Columbus Clippers 9, Toledo Mud Hens 4 (box)
Lael Lockhart Jr. and Beau Brieske were both hit hard in this one and the deficit was too much to overcome.
Max Anderson walked, stole second for his fourth swipe of the year, and scored on a Corey Julks single in the top of the first. Lockhart then gave up two in the bottom half, and three more in the third.
It was 6-1 Columbus in the top of the eighth when the Hens finally made a push. Trei Cruz led off with a swinging bunt single. Jace Jung singled and Anderson walked to load the bases. Once again,
Julks came through with a single that scored two runs. A double play ball from Gage Workman got Anderson home, and it was 6-4 Clippers.
Unfortunately, Brieske gave up two homers in the bottom half, one a two-run shot, to snuff the momentum, and the Hens went quietly in the ninth.
Julks: 2-4, 3 RBI, CS
Cruz: 2-4, R, K
Anderson: 0-0, 2 R, 4 BB, SB
Lockhart (L, 2-2): 3.0 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Saturday.
Erie SeaWolves 3, Akron RubberDucks 2 (box)
After a close, well pitched game, Thayron Liranzo came though with a solo shot in the eighth that was the difference in this one.
The SeaWolves took an early lead in this one when Andrew Jenkins singled in the bottom of the second and then rode home on yet another homer from E.J. Exposito. That was the utility infielder’s 18th long ball of the season already.
Andrew Sears got the start, and he spun four strong innings before getting jumped for two runs in the fifth after issuing a leadoff walk to Alex Mooney.
The SeaWolves had extra base hits in the fifth and sixth, but couldn’t score the runs. Finally, leading off the eighth inning, Liranzo got a first pitch heater batting right-handed and torched a deep drive to left center field that flew deep into the night for his 10th homer of the season.
Yosber Sanchez and Wandisson Charles were excellent in relief, allowing just two baserunners in 3.2 combined innings. Trevin Michael closed it out for his sixth save.
Exposito: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, K
Graham: 2-4, 2B, K, SB
Liranzo: 1-4, R, RBI, HR, 3 K
Sears: 4.1 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:05 p.m. ET start on Saturday.
West Michigan Whitecaps 4, Beloit Sky Carp 3 (box)
Lefty Joe Miller was knocked around in a rehab outing, but the Whitecaps bullpen was sharp as they fought back to take this one on Friday night.
Miller allowed a two-run homer and got a little wild, allowing another run before Eliseo Mota took over. The Whitecaps answered right back in the third though.
Juan Hernandez got them started with a leadoff single, and Woody Hadeen and Bryce Rainer drew one-out walks to load the bases. An Edian Espinal ground out scored Hernandez, and Clayton Campbell came through with a two-run single to tie the game.
Mota did a nice job and turned things over to Win Scott in the fourth. He got into a jam, but escaped and then settled into his outing.
In the bottom of the fourth, Cristian Santana was hit by a pitch and then balked to second with one out. Hernandez singled him to third, but Santana was cut down at home trying to score on a Caleb Shpur ground out. Woody Hadeen took care of that by cracking an automatic double to right center to score Hernandez.
That was all they got, but Scott, Luke Stofel, and Zack Lee each fired two scoreless innings to lock it down with Lee earning his fourth save.
Hernandez: 2-3, 2 R
Hadeen: 1-3, R, RBI, 2B, BB, K
Rainer: 1-3, R, BB, K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start at LMCU Park on Saturday.
Tampa Tarpons 8, Lakeland Flying Tigers 2 (box)
Cash Kuiper put together a pretty good start, but the bullpen was shelled in this one as Tampa took a 3-1 lead in the series.
The Flying Tigers jumped out to an early lead when Jordan Yost and Michael Oliveto started the game with singles. Nick Dumesnil singled in Yost for a 1-0 lead. Kuiper allowed a solo home run in the bottom half, but then tossed three scoreless frames while his team took another slim lead.
With two outs in the top of the third, Dumesnil doubled, and Ronald Ramirez smashed a drive to the center field wall for an RBI triple. 2-1 Lakeland.
Unfortunately, Pedro Garcia gave up five runs in relief, and Jan Carabello surrendered two more.
Dumesnil: 2-4, R, RBI, 2B
Ramirez: 1-3, RBI, 3B, BB, K
Oliveto: 2-4, 2B, K
Kuiper: 4.0 IP, ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Saturday.
