St. Paul Saints 4, Toledo Mud Hens 3 (F/13)(box)
Pitching ruled the night as neither club could string anything together in this one. They eventually needed four extra innings to decide it. On the plus side, Sawyer Gipson-Long looked pretty good in his return to Toledo, while Max Clark’s on-base streak reached 10 games as he continues to handle the Triple-A jump with far more ease than he did the previous two leaps in level.
Sawyer Gipson-Long’s return to the Mud Hens went pretty well. He handled three innings as he works his way back from a spring
injury. The right-hander allowed a run on two hits and two walks, punching out five on 10 whiffs for the evening.
Brenan Hanifee handled the fourth with a perfect inning and two strikeouts. Then lefty Bryan Sammons came on and was great, blanking the Saints for five innings, striking out five against just a hit and a walk.
The Hens offense was pretty quiet as well. Max Clark singled on a 109.2 mph line drive and stole second in the first inning, extending his hit streak, but was stranded. Jung led off the bottom of the second with a sharp single, but Tomas Nido grounded into a double play. That was unfortunate, as Gage Workman followed with a single of his own, stealing second before Ben Malgeri struck out to end the inning.
Finally in the fifth, the Hens tied things up. Workman walked and stole second with one out. Malgeri followed with a walk of his own, but Wenceel Pérez struck out. That left it up to Clark, who sprayed a grounder the opposite way for an RBI single and a 1-1 tie. That tie would last quite a while.
The Hens had a chance late in regulation when Pérez reached on an error with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Clark drilled a line drive double to right field, but Pérez didn’t score on it, and Trei Cruz flew out to strand the runners.
Eduardo Valencia walked to open the bottom of the eighth with the score still 1-1, but Hao-Yu Lee lined into a double play at first and Jung struck out. Nido doubled to lead off the bottom of the ninth, but they couldn’t get the run home.
RHP Matt Seelinger took over in extras for the Hens. He did a fine job stranding the inherited runner on second with a pair of strikeouts sandwiching a shallow fly out.
The Hens started the bottom of the 10th with Pérez on second. They wanted no part of Clark, walking him intentionally to get the double play in order. However, pitcher Dan Altavilla then walked Trei Cruz to load the bases. And then Cal Stevenson grounded into a double play and a sharp drive to center from Hao-Yu Lee was hauled in by Ryan Kreidler to send this to the 11th.
Seelinger stiff-armed the Saints again in the 11th, stranding the runner, but the Saints returned the favor. On to the 12th inning
RHP Tanner Rainey got into some trouble in the 12th, but after allowing the go-ahead run he punched out a pair of hitters to keep the game 2-1.
Old friend Drew Smith took over for St. Paul with Gage Workman at second base. Malgeri reached on an Orlando Arcia error but Workman couldn’t advance. Wenceel Pérez tried to advance the runners with a bunt and instead singled to load them up. Clark did his job, lifting a deep sacrifice fly to center that scored Workman to tie the game. Unfortunately, Cruz popped out and Stevenson lined out to strand two and leave it a 2-2 game.
Sean Guenther decided the issue in the top of the 13th by giving up a two-run homer that made it 4-2. Flyouts from Lee and Jung were enough to score the first run in the bottom half, but after a two-out Nido single, Workman absolutely hammered a line drive at 113.1 mph, but Kreidler was there to put it away and end it.
Clark: 3-4, 2 RBI, 2B, BB, SB
Workman: 1-5, 2 R, BB, K, 2 SB
Jung: 2-5, RBI, 2 K
Gipson-Long: 3.0 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 5 K
Sammons: 5.0 IP, 0 R, H, BB, 5 K
Seelinger: 2.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:35 p.m. ET start on Thursday at Fifth Third with the series 1-1.
Erie SeaWolves 13, Chesapeake BaySox 8 (box)
The BaySox beat the brakes off of RHP Eric Silva and built a big early lead, but the SeaWolves stormed back to win handily on Wednesday.
Silva spent most of 2025 injured as well, and his stuff has been up and down ever since. The BaySox scored three in the first, and four more in the second, including a pair of homers, knocking Silva out of the game.
Seth Stephenson led off the game with a double, and Brett Callahan singled him to third, but Andrew Jenkins and Izaac Pacheco both struck out to strand them.
In the top of the second, Justice Bigbie walked with one out, and the BaySox couldn’t handle a pop-up from E.J. Esposito and Bigbie reached third and scored on an Aaron Antonini ground out. So it was 7-1 when the second inning ended.
Things were stable until the fifth, when Esposito and Antonini led off the inning with walks, and Stephenson yanked a three-run shot to left to cut the lead to 7-4.
The BaySox turned to Eric Torres, who promptly hit John Peck and gave up a Brett Callahan single before plunking Jenkins as well to load the bases. Pacheco struck out, but a wild pitch scored Peck, and a Chris Meyers ground out brought home Callahan. Bigbie singled in Jenkins, and suddenly it was a 7-7 game.
In the top of the sixth, the SeaWolves seized control. Antonini singled with one out, and Stephenson reached on catchers interference. The double steal worked to perfection as catcher Adam Retzbach threw it away and Antonini scored to make it 8-7.
Izaac Pacheco kept it going in the seventh with a solo shot, his first of the year. Meyers walked and Bigbie singled when Antonini stepped in and launched a three-run shot to make it 12-7.
Luke Taggart and Colin Fields deserve credit in this one for settled the BaySox down after Silva’s struggles. Taggart got four outs, while Fields handled the fourth and the fifth, getting the first two outs of the sixth before turning things over to Sean Hunley.
A throwing error from Antonini on a Carter Young stolen base attempt led to a BaySox run in the seventh. In the eighth, Callahan singled yet again, then stole second and third before scoring on a Jenkins sacrifice fly.
The BaySox couldn’t mount a comeback, and the SeaWolves evened the series at a game apiece.
Callahan: 3-5, 2 R, 3 SB
Stephenson: 2-4, R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR, K, SB
Antonini: 2-4, 3 R, 4 RBI, HR, BB, K, SB
Silva: 1.2 IP, 7 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
Fields: 2.2 IP, 0 R, H, BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: It’s an 11:05 a.m. ET start on Thursday for the SeaWolves and BaySox as well.
West Michigan Whitecaps 5, Great Lakes Loons 2 (box)
The Whitecaps and Loons locked up in a pretty good duel on Wednesday until West Michigan broke through late to win.
RHP Carlos Marcano put together a late season breakout last summer, and his season debut for the Whitecaps was a good one. The sinkerballer saw his velocity really pop after rehabbing a shoulder injury, sitting 95-97 mph after typically being 92-94 mph early in his pro career. His command is rarely in doubt, and so it was in this one as he spun four scoreless innings, allowing just two routine singles. Marcano struck out three without a walk, and he turned it over to the bullpen with a 2-0 lead.
Those runs came courtesy of the speed of Patrick Lee and Woody Hadeen. Lee led off the third inning with a single and stole second. Woody Hadeen singled in Lee, and then also stole second base. A Roberto Campos single got Hadeen to third where he then stole home for a 2-0 lead. That was all they’d get from the inning. Stephen Hrustich drew a two out walk, but Campos was thrown out trying to score on a Samuel Gil single to end the threat.
Zack Lee took over for the ‘Caps in the fifth, and the Loons returned the favor with a quick pair of singles and stolen bases. Jesus Galiz singled in both runs to tie the game before Lee settled into his outing. He was much better in the sixth and the seventh, finishing with five strikeouts and no more runs allowed.
Loons reliever Jacob Frost was tough on the ‘Caps, striking out six from the fifth through the seventh innings. When they went to pen in the eighth, turning the game over to Cody Morse, the Whitecaps pounced quickly.
Jackson Strong opened the bottom of the eighth with a sharp double and Campos followed with a single. Garrett Pennington singled in Strong, but Campos was cut down trying to go first to third. A double from Hrustich scored Pennington, and Gil singled in Hrustich for a 5-2 lead.
CJ Weins handled the final two frames without issue, earning the victory.
Strong: 2-4, R, 2B, 2 K
Patrick Lee: 2-3, R, K, 2 SB
Hrustich: 1-3, R, RBI, 2B, BB, K
Marcano: 4.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 3 K
Lee: 3.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:35 p.m. ET start on Thursday with the series tied 1-1.
Lakeland Flying Tigers 8, Daytona Tortugas 1 (box)
The Flying Tigers jumped out to an early lead, and got really nice season debuts from Cale Wetwiska and Charlie Christensen, both 2025 draft picks.
Jesus Pinto got things going in the bottom of the first, as the outfielder led off with a single that was deflected by pitcher Mason Morris. Bryce Rainer lined out to center, but Carson Rucker and Zach MacDonald walked, and Jude Warwick doubled to right, clearing the bases for a 3-0 lead.
Javier Osorio drew a walk and he and Warwick pulled off a double steal and Warwick scored on a throwing error to make it 4-0 Flygers.
Wetwiska gave up a leadoff walk, but a double from Jacob Friend went to Anibal Salas, and he relayed to Warwick and then on home to put down the lead runner. Wetwiska punched out the next two hitters to escape. The Tigers’ seventh rounder last summer sat 95.5 mph with good ride, topping out at 98.1 mph, though he was a little inconsistent with his slider and cutter and still working on an offspeed pitch.
With two outs in the top of the fourth, Wetwiska issued a walk, and a single followed, ending his night. RHP Donye Evans took over and allowed an RBI single before punching out Ichiro Cano to end the inning.
The Flying Tigers’ bats got cool through the middle of the game, but Rucker led off with the fifth with a walk and stole second base. A ground out from Warwick got him to third, and a wild pitch brought in Rucker for a 5-1 lead.
At that point, the game was over because Charlie Christensen, the Tigers’ 15th rounder last summer, absolutely shoved the rest of the way. His sinking fastball and good changeup were too much for the Tortugas, and Christensen set down 12 in order with six strikeouts. Most of that was just having command of his relatively modest pitch set, but the changeup is pretty sharp, and it was an impressive pro debut nonetheless.
The Flygers added on in the bottom of the sixth. Juan Hernandez walked and stole second. Edian Espinal singled, and Hernandez scored on a Salas ground out. Pinto grounded out as well, but Bryce Rainer smoked a line drive double to center field to plate Espinal for a 7-1 lead. An ugly eighth inning from the Loons gave the Flying Tigers another run to complete the scoring.
It was a flyout, but after seeing Zach MacDonald post a 114.1 mph exit velocity, we wanted a little more confirmatioon from the CF/RF and he provided it today with a 110.1 mph fly out in the seventh inning. After he put two balls off the bat at better than 109 mph late last summer, I think we’re in business here. The power has gone from average to better than plus over the offseason. Pretty impressive. It will take time to see if he’ll hit enough against better pitching to get to it, but he runs well and plays a solid center field, so that’s an exciting development.
Warwick: 2-5, R, 3 RBI, 2B, SB
Pinto: 1-4, R, BB, K, CS
Espinal: 2-3, R, BB
Wetwiska: 3.2 IP, ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K
Christensen (W, 1-0): 4.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: The undefeated Flying Tigers get back at it on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. ET.
