-2 lead, but it was all Whitecaps from there.

In the sixth, Eliezer Alfonzo led off with a single and rode home on a Gage Workman home run. In the seventh, Luke Gold reached on a swinging strike three that evaded the Loons catcher, and Brady Allen mashed his 18th homer for the ‘Caps to make it 6-5.

Elvis Alvarado kept the Loons quiet in the eighth, and in the ninth, Trevin Michael collected his fourth save.

Allen: 2-4, R, 3 RBI, HR, 2B, K

Crouch: 2-3, R, RBI, BB

Pacheco: 2-4, 3B, K

Smith: 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: RHP Troy Melton (3-1, 2.05 ERA) takes on RHP Jerming Rosario (7-5, 4.94 ERA) on Thursday at 6:35 p.m. ET.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 6, Tampa Tarpons 2 (box)

The Flying tigers put together a pretty complete effort in this one to pull away with another victory on Wednesday.

Lakeland started with an opener plan, but reliever Tanner Kohlhepp continues to walk the world. Chris Mauloni had to be rushed into action to escape a whole lot of trouble in the first with only one run across. That turned out to be the difference in this one as starter Carlos Marcano took over for five scoreless before turning it back over to the bullpen for the late innings.

Quincy Nieporte singled in Jim Jarvis in the bottom half of the first, and miraculously they were all tied up after one inning.

In the second, Clayton Campbell and Bennett Lee walked with one out. A David Smith single scored Campbell, but Kevin McGonigle bounced into an inning ending double play. Still, it was 2-1 Lakeland and they never looked back.

Jose De La Cruz opened the bottom of the fourth with his 12th home run of the season. Brett Callahan then drew a walk and stole second and third as Lee walked, and a throwing error on the second steal allowed Callahan to score. 4-1 Lakeland.

Things were quiet from there until the eighth when Max Anderson led off with a single and Jim Jarvis doubled him to third. Anderson scored on a balk, with Jarvis taking third, and then a wild pitch brought Jarvis home to make it 6-1.

Cam Brown allowed a solo shot in the ninth, but shut it down after that.

Jarvis: 2-4, 2 R, 2B

De La Cruz: 1-4, R, RBI, HR, K

Callahan: 1-3, R, BB, 2 SB

Marcano: 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start from Lakeland on Thursday night.