Omaha Storm Chasers 3, Toledo Mud Hens 2 (box)
Troy Melton’s rehab work went reasonably well for the Hens, but after building a slim early lead they couldn’t add on runs and the Storm Chasers avenged their rough loss on Tuesday.
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Melton’s stuff looked excellent and he mixed in five different pitches in this outing, though his command wasn’t very sharp. He walked two and allowed a pair of hits in two scoreless frames, striking out three. He’s definitely working to build up to a starting role as he threw fourseamers, cutters, sliders, curveballs, and splitters all.
Max Clark singled and stole second in the first inning, scoring on a Corey Julks single for a 1-0 lead. Max Anderson blasted his a solo shot in the fifth, homering for the second straight day. That made it 2-0, but that lead wouldn’t last as Bryan Sammons took over in the fifth. He allowed a run early before settling in, but in the bottom of the ninth, the Storm Chasers plated two to walk this one off on a Kameron Misner double.
Anderson: 1-5, R, RBI, HR, 2 K
Clark: 1-5, R, K, SB
Malgeri: 1-4, BB, K, SB
Melton: 2.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:35 p.m. ET start on Thursday with the series knotted at a game apiece.
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Richmond Flying Squirrels 6, Erie SeaWolves 5 (box)
A late rally from the SeaWolves fell just short on Wednesday.
Sean Hunley got the start and he allowed three runs in four innings of work. Johan Simon took over and he coughed up three more runs in the fifth. So it was already 6-6 Richmond by that point.
Tanner Kohlhepp, Luke Taggart, and Wandisson Charles were all strong in relief to freeze the Squirrels in place for a comeback attempt.
In the seventh, Max Burt singled and walked, ultimately scoring on a Peyton Graham single to get the SeaWolves on the board. In the eighth, Justice Bigbie was hit by a pitch, and Andrew Jenkins singled. With two outs, Burt singled in Bigbie, and E.J. Exposito launched a three-run homer to make it 6-5, but that was as close as they’d get.
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Jenkins: 2-4, R
Exposito: 1-4, R, 3 RBI, HR
Hunley: (L, 0-3): 4.0 IP 3 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:05 p.m. ET start on Thursday, with the Squirrels up 2-0 in the series.
Great Lakes Loons 4, West Michigan Whitecaps 3 (box)
After finally breaking a 14 game losing streak that featured getting walked off several times, they went right back to the well and got walked off again on Wednesday night.
Ben Jacobs has been the hottest pitcher in the system in his pro debut, but he finally ran into some adversity in this one. A double, a single, and then a walk started his outing. Jacobs would allow two runs, and then a Juan Hernandez error allowed a third, and before he knew it, Jacobs was out of the game as his pitch count went too deep for one inning.
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Carlos Lequerica, Inohan Paniagua, and Seth Chavez picked up the Whitecaps from there, as each spun a pair of scoreless innings and the offense mounted a comeback. However it took a while, as a few decent scoring opportunities eluded them in the middle innings.
Finally in the seventh, Samuel Gil and Junior Tilien walked, and an errant pickoff throw advanced both runners with one out. A wild pitch scored Gil, and another wild pitch walked Caleb Shpur and plated Tilien at the same time. Still the big hit never arrived despite walks, wild pitches, errant pickoff throws, and the like in that inning. Luke Shilger, signed recently for depth, cracked a home run in the eight that tied the game.
Unfortunately, Logan Berrier couldn’t hold the tie in the bottom of the ninth, and the Loons walked it off against him.
Sojka: 2-4, 2B, BB, SB, CS
Gil: 1-2, R, 2 BB
Rainer: 1-5, 2B, 3K
Jacobs: 1.0 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 H, BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:05 p.m. ET on Thursday.
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Lakeland Flying Tigers 8, Clearwater Threshers 6 (box)
Cash Kuiper had a rough outing, but the Flying Tigers’ offense fought their way back and won on Wednesday.
Kuiper gave up five runs in four innings of work in this one. He pounded the zone, but the hits just kept coming. Carson Rucker launched a solo shot in the second to get the Flying Tigers on the board. In the third, singles from Jordan Yost, Jesus Pinto, and Zach MacDonald led to a second run. So it was 5-2 Clearwater through three innings.
In the top of the fourth, the Flying Tigers came back. Jack Goodman led off with a single, and after Hunter Dobbins struck out, Anibal Salas singled, and Yost reached on an infield single to load the bases. Jesus Pinto cleared the bases with a double, and it was a 5-5 game.
Ali Tanner took over from Kuiper, allowing a solo shot in the sixth. In the top of the seventh, the Flying Tigers came right back. MacDonald singled to lead off the inning, and Rucker mashed again, sending a 107.4 mph screamer over the left field wall to make it 7-6 Lakeland. Beau Ankeney followed that shot with a single, and Goodman walked. Dobbins struck out, but Salas walked to load the bases, and a Warwick single make it 8-6 though Goodman was thrown out at home trying to score on the play.
Jose Guzman handled the final two innings with a pair of strikeouts to earn the save.
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Rucker: 2-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR, K
Pinto: 3-4, 3 RBI, 2B, BB, CS
Yost: 2-5, 2 R
Kuiper: 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Thursday with Lakeland up 2-0 in the series.
