Columbus Clippers 9, Toledo Mud Hens 7 (box)
Relievers Luke Taggart and Jack Little were lit up for seven runs in the first inning. The Hens’ offense fought back all game long but couldn’t make up the deficit.
Columbus loaded the bases against Taggart and he then walked in two runs before Little took over and immediately surrendered a bases clearing triple to Milan Tolentino. It was 7-0 when the smoke finally cleared.
Tyler Mattison took over in the
third, and he gave up single runs in the third and fourth, the first earned runs he’s been charged with since late May.
The Hens got one-out singles from Brett Callahan and Trei Cruz in the second but couldn’t cash in. Cruz seems rather likely to be in Detroit on Wednesday in place of an injured Matt Vierling although the Tigers have DFA options if they want to try Callahan. Clark will almost certainly be held off until August 15, preserving his rookie eligibility for 2027, though he is really heating up and is ready for his first look at the show in my opinion. Hopefully soon.
Finally in the top of the sixth the Hens broke through. Jace Jung led off with a single and Max Anderson and Gage Workman walked to load the bases. A Corey Julks infield single scored Jung, but that was all they’d get.
Max Clark lifted a solo shot over the wall in right center field for his 11th home run in the seventh.
Finally in the eighth, Workman and Julks drew leadoff walks. Callahan flew out but Cruz walked as well, loading the bases. Bennett Lee singled in Workman, and Clark drew a bases loaded walk. A two-run single from Jung followed and it was 9-6 Clippers. The Hens pushed across one more in the ninth on a bases loaded double play ball off the bat of Cruz, but that’s where the comeback attempt ended.
Clark: 1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, BB, 3 K
Jung: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, BB, K
Callahan: 2-4, BB, K, CS
Taggart (L, 2-1): 0.2 IP, 5 ER, H, 4 BB, K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 12:05 p.m. ET start on Thursday as the Hens try to get back into this series.
Erie SeaWolves 5, Akron RubberDucks 4 (box)
Josue Briceño homered and the SeaWolves got a good Kenny Serwa start to win on Wednesday.
The knuckleballer went 5.2 innings, allowing just one earned run while punching out four against one walk.
After Serwa gave up a run in the top of the first, Seth Stephenson dropped down a leadoff bunt safely and then stole second base. Briceño ripped a line drive single to score him. Thayron Liranzo drew a walk, but a double play ball from Justice Bigbie ended the inning.
The score would stay locked at 1-1 until the seventh inning. The Detroit area’s own Alex Mooney hit a solo shot off of Tanner Kohlhepp to lead off the inning, and they collected another run before Kohlhepp escaped.
In the bottom half, however, Liranzo drew a leadoff walk and Bigbie singled. An E.J. Exposito double scored Liranzo, and Patrick Lee singled in Bigbie to tie the game. Viandel Pena singled in Exposito to take the 4-3 lead.
Marco Jimenez returned to Erie’s bullpen after a lengthy stay on the IL, and he gave up an RBI triple to Mooney in the eighth. Briceño came right back with a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the eighth, and Trevin Michael locked down the save.
Briceño: 2-3, R, 2 RBI, HR, BB
Exposito: 1-3, R, RBI, 2B, BB, 2 K
Serwa: 5.2 IP, ER, 5 H, BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:05 p.m. ET start at UPMC Park with the series tied at a game apiece.
Beloit Sky Carp 2, West Michigan Whitecaps 1 (box)
Pitching ruled the day in this one as the two teams combined for nine hits total.
Ben Jacobs was electric for the Whitecaps. He struck out eight in 5.1 inning of work, allowing just a solo shot in the second inning.
In the third, Caleb Shpur led off with a single and Woody Hadeen was hit by a pitch. They pulled off a double steal, and Shpur scored on a Ricardo Hurtado sacrifice fly.
Jackson Strong returned from the injury list this week, as did Hadeen, so it’s good for the ‘Caps to have them back, but only Hadeen reached base twice for the Whitecaps. Bryce Rainer remains mired in a little slump since the All-Star break, and went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
Ryan Harvey gave up a solo shot in the sixth that proved the game winner. Carlos Lequerica spun two innings of scoreless relief to end it, but the ‘Caps couldn’t take advantage.
Jacobs: 5.1 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 8 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:30 p.m. ET start in Comstock Park on Thursday with the series tied up.
Tampa Tarpons 9, Lakeland Flying Tigers 7 (box)
Paul Wilson gave up a grand slam to Luis Puello in the first inning, and the Flying Tigers couldn’t run them down on Wednesday.
Wilson obviously hasn’t pitched much the past two years, so just getting him reps is a positive, and his stuff is coming into form. His fastball command is still really lacking however. The southpaw is working with a mid-90’s fourseam-sinker combination, with a sharp 87-88 mph slider and a power curveball for the most part.
In the second, it was the Flying Tigers turn to slam. Roberto Campos led off the top of the second with a walk, and one-out walks to Ronald Ramirez and Zach MacDonald followed. Javier Osorio stepped in and bashed a grand slam over the center field wall to tie things at 4-4.
Unfortunately, Wilson leaked another run in the second and one more in the third. Yendy Gomez surrendered single runs in the fourth and fifth.
In the top of the fourth, Anibal Salas led off with a walk and Ramirez singled. MacDonald doubled in Salas, and Osorio lifted a sacrifice fly to score Ramirez and tie the game 6-6.
The Flying Tigers bullpen just couldn’t stop the bleeding. They got one more in the seventh after Angel De Los Santos singled, took second on an error, and then scored on a Jordan Yost swinging bunt that went for an error. The knock was De Los Santos’ first with Lakeland, and he played second base today with Yost holding the shortstop position. That made it an 8-7 lead, but the Tarpons added a run in the bottom of the seventh to hold off the Flying Tigers one last time.
Ramirez: 2-3, 2 R, BB, SB
De Los Santos: 1-4, R, BB
Osorio: 1-3, R, 5 RBI, HR
Wilson: 2.0 IP, 6 ER, 5 H, 4 BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers are down 0-2 heading into a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Thursday.
