Tigers Minor League Recap – 6/17

Toledo Mud Hens (Triple-A)

Final: Toledo 5 – Rochester 6

Top Performer(s):

Eduardo Valencia, C – 2-for-4, R, 2B. BB

Jace Jung, 2B – 2-for-4, R, RBI, HR

Cal Stevenson, 1B – 1-for-4, R, RBI, HR

Woo-Suk Go – 2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 5 K

Tyler Mattison – 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Game notes:

Toledo took on the Red Wings of Rochester following yesterday’s pitching masterclass by Troy Watson and company. The Mud Hens used six pitchers, plus one position player on the mound during their bullpen day. Woo-Suk Go, who’s only given up three runs with the Mud Hens since May, started the game. He struggled to keep runners of the base paths, but maintained his strikeout dominance. Opposing batters swung and miss against him 11 times, a 58% whiff rate. After Rochester scored twice in the second off of Go, the Mud Hens responded two runs to tie the game in the fourth. Jace Jung hit a go-ahead home run in the fifth, his eleventh of the year. Cal Stevenson doubled the lead two batters later with a solo shot of his own. Rochester found themselves a run in the sixth, before tying the game in the ninth courtesy of a home run via Abimelec Ortiz off of Matt Seelinger. Both teams scored in the 10th, leading to the eleventh. The Mud Hens were held scoreless, and after a high bullpen tax, outfielder Tyler Gentry was moved from designated hitter to the pitchers mound, where the Red Wings walked it off after Corey Julks was unable to make a diving catch. The Mud Hens are 32-38.

Tomorrow’s projected starters: Sawyer Gipson-Long (2-3, 4.43 ERA) vs Sawyer Gipson-Long (5-1, 3.47 ERA)

Erie SeaWolves (Double-A)

Final: Erie 6  – Harrisburg 11

Top Performer(s):

Brett Callahan, CF – 2-for-5, R, RBI, 3B

John Peck, SS – 3-fo-5, R, RBI, 2B, 3B

Chris Meyers, 1B – 2-for-3, 2 R, RBI, 2B, HR, BB, SB

Aaron Antonini, DH – 2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B, BB

Lael Lockhart – 4.2 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, Loss

Game notes:

Lael Lockhart started for Erie this evening against their divisional opponent, the Harrisburg Senators. Also standing on the mound was Tigers 2024 third round pick, Josh Randall, who was traded for Kyle Finnegan last summer. Lockhart had the game under control through four innings, only given up for one run. He struggled in the fifth, walking three batters and giving up a sharp single to Devin Fitz-Gerald before being yanked from the ball. Lockhart’s strike percentage was a low 58%. Josh Randall threw six innings of two run ball, but gave up a long ball to Chris Meyers in his final inning of work. Erie tried to make a comeback against Harrisburg, but every run was matched, plus some. The Senators knot up the SeaWolves one a piece and are back again tomorrow evening.

Tomorrow’s projected starters: Carlos Pena (3-2, 5.50 ERA) vs Isaac Lyon (0-3, 8.22 ERA)

West Michigan Whitecaps (High-A)

Final: CANCELED

Game notes:

Tonight’s game between West Michigan and Lansing has been canceled due to inclement weather and will not be rescheduled.

Tomorrow’s projected starters: Samuel Dutton (1-3, 4.14 ERA) vs Lucas Elissalt (0-4, 5.16 ERA)

Lakeland Flying Tigers (Single-A)

Final: Dunedin 9 – Lakeland 5

Top Performer(s):

Beau Ankeney, 1B – 1-for-4, R, RBI, HR

Anibal Salas, LF – 3-for-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B, HR

Hunter Dobbins, C – 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 3BI

Cash Kuiper, 3.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, BB, 4 K

Andrew Pogue – 1.2 IP, H, 0 ER, BB

Game notes:

Last year’s 12th round pick, Cash Kuiper started the game on the mound for Lakeland. He is fresh off a five innings of one run baseball. Kuiper threw 60% strikes today, an improvement compared to previous starts, and recorded ten swings-and-misses from opponents. His removal from the game in the fourth inning was preceded by a triple from Dunedin’s Blaine Bullard followed by a JoJo Parker home run in the third inning. The game remained close for a long time with the score being in Lakeland’s favor. They led 4-3 going into the seventh before all hell broke loose. The Blue Jays went on a hitting fiasco, entering the second portion of the inning up 8-4. In terms of long balls, Anibal Salas smoked a ball 111 MPH off the bat to give him his fifth home run of the year. Beau Ankeney was also seen on the bottom ticker by hitting his eighth home run of the year. Lakeland falls down 0-2 in the series. They play early tomorrow, starting at 11 AM sharp.

Tomorrow’s projected starters: Blake Purnell (1-2, 4.24 ERA) vs Malachi Witherspoon (2-2, 5.89 ERA)

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