Indianapolis Indians 6, Toledo Mud Hens 5 (box)
These two teams continue to go back and forth as the Indians fought off a late rally from the Hens and walked this one off.
Ty Madden got the start in this one, and it was another rough one. Madden has struggled after a nice stint up with the Tigers, and he gave up a run in each of the first three innings and then one in the fifth before departing. Three were earned.
So it was 3-0 Indy in the top of the fourth when the Hens pecked back. Max Anderson led off with a single and took second on a passed
ball. Brett Callahan struck out, but Trei Cruz came through with a grounder through the right side for an RBI single. Jace Jung singled as well, and a comedy of errors broke out that allowed Cruz to score all the way from first.
Luke Taggart, just up from Erie, did a nice job cleaning up the fifth for Madden and then tossed a scoreless sixth. Gage Workman crackeda solo shot to get the Hens within one in the top of the eighth, but Enmanuel de Jesus allowed a run in the bottom half. So it was 5-3 Indy headed into the top of the ninth.
Cal Stevenson led off with a single, but Tomas Nido struck out, and a line drive to center from Max Clark was caught. Workman came through with a single and then Anderson walked to load the bases. Brett Callahan stepped to the dish and ripped a two-run, game-tying single to right field.
That was all they’d get, unfortunately, and Tanner Rainey walked the leadoff hitter, gave up a single, and then wild pitched in the walkoff run.
Workman: 2-5, 2 R, RBI, HR, 2 K, SB
Callahan: 1-4, 2 RBI, BB
Clark: 2-5, SB
Madden: 4.1 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 0 K
Coming Up Next: The Hens will look to re-tie the series on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. ET.
Harrisburg Senators 8, Erie SeaWolves 3 (box)
Andrew Sears has been rolling since returning from injury, but he finally had a tough one, giving up a pair of homers while his teammates had a pretty quiet night at the plate.
The SeaWolves scored the first run in the bottom of the second as Andrew Jenkins doubled and then scored on an E.J. Exposito double.
Sears allowed a run in the third, then a solo shot to open the fourth. He lost his command a bit, issuing a walk and then a two-run shot before his day ended.
Yoniel Curet allowed two runs in the sixth, and Wandisson Charles gave up two more in the eighth.
So it was 8-1 in the bottom of the eighth. Seth Stephenson walked and Peyton Graham reached on an error. Justice Bigbie singled in Stephenson, and Jenkins second double of the game got Graham home to make it 8-3, but that was as far as they’d get.
Jenkins: 2-4, R, RBI, 2 2B
Bigbie: 1-4, RBI, BB, K
Exposito: 1-3, RBI, 2B, BB
Sears (L, 1-1): 3.1 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:35 p.m. ET start on Friday as the SeaWolves try to turn this homestand around. After sweeping Akron on the road last week, they’re down 3-0 to the Senators at home.
West Michigan Whitecaps 8, Fort Wayne TinCaps 5 (box)
Bryce Rainer got the night off in this one and it didn’t matter as Lucas Elissalt spun a good game and Jackson Strong and Cristian Santana handled the power production.
Elissalt has been settling in at the High-A level and just recently has turned the corner. He was great in this one, allowing just an unearned run on three hits and two walks, while punching out seven.
It didn’t hurt that he quickly had a nice lead to work with. Woody Hadeen singled to lead off the bottom of the first, and then got all the way to third on a wild pitch. A Ricardo Hurtado grounder was enough to score the run.
In the bottom of the second, they broke this one open. Samuel Gil and Stephen Hrustich started the inning with singles, and Santana walked to load the bases. A ground out from Juan Hernandez scored a run, and a pop-up that fell in shallow center field scored Hrustich and Santana. Jackson Strong stepped in with two outs and golfed his ninth homer of the season out to right field to make it 6-0 Whitecaps.
Hrustich singled in Gil in the bottom of the third, and in the sixth, Santana hit a solo shot to lead off the inning.
Carlos Lequerica and Ethan Sloan each allowed two runs late as the TinCaps made a push but the margin was already too great.
Hrustich: 3-4, R, RBI, CS
Santana: 2-3, 2 R, RBI, HR, BB
Strong: 1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR
Elissalt: 4.1 IP, R, 0 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K
Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps are 11-7 in the second half and riding a three game winning streak. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. ET on Friday.
Dunedin Blue Jays 6, Lakeland Flying Tigers 5 (F/11)(box)
Malachi Witherspoon had an inning go sideways on him, but the Flying Tigers battled back only to lose via 11th inning walkoff after failing to score the Manfred runner in the top half.
Witherspoon cruised through the first, third, fourth, and fifth, racking up six strikeouts and didn’t walk a matter. However, he got ambushed in the fourth. An infield single and then a two-run homer started the inning as Witherspoon hung a 1-1 slider belt high to Giaconino Lasaracina. A couple more singles, a hit batter, and a wild pitch followed before Witherspoon got himself dialed in again, but it was 4-0 Blue Jays.
In the top of the third, the Flying Tigers started chipping away at the Blue Jays lead. Jordan Yost singled with two outs and Beau Ankeney walked. A Jude Warwick single made it a 4-1 game.
It was another two-out rally in the fourth as Zach MacDonald singled and stole second base, scoring on a Hunter Dobbins ground ball single. 4-2 Blue Jays.
In the top of the fifth, Ankeney continued his blistering tear of late with his 14th home run of the season. The solo shot made it 4-3 Blue Jays.
Donye Evans took over from Witherspoon and did a great job spinning two scoreless innings with four strikeouts. Jorge Guzman was just as effective for two frames, despite allowing three hits. In the seventh, Jack Goodman scored on a passed ball to tie the game.
In the top of the tenth, Yost started on second and quickly took third on a wild pitch. They were careful with Ankeney, walking him, and then walked Warwick as well, loading the bases. Carson Rucker struck out and Anibal Salas flew out to shallow left. However, MacDonald drew a walk to force in a run. Unfortunately that was all they’d get, and Jan Carabello allowed the runner on second to score in the bottom half.
Lakeland failed to score in the top of the 10th despite a pair of soft singles, and Carabello allowed a walkoff double to end it.
MacDonald: 2-4, R, RBI, BB, SB
Ankeney: 1-3, R, RBI, HR, 3 BB
Yost: 2-6, 2 R, K
Witherspoon: 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 6 K
Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers lead the series 2-1 heading into a 6:30 p.m. ET matchup on Friday.
FCL Tigers 3, FCL Yankees 0 (box)
Alemain Cruz was electric in this one, and recent Indy ball signee Maddux Long fired four perfect innings of relief to snuff the Yankees on Thursday. Both pitchers struck out seven batters, with only a walk allowed by Cruz.
Cristian Perez: 1-3, 2B, 2 K, SB
Steven Madero: 1-3, BB
Ronald Ramirez: 2-3, R, RBI, BB, K, SB
Cruz (W, 2-1): 5.0 IP, 0 R, H, 0 BB, 7 K
