Toledo Mud Hens 13, Louisville Bats 3 (box)
Max Clark and Brett Callahan posted three hit games as the Hens crushed Bats pitching all game long to win quite comfortably on a bullpen day.
Callahan led off the second with a line drive double to right. New veteran backup catcher Carlos Pérez, signed as Tomas Nido’s replacement, struck out, and Cal Stevenson flew out, but Andrew Navigato came through with an RBI single for a 1-0 lead. Max Anderson scored from third on an Eduardo Valencia double play ball in the third.
Jack Little gave the Hens two scoreless frames to start this off. Dariel Fregio allowed a run in the fourth, and Andre Granillo, another recent Tigers pickup, surrendered two in the fifth as the Bats took a 3-2 lead.
It was all Mud Hens from there.
In the bottom of the sixth, Stevenson singled, and after Navigato struck out, Max Clark and Jace Jung singled to score the run. A wild pitch plated Clark for a 4-3 lead.
Burch Smith made a rehab appearance in the seventh, and hurt himself after throwing two pitches. Tyler Mattison had to take over and he did a nice job pitching around a one-out single. Mattison has allowed runs in only one appearance since May. The problem is that he melted down and was charged with six earned runs in that one game. Otherwise, he’s got 13 scoreless apperances out of his last 14, but he continues to issue way too many walks.
Callahan singled with two outs in the seventh, and Carlos Pérez drew a walk. Stevenson then smoked a middle-middle fastball for a three-run homer to right field. 7-3 Hens.
Clark’s third hit of the day was a single to lead off the bottom of the eighth, and Jung followed with a single of his own. Max Anderson struck out, but Gage Workman singled to score both runners and take second on an error on the play. Singles from Valencia and Callahan followed, and then the new guy, Mr. Pérez, introduced himself with a three-run shot to left field to cap the scoring.
Callahan: 3-5, 3 R, RBI, 2B, 2 K
Clark: 3-4, 2 R, BB, K, SB
Perez: 1-3, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR, 2 BB, K
Stevenson: 3-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR, K
Mattison: 2.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Friday night.
Erie SeaWolves 8, Chesapeake Baysox 7 (box)
The SeaWolves got a win in this series after the two teams traded blows for nine innings, with the SeaWolves just barely surviving a scary bottom of the ninth to hold on.
Kenny Serwa gave up two in the bottom of the first, but settled in for four scoreless afterwards.
With one out in the top of the third, Seth Stephenson singled. Peyton Graham flew out, but Justice Bignie and Andrew Jenkins singled, scoring Stephenson, with Bigbie stretching his franchise record hit streak to 22 games. Garrett Pennington then crushed a three-run jack to take a 4-2 lead.
In the top of the fifth, Graham led off with a single and then stole second and third to reach 53 stolen bases on the year. Bigbie singled him home, and Jenkins walked. An EJ Exposito single made it 6-2 SeaWolves.
Colin Fields, back from the injured list, allowed two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Yoniel Curet gave up a run in the eighth to make it 6-5 SeaWolves.
In the top of the ninth, the SeaWolves finally looked to have put this one away. Stephenson led off by reaching on an error and then stole second. Graham singled him to third. A lineout from Bigbie was followed by an attempt to back pick Graham at first that went awry, and Stephenson scored while Graham took third. A fly ball from Jenkins worked as a sacrifice to score Graham.
So it was 8-5, and they appeared to have it in the bag. Instead, Eric Silva walked the leadoff man and then gave up a two-run shot to Frederick Benco. Silva then gave up a single and a walk and the Peorians were going nuts.
Fortunately, a sacrifice bunt was then attempted and Bennett Lee pounced on it and threw out the lead runner. Silva struck out the next hitter and popped out the next to survive and pick up the save.
Graham: 2-5, 2 R, K, 2 SB
Bigbie: 3-5, 2 R, RBI, K
Pennington: 1-5, R, 3 RBI, HR
Serwa (W, 5-7): 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. ET on Friday night.
Peoria Chiefs 1, West Michigan Whitecaps 0 (box)
Whitecaps pitching was great in this one, but so was the Chiefs’ pitching, and they walked this off with the only run of the game to take their third straight over West Michigan.
Lucas Elissalt continues his recent good run after struggling early this year. He fired five innings of one-hit ball with five strikeouts in this one. Zack Lee gave them two perfect innings. Eliseo Mota handled the eighth, but couldn’t avoid giving up a run in the bottom of the ninth.
Bryce Rainer had the day off.
Santana: 2-3, BB, K
Elissalt: 5.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: It’s an 8:05 p.m. ET start on Friday.
Lakeland Flying Tigers 5, Jupiter Hammerheads 3 (box)
Cale Wetwiska was back on the bump with another good short outing as he ramps up his workload, and the Flying Tigers cranked three home runs, including a second straight walkoff winner from Edian Espinal, to win on Thursday.
Wetwiska’s velocity wasn’t peak but he was 95-96 mph throughout his three no-hit innings of work, issuing one walk and striking out four.
Carson Rucker opened the scoring with a solo shot, his 10th home run of the season, to start the bottom of the second inning. Andrew Pogue succeeded Wetwiska but allowed a run to Jupiter in the top of the fourth. In the bottom half, Hunter Dobbins hit his sixth homer of the season to make it 2-1 Lakeland.
Antonio Florida took over for Lakeland in the sixth and was wild. He hit a batter and walked the next, eventually surrendering two runs that made it 3-2 Hammerheads.
In the bottom of the seventh, Jack Goodman was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Nick Dumesnil walked with one out, and a successful challenge from Espinal drew a walk as well, loading the bases. Goodman scored on a a Rucker ground out to tie the game, but that was all they’d get.
Win Scott cleaned up the sixth for Florida and spun a scoreless seventh. Donye Evans took it from there and was pretty good, allowing two hits without a walk in two innings of work, while striking out three.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Dumesnil reached on an error. Espinal jumped on a 2-1 slider on the inner edge and cranked it to right to put this one to bed with a walkoff homer.
Espinal: 1-3, R, 2 RBI, HR, 2 BB
Dobbins: 2-4, R, RBI HR, 2 K
Dumesnil: 1-3, R, 2B, 2 BB, K, SB
Wetwiska: 3.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers lead this home set 3-0, and they’ll look to secure a series victory at 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday.
FCL Tigers 5, FCL Yankees 3 (box)
The FCL Tigers closed out their Complex League season with a win over the Yankees fueled by good pitching. Jack Bushell gave them a scoreless frame to start off in a rehab appearance. Alemain Cruz gave up two runs in four inning of work but did punch out four to just one walk. Maddox Long then collected eight outs, allowing just one hit and a walk while striking out five.
Gabriel Rosado led the offense with a pair of knocks, two runs scored, an RBI, and a walk drawn. Steven Madero and Angel De Los Santos were involved as well, while outfielder Roberto Campos drew a pair of walks in a rehab appearance. He should be back in Erie next week.
Rosado: 2-3, 2 R, RBI, 2B, BB, K
De Los Santos: 0-3, R, RBI, BB
Madero: 1-3, RBI, BB
Cruz (4-1): 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, BB, 4 K
