Toledo Mud Hens 7, Iowa Cubs 3 (box)
River Ryan’s debut in the Tigers organization went well, and the Hens won pretty comfortably on Wednesday.
Ryan is working back from a right hamstring injury that he aggravated in trying to return with the Dodgers too soon. So the Tigers have understandably taken their sweet time getting him back on the mound. He only went two innings this one, but he proved the stuff is as electric as ever. He allowed two soft hits, at least one of which should have been an out, and struck out two without a walk.
The fastball topped out at 98.2 mph and averaged 97.1, and Ryan mixed in all six of his pitches during the outing.
The Hens started to build a lead in the top of the second. Corey Julks led off with a walk but was caught stealing. Seby Zavala singled, and after James Outman struck out, Justice Bigbie singled as well. Veteran catcher Carlos Pérez stepped in and cracked a three-run shot to left for a 3-0 lead.
In the fourth, Outman led off with a walk and Pérez came through again with an RBI double to make it 4-0.
Carl Edwards Jr. took over from Ryan in the bottom of the third. He cruised through his first three innings, striking out the side swining in the fifth.
In the sixth, Outman doubled and Bigbie singled him to third. A Pérez double play ball got the run home for a 5-0 lead.
Finally in the bottom half, Edwards faltered a bit, allowing two run, but he pitched into the seventh with no more issues. Ty Madden got the final out in the seventh.
Outman singled in Julks in the top of the eighth, stole second base, and scored on a Bigbie single to make it 7-2.
Madden handled the eighth, and Nic Sandlin tossed a scoreless ninth to wrap it up.
Perez: 2-3, R, 4 RBI, 2B, HR
Outman: 2-3, 3 R, RBI, 2B, BB, K, SB
Cruz: 2-4, 2B, BB
Ryan: 2.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 2 K
Edwards Jr. (W, 6-10): 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:38 p.m. ET start on Thursday.
Reading Fightin Phils 11, Erie SeaWolves 3 (box)
Lucas Ellisalt was knocked around in this one, and the SeaWolves bullpen struggled even more as the Phils crushed them on Wednesday.
Things got off to a promising start in the top of the second as E.J. Exposito singled and then rode home on a Chris Meyers blast to left center field. 2-0 Erie.
Elissalt was cruising early on, but started to struggle to get ahead of hitters and paid for it. He gave up a run in the third, and walked two batters after that before managing to escape an further damge. He wouldn’t be so lucky in the fourth. He fell behind Aroon Escobar and came back with a 3-1 fastball that got launched for a solo shot. Another solo shot off a hanging slider in the inning made it a 3-2 Reading lead and they wouldn’t look back.
Elissalt gave up two singles and a walk to start the fifth, and that was it as Colin Fields took over. He allowed two of those runners to score, and it was 5-2 Reading.
Fields got into trouble of his own in the sixth, and Yoniel Curet took over only to surrender a three-run shot and then a solo homer.
A solo shot from Thayron Liranzo was the only bright spot the rest of the way as the Fightin Phils contined to add on.
Meyers: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, K
Hadeen: 2-4, 2B, K
Elissalt (L, 0-2): 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6: 45 p.m. ET start on Thursday night.
