Toledo Mud Hens vs. Gwinnett Stripers (postponed)
The cloud of smoke streaming across the Great Lakes and east coast remained bad enough on Friday to postpone the first game of this series at Fifth Third Field. They’ll try to play two on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Et.
Erie SeaWolves 5, Richmond Flying Squirrels 2 (box)
The SeaWolves got a solid effort from Kenny Serwa and the bullpen to take down the Squirrels and get this road set off to a good start.
With one out in the first inning, Peyton Graham singled and Josue Briceño drew a walk to get Graham in scoring position. Justice Bigbie followed with a single too
sharply hit to score on, but Andrew Jenkins lifted a sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead. That was all they’d get, but Serwa took that slender lead and fired five scoreless frames.
Nothing changed until the sixth when Graham was hit by a pitch and Briceño, in his first game off the injured list, singled him to third. Bigbie struck out on a wild pitch, but Graham scampered home to make it 2-0.
Dariel Fregio gave up a run in the bottom of the sixth, but E.J. Exposito smacked a solo shot in the top of the seventh to make it 3-1 SeaWolves. Yosber Sanchez then surrendered a run in the bottom half to make it 3-2.
Eric Silva and Trevin Michael shut the Squirrels down for an inning apiece, the latter earning the save.
In the top of the ninth, Garrett Pennington lined a one-out single. Max Burt struck out, but Exposito and Joe Campagna both walked to load the bases. Seth Stephenson paddled a two-run single back up the middle to reach the final score.
Graham: 1-3, 2 R, BB
Exposito: 1-3, 2 R, RBI, HR, BB, 2 K
Stephenson: 1-5, 2 RBI, K
Serwa (W, 4-7): 5.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Saturday.
West Michigan Whitecaps at Great Lakes Loons (postponed)
They got a little rain in their blanket of ash up in Midland, and decided to save this one for tomorrow. They will also play two, starting at 5:35 p.m. ET.
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels 9, Lakeland Flying Tigers 5 (box)
The Flying Tigers staff got hit up despite multiple attempts at a comeback from the offense. Reliever Burch Smith, Gleyber Torres, and Thayron Liranzo were on rehab assignment in this one, Liranzo for a cut on his finger that required stitches and cost him the week prior to All-Star week.
Smith allowed two in the first in his first rehab outing. In the top of the second inning, Beau Ankeney singled to center field, and Nick Dumesnil followed with a single of his own. They both advanced ona balk, and Edian Espinal singled in both runs to tie the game.
Cash Kuiper gave the Flying Tigers four innings, but he leaked a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Andrew Pogue gave up a run in the sixth, and so it was 5-2 Fort Myers in the top of the seventh. Kuiper also got some help from Jordan Yost.
Gleyber Torres drew a one-out walk and was replaced by Jude Warwick as a pinch-runner. A wild pitch got Warwick to second and Hunter Dobbins walked, and then another wild pitch put runners on second and third. Ankeney struck out, but Dumesnil smoked an opposite field double to plate both runs.
Fort Myers went back to the pen, but getting Espinal out is not an easy task. He singled in Dumesnil to tie the game 5-5.
Unfortunately, Jan Carabello was then rocked for four runs, three earned in the bottom half to lose it.
Dumesnil: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, 2 K
Espinal: 3-4, 2 RBI, K
Torres: 0-3, BB, K
Liranzo: 0-1, 2 BB
Smith: 1.0 IP, 2 ER, H, BB
Kuiper: 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:05 p.m. ET start on Saturday as the Flying Tigers look to bounce back in this three-game set.
FCL Tigers 5, FCL Yankees 4 (suspended)
Lighting cut this one short in the top of the fifth. We’ll see if they conclude it tomorrow before their regularly scheduled game. Things are different in the Complex League.
One great sign was that right-hander Kelvis Salcedo, who possesses arguably the best stuff in the whole system, threw an inning, beginning a rehab assignment. We’d had no word on his injury, but fortunately it appears he’ll only miss the last few weeks. He threw a perfect inning, striking out the side in the first.
Joey Wimpelberg gave up two in a short outing, and Ryan Hall two more in the fourth, but he did strike out four in two innings of work.
Michael Oliveto and Santiago Pinto each had a double in this one so far, while Cristian Perez continued his FCL reign of terror with two more knocks.
