On tonight’s TMLR Recap: One blowout loss and three tight games, with plenty of firsts.
Toledo Mud Hens (Triple-A)Â
Iowa defeats Toledo 14-1 (Toledo 2-8)
From Bad to Worse
The Mud Hens returned home to Toledo hoping to shake off a rough 1-5 road trip in Texas. But things went sideways almost immediately.
Top 1st
Lael Lockhart hit the first batter he faced, and then a single, a double steal, and a missed catch error by Hao-Yu Lee at third base made it 1-0. It seemed like Toledo might escape the inning with minimal damage, but then Lockhart gave up a walk, a hit, a walk, and a grand slam to Carlos Perez. The Cubs took a 5-0 lead, and never looked back again.
Top 4th
Lockhart gave up another run in the 2nd inning, but he seemed to have settled down a bit after that. He retired the side in order in the 3rd inning, and then got the first two batters in the 4th. But then Christian Franklin hit a solo homer, and Lockhart’s night was done. Ryan Miller came out of the bullpen and ran into trouble of his own, allowing a double and a two-run homer as Iowa’s lead ballooned to 9-0.
Top 5th
More trouble. Miller allowed two singles and then a one-out, 3-run homer to Greg Allen. At that point the Cubs had a dozen runs, and Toledo had two hits.
Bottom 6th
Bligh Madris singled with two outs in the 6th, then moved to second on defensive indifference. Eliezer Alfonzo singled him home for Toledo’s first and only run of the night.
Eliezer Alfonzo’s RBI single to right center pulls Toledo to within 12 runs… pic.twitter.com/0ZASGkGvEh
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) April 9, 2025
Toledo Standouts
- Eliezer Alfonzo: 1-for-3, RBI
- Jace Jung: 1-for-4, 2B, K
- Bligh Madris: 1-for-4, 2K, R
On the Mound
- Lael Lockhart: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 4K – Rough night
- Ryan Miller: 2.1 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, BB, 3 K – Ouch
- Chase Lee: 2 IP, 2H, ER, 4K
- Jason Foley: IP, H, 2K
Erie SeaWolves (Double-A)
Chesapeake defeat Erie 5-4Â (Erie 3-1)
Erie Standouts
- Jake Holton: 1-for-3, HR, BB, 2RBI
- Chris Meyers: 1-for-4, 2B, R
- Roberto Campos: 1-for-3, BB, K, R
- Trei Cruz: 1-for-2, 2BB
On the Mound
- Garrett Burhenn: 4 IP, 5H, 2R, 1ER, 0BB, 4K
- RJ Petit: 2 IP, 3H, 2ER, BB, 2K
- Dylan Smith: 2 IP, 0H, ER, 2BB, 3K
Game Notes:
Garrett Burhenn made his season debut on the road in Chesapeake, and he looked a little rusty. He gave up a pair of hits in the first, but a nice play from Jim Jarvis helped keep the game scoreless. He got a little more help from his defense in the 2nd when Thayron Liranzo erased a baserunner. The Baysox pushed across two runs in the 3rd on a Justice Bigbie error, a wild pitch, and a pair of errors. But Burhenn ended his outing by striking out the side in the 4th inning.
The SeaWolves got on the board in the 5th inning when Ben Malgeri singled to score Roberto Campos. And Erie took a 4-2 lead in the 6th thanks to a 2-run homer from Jake Holton and a bases-loaded walk. The bullpen couldn’t hold that lead, however, with RJ Petit surrendering two runs in the 6th, and Dylan Smith allowing one in the 7th on two walks and two wild pitches. Smith didn’t allow a hit in his two innings, but that wildness in the 7th ultimately cost Erie the game.
Jake Holton breaks out of his 0-for-10 start with a 112 MPH blast to centerfield. 3-2 Erie in the top of 6th. pic.twitter.com/FL0jhLsLMS
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) April 9, 2025
West Michigan Whitecaps (High-A)
Lake County defeats West Michigan 6-4 (West Michigan 3-1)
West Michigan Standouts
- Seth Stephenson: 3-for-5, 2 SB(3)
- Andrew Jenkins: 2-for-3, HR, BB, 2RBI
- Brett Callahan: 2-for-4, K
On the Mound
- Carlos Marcano: 3.2 IP, 5H, 4ER, BB, K
- Jordan Marks: 0.1 IP, 3H, 2ER, BB, K
- Eric Silva: 4IP, H, 5K
Game Notes:
The Whitecaps took a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning thanks to a trio of walks from Captains starter Caden Favors, and a soft infield single from Max Clark. But West Michigan’s starter Carlos Marcano gave up back-to-back solo homers to start the bottom of the 2nd, and the Whitecaps never led again. Marcano gave up a pair of hits in the 4th, but he left the game with two outs and the score still 2-1. But reliever Jordan Marks couldn’t put out the fire, allowing three hits and a walk to push Lake County’s lead to 6-1.
Eric Silva was a somewhat unexpected addition to the West Michigan roster, considering he spent all of 2024 in Double-A. He did an outstanding job of quieting the Captains, tossing four scoreless innings of relief. That allowed the Whitecaps to scrap their way back into the game, starting with an Andrew Jenkins 2-run homer in the 8th. And then West Michigan managed to load the bases in the 9th, bringing the potential go-ahead run to the plate with one out. But John Peck struck out swinging, and after a wild pitch scored a run, Izaac Pacheco struck out looking to end the game.
Lakeland Flying Tigers (Single-A)
Lakeland defeats St. Lucie 6-4 (Lakeland 2-2)
Lakeland Standouts
- Franyerber Montilla: 1-for-4, HR, 2K, 2RBI
- Brian Serven: 1-for-3, 2B, BB, 2K, R, RBI
- Jackson Strong: 1-for-2, 2B, BB, K
On the Mound
- RJ Sales: 4 IP, 6H, 3R, 2ER, 0BB, K
- Ignacio Briceno: 2 IP, 2H, 0R, 3BB, 2K
- Moises Rodriguez: 1.1 IP, H, 3K
- Shay Timmer: IP, 2H, ER, BB, SV
Game Notes:
Lakeland won their first home game of the year, in comeback fashion, though things got a bit dicey at the end of the night. St. Lucie starter Will Watson was dominant, carving up Lakeland hitters for 4+ hitless innings, with seven strikeouts. Lakeland did manage to take a 1-0 lead in the first thanks to a pair of errors and a stolen base from Woody Hadeen. But Lakeland starter RJ Sales struggled a bit in his professional debut. He couldn’t fool the Mets hitters, garnering just two swings and misses in his four innings, and St. Lucie piled up three runs in the 4th.
But the Flying Tigers stormed back in the 6th, thanks in part to hits from rehabbing veterans Akil Baddoo and Brian Serven. The big blow of the game came when Franyerber Montilla launched a 2-run homer to right, giving Lakeland a 5-3 lead. It was Montilla’s first hit of the season, and his first home run in A-ball. The Flying Tigers tacked on one more run in the inning, and they headed into the 9th up 6-3. But Lakeland reliever Shay Timmer made things interesting, giving up a walk and a pair of singles to begin the inning. At that point the score was 6-4 with two on and no outs. But Timmer managed to bear down and get a pair of ground balls, ending the inning and earning his first professional save.
Franyerber Montilla’s first hit of the year is a 2-run homer that gives Lakeland a 5-3 lead. Left his bat at 104 MPH and went 350 feet. pic.twitter.com/mgroJjHL5l
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) April 9, 2025
Rogelio Castillo 
Ashley Couturier 
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