Erie SeaWolves 6, Altoona Curve 1 (box)
The SeaWolves got outstanding efforts from their pitchers, with some credit to Josue Briceño for calling a good game, and even the divisional series on Thursday. As a result they force a decisive Game 3 on Friday night.
The star of the show early on was lefty Andrew Sears, who has climbed the prospects rankings rapidly this season. After an uncharacteristically rough pitching performance in Game 1, the SeaWolves needed a stop from their starter and they got it.
Sears didn’t throw as many strikes as we’re
used to but he kept the ball out of the middle of the plate and his fastball was topping out at 97 mph in this one. The Curve couldn’t do much against him. For five innings the fast working left-hander blanked their lineup, holding them to four singles and a walk, with three strikeouts to his credit. He was everything the SeaWolves needed to get back in the series.
The SeaWolves lineup got to work early in this one. With one out in the bottom of the first, John Peck doubled on a drive to left center. Kevin McGonigle lined out, but Josue Briceño drew a walk and Jake Holton singled in Peck for a 1-0 lead.
In the second, four straight singles from Ben Malgeri, Carlos Mendoza, Max Clark, and Peck produced another run. McGonigle struck out, but Briceño took his walk again, forcing in another run to make it 3-0.
In the fifth, Holton doubled and Thayron Liranzo and Chris Meyers, just back after helping the Flying Tigers claim the Florida State League on a rehab assignment, walked as well. Malgeri struck out, but Mendoza came through with a two run single to make it 5-0.
In the sixth, right-hander Trevin Michael took over. He gave up a leadoff single, but his slider was working in this one and he punched out the next two hitters and got a fly out to end the inning. In the seventh, Mitch Jebb doubled to left and Briceño’s fourth passed ball of the series allowed him to get to third. That was not ideal, as Konnor Griffin, the top prospect in baseball on any list that doesn’t have Kevin McGonigle as the top prospect in baseball, came to the dish and singled in the run. Michael cleaned up the inning, and the SeaWolves came to bat in the bottom half with a 5-1 lead.
Emmanuel Chapman took over on the mound for the Curve, and with one out, Chris Meyers got a fastball in his sweet spot and hammered a solo shot deep to left to make it 6-1. That was all they’d get, but Michael continued to be up to the task in the eighth.
With two outs, there was an odd moment as the Curve’s Termarr Johnson pulled a deep fly ball down the right field line. It was called a home run, but the ball clearly was foul, hitting off a pole that holds the netting beyond the right field corner. The umpires got together and eventually figured it out, perhaps spurred by several SeaWolves immediately losing their minds over the initial fair call. Johnson eventually grounded out, and that was really good relief work from Michael.
The Curve avoided giving McGonigle or Briceño much to hit in both their series last week and in this divisional series. That continued in the eighth. With two outs, McGonigle drew a walk and then advanced to second on a balk after feinting that he was going to run. Briceño chased a breaking ball and struck out, and we were on to the top of the ninth, with Richard Guasch set to close this one out.
The Curve had really struggled with good sliders all night, and Guasch has at least two good variations of his plus slider, with the ability to take a little velocity off to hunt a whiff. He punched out Derek Berg chasing to start the inning. Javier Rivas fared no better, chasing a really nasty bender down and away for a swinging strike three. Lefty Tres Gonzalez was the Curve’s final hope, and Guasch missed his targets and walked him. Briceño came out for a word as Jebb came to the plate. One pitch later, Max Clark was squeezing a pop-up in shallow centerfield and the SeaWolves had evened the series.
Holton: 2-4, R, RBI, 2B
Peck: 2-5, R, 2B, 2 K
Mendoza: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, K
Sears: 5.0 IP, 0 R, 4 H, BB, 3 K
Michael: 3.0 IP, ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 5 K
Toledo Mud Hens 10, Iowa Cubs 4 (box)
The Mud Hens are going to be the one minor league franchise that doesn’t make the postseason, but they’ve put together a really strong second half and won their fourth straight on Thursday night.
Kyle Finnegan made his first rehab appearance to start things off. His velocity and stuff looked good as he was 96-97 mph with his fourseamer. He did issue a walk with two outs, and was lifted for Matt Seelinger as the Tigers were apparently still being careful with Finnegan. Maybe that means he needs another outing on Saturday before returning next week on the road with the Guardians, but he’s close.
Seelinger gave up a solo shot to Chase Strumpf in the bottom of the second inning, but handled the third frame without issue.
In the top of the fourth, facing six-foot-eight lefty prospect Luke Little, Eduardo Valencia yanked a grounder through the left side of the infield for a single. Gage Workman struck out, but Max Anderson singled through the right side, and both runners advanced a base on an error on the Cubs’ right fielder. Trei Cruz singled in Valencia and Andrew Navigato walked to load the bases. Little walked Kevin Newman, and it was 2-1 Hens.
Dylan Smith allowed a leadoff single in the bottom half but then shut the door. Woo-Suk Go handled the fifth and sixth, and in that second inning of work his own error trying to pick off the speedy Billy Hamilton was compounded by an error on Newman at shortstop, allowing a game tying run.
The Hens were struggling at the plate, and then Drew Sommers gave up a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh. Things looked a little bleak down 4-2, but they rallied back in the top of the eighth.
Valencia singled off of Zach Pop, and Workman smoked a double to center field, moving Valencia to third. A Max Anderson ground out scored Valencia. Trei Cruz then pulled a grounder to shortstop Ed Howard, who couldn’t handle it, allowing Workman to score to tie things up 4-4.
Alex Lange tossed a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth with a strikeout.
Finally in the top of the ninth, the Mud Hens broke through. Akil Baddoo drew a walk with one out, and Valencia drew one as well. Workman singled in Baddoo, and then Anderson inside outed a fastball under his hands and drove a double to right field, scoring Valencia and moving Workman to third. The Cubs intentionally walked Trei Cruz to face a right-handed hitter with the force available at every bag. Andrew Navigato foiled their plans with a sacrifice fly to score Workman to make it 7-1. Newman doubled in Anderson, and the Cubs had to go back to the bullpen. It didn’t help as Jack Neely took over and Riley Unroe greeted him with a two-run single to right field.
RJ Petit struck out two, though he allowed a leadoff walk and then a single to Dixon Machado later in the inning before shutting the Cubs down.
Valencia: 3-4, 3 R, 2B, BB
Anderson: 2-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B
Workman: 2-5, 2 R, RBI, 2B, 3 K
Cruz: 1-3, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB
