Toledo Mud Hens 19, Omaha Storm Chasers 1 (box)
The Mud Hens got a solid start out of Dylan File, but they didn’t need any help as they piled up the runs early and put it to Storm Chasers’ pitching all game long.
Ben Malgeri doubled to start the game, and Max Clark dropped down a bunt single. A soft tapper from Paul DeJong was booted by Omaha pitcher Ryan Ramsey, scoring Malgeri. Eduardo Valencia flew out, and Max Anderson singled in Clark. That’s all they’d get, but Tyler Gentry led off the second with a single and Andrew Navigato walked. Malgeri stepped
up and launched his sixth home run of the season. 5-0 Hens.
An error gave the Hens another run in the third. In the fourth, Anderson singled and rode home on a Jace Jung two-run shot. Walks set up the Hens in the fifth, and Valencia doubled in Clark and rode home on Anderson’s first homer of the year as he only just returned from the injury list. That blast made it 12-0.
Tyler Gentry cracked a two-run homer in the sixth, and you get the picture. This was a full-on beatdown of the Twins’ Triple-A squad.
File allowed a run in the fifth before wrapping up his outing with five strikeout, three walks allowed, and just one run allowed over five innings of work.
Beau Brieske’s rehab work progressed to Toledo in this one. The struck out two, allowing one hit in the sixth inning. Connor Seabold also moved form Lakeland to Toledo for his rehab and spun a scoreless seventh. Woo-Suk Go continues to be the Tigers’ best upper level reliever this spring, and he tossed a scoreless eighth and ninth with three punchouts, maintaining his sub-2.00 ERA on the year, with a strikeout rate approaching 40 percent, though most of that work came at the Double-A level.
Malgeri: 2-6, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2B, HR, BB, K
Anderson: 5-6, 3 R, 4 RBI, HR, K
Jung: 3-6, 3 R, 2 RBI, HR
File (W, ): 5.0 IP, ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 1:05 p.m. ET start on Wednesday.
Richmond Flying Squirrels 7, Erie SeaWolves 1 (b0x)
A couple of bad innings from Zack Lee and Yosber Sanchez on a bullpen day spelled doom for the Erie SeaWolves. Richmond is now 26-7 and running away with the first half divisional lead.
This was just a tough day for the offense all around. Zack Lee took over from Trevin Michael, who gave Erie two scoreless inning, but Lee allowed three in the third. Yosber Sanchez was knocked around for a four-run seventh.
In the bottom of the seventh, a single from Chris Meyers was followed by a walk to Izaac Pacheco. Andrew Jenkins lined a shallow single to center that loaded the bases. The SeaWolves needed a big knock, but Aaron Antonini grounded into a double play, scoring Meyers, but that was all they’d get.
John Peck, Peyton Graham, and especially Brett Callahan have been swinging hot bats the past few weeks, but they were quiet in this one.
Jenkins: 2-3, 2B
Lee (L, 0-1): 3.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: It’s an 11:05 a.m. ET start on Wednesday.
West Michigan Whitecaps 4, Great Lakes Loons 3 (box)
Good defense, solid starting pitching, and homers from Garrett Pennington and Ricardo Hurtado helped the Whitecaps finally break their 14-game losing streak on Tuesday.
Hayden Minton gave the ‘Caps his best start of the year. The right-hander had his breaking stuff working, punching out six, and allowing just a solo shot over five innings of work.
Pennington got the ‘Caps started when he cracked his seventh home in the top of the first inning. In the third, Andrew Sojka and Cristian Santana walked and performed the double steal. A wild pitch eventually scored Sojka to make it 2-0 ‘Caps, but Minton allowed a solo shot to Nico Perez in the bottom half. In the fifth, Bryce Rainer singled in Santana to make it 3-1 Whitecaps.
Hurtado launched a solo shot in the top of the seventh, and it was well that he did. Both Donye Evans and Ryan Harvey allowed a run in relief, but Luke Stofel held things down in the ninth to collect the save.
The Whitecaps still only managed three hits in this one, to the Loons 10.
Pennington: 1-3, R, RBI, HR, 2 BB, K
Rainer: 1-4, RBI, BB, K
Minton (W, 1-2): 5.0 IP, ER, BB, 6 K
Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps will look to keep it going at 6:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
Lakeland Flying Tigers 5, Clearwater Threshers 4 (box)
Grayson Grinsell was a bit wild but gave the Flying Tigers a good start anyway, and the top of the order pieced together enough runs to win on Tuesday.
The left-handed Grinsell has been pretty good so far, but still a bit erratic, and that showed up as he walked four and struck out five over five innings of one run ball in this one.
The Flying Tigers jumped out to a quick lead in the top of the first. Jude Warwick singled and Jordan Yost was hit by a pitch. Zach MacDonald singled in Warwick, and a sacrifice fly from Carson Rucker got Yost in from third for a 2-0 lead. Warwick doubled home Sergio Tapia in the second, and is suddenly swinging a pretty hot bat.
Grinsell allowed a run in the third, but in the fifth, Anibal Salas led off with a walk, Warwick was hit by a pitch, and Yost drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Single-A baseball, folks. MacDonald pulled a grounder to third, and Salas was cut down at the plate. A run was balked in before Rucker struck out and Beau Ankeney popped out. So it was 4-1 at that point.
In the seventh, Warwick singled, and Yost doubled him to third. A MacDonald sacrifice fly made it 5-1.
Preston Howey’s rehab outing in relief did not go well at all. The right-hander was wild, allowing three runs in the bottom of the seventh to make it 5-4 Flying Tigers. Luke Hoskins and Yendry Gomez handled the last two innings with no issues to secure the win.
Warwick: 3-4, 3 R, RBI, 2B
Yost: 1-3, R, 2B, BB, K
Grinsell (W, 3-1): 5.0 IP, ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Wednesday.
FCL Tigers 6, FCL Yankees 4 (b0x)
The Complex Leagues are development ball, so no one cares a lot about their records, but no doubt manager Brayan Pena was happy to get off the schneid with a good start from budding pitching prospect Jhonan Coba on Tuesday. Coba has really good stuff with plenty of projection, and he no-hit the Yankees rookies with six strikeouts and just two walks allowed. Cris Rodriguez cranked a two-run homer at 104 mph in the second inning to help lead the offense.
Rodriguez: 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, BB, K
Ramirez: 2-2, R, RBI, 3B, BB
Coba: 4.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 6 K
