It was an an epic night down on the farm, with Tigers affiliates going 4-0 for the second consecutive Tuesday. Some people are saying this author is good luck. I don’t know. It’s crazy. But we definitely saw some massive offensive performances, and two walk-off wins.
Toledo Mud Hens (Triple-A)
Final: Toledo 9, Omaha 8Â (13 Innings)
Top Performers:
Akil Baddoo: 1-for-5, 2BB, 3K, R, 2RBI, SB
Riley Unroe: 1-for-6, BB, 2K, R, 3RBI
Andrew Navigato: 3-for-6, 2B, 3R, 3SB(5)
Brian Serven: 2-for-6, 2K, R, 2RBI, SB
Pitchers:
Jordan Balazovic: 3IP H 0R BB 4K
Ryan Miller: IP H BB 3K
Andrew Chafin: IP 2K
Riley Unroe: 3IP 2H 3R 0ER, W
Game Notes:Â
A ridiculous game. The Mud Hens are still struggling to field a full rotation, so on Tuesday they went the bullpen route, turning to reliever P.J. Poulin to serve as their opener. His outing couldn’t have started much worse. Poulin started the game by hitting John Rave, then allowing a steal, a walk, and a single to load the bases. Then he walked in a run. But Poulin managed to wiggle out of that jam with no more damage.
Jordan Balazovic calmed things down for the Hens, and they took a 3-1 lead in the 4th on singles from Akil Baddoo and Riley Unroe. Omaha crept closer on a Tyler Gentry RBI double in the 6th. And then it looked like the Hens might choke away another win. Tyler Owens gave up a 2-run blast to Nick Loftin, and the Storm Chasers took a 4-3 lead. It stayed that way until the 9th, when Andrew Navigato led off the inning with a double, and Brian Serven singled him home to tie the game.
But that’s when the game got silly. Omaha went up 5-4 in the 10th, but Toledo tied it on a Ryan Kreidler sac fly. Unroe, an infielder by trade, then took the mound in a high-leverage situation for the second time in the last week. The Chasers took a 6-5 lead immediately, but then Unroe retired the next three batters. And the Hens tied the game again in the 11th on another Serven RBI single.
To the 12th, where Unroe once again gave up a go-ahead single before retiring the next three batters. It looked like Toledo was out of luck, but then Loftin committed a throwing error with two outs, allowing Baddoo to score. Unroe allowed a sac fly in the 13th to make it an 8-7 Omaha lead. But then Storm Chasers reliever Ryan Hendrix lost the strike zone. He issued a two-out walk to Brewer Hicklen. Then walked in the tying run. And then he walked Unroe to seal the win for Toledo. Again, absolutely ridiculous.
🚨Mud Hens Walk-Off Win🚨
A strong candidate for most ridiculous game of the year. Riley Unroe takes a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 13th and the Hens win 9-8. The winning pitcher? Riley Unroe, who pitched the 11th-13th. pic.twitter.com/LLMgLl02bC
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) April 23, 2025
Erie SeaWolves (Double-A)
Final: Erie 6, Harrisburg 2
Top Performers:
Trei Cruz: 2-for-4, BB, 2R, SB(2)
Max Anderson: 2-for-5, HR(3), 2R, 2RBI
Thayron Liranzo: 2-for-5, 2B, K
Chris Meyers: 1-for-4, 2RBI
Pitchers:
Joseph Montalvo: 5IP 2H 0R 2BB 4K
Dylan Smith: 2IP H 0R BB K
Drew Sommers: IP H BB K
Game Notes:Â MLB Veteran Mike Soroka took the mound for Harrisburg in a rehab outing, while Joseph Montalvo was looking for his first solid outing with Erie. Soroka was decent, but SeaWolves hitters didn’t seem too bothered by the MLB arm facing them. Thayron Liranzo doubled off him in the 1st. And in the 3rd Max Anderson ended his day with a massive 2-run homer (see below).
Montalvo, meanwhile, was strong. He pitched around trouble on a few occasions, and got a little batted-ball luck. But his five scoreless frames surpassed his season total in innings so far this year, and managed to lower his 18.69 Reconstruction ERA to a more acceptable, Dark Ages ERA of 8.68.
Seawolves hitters tacked on several more runs after Soroka left. Justice Bigbie, Jake Holton, and Chris Meyers all knocked in runs in the 6th inning to make it a 6-0 lead. Harrisburg scratched across a pair of runs in the 8th, but it was too little, too late. Erie’s record improves to 11-5 on the season.
Donta’ Williams robbed Max Anderson of extra bases in the 1st. But he couldn’t doing anything about the monster 2-run blast Anderson hit off Mike Soroka in the 3rd. Hit it so far it didn’t register a distance or EV. pic.twitter.com/N9q3c6t93o
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) April 22, 2025
West Michigan (High-A)
Final: West Michigan 10, Dayton 0
Top Performers:
Max Clark: 1-for-2, 2BB, R
Seth Stephenson: 2-for-5, 2B, K, 2R, RBI
Josue Briceno: 2-for-5, HR(4), 2B, BB, 5RBI
Brett Callahan: 1-for-5, HR(4), K
Andrew Jenkins: 2-for-5, 2 2B, K, R
Peyton Graham: 2-for-4, 2 2B, K, 2R, RBI
Pitchers:
Joe Miller: 5IP 2H 0R K
Micah Ashman: IP H 2K
Preston Howey: IP
Joe Adametz: 2IP BB 3K
Game Notes: The Whitecaps juggernaut continues to run roughshod over the Midwest League. They, like Erie, were facing a rehabbing big leaguer in the form of Wade Miley. But they made Miley look more like a little leaguer from the very beginning of the game. Max Clark led off with an oppo double, and though West Michigan stranded him, it was a sign of things to come.
They broke the game open with four runs in the 2nd, highlighted by RBI doubles from Peyton Graham and Josue Briceno. Brett Callahan led off the the 3rd inning with a massive solo homer, one that went an estimated 488 feet. We’re skeptical of that distance, but Whitecaps play-by-play man Dan Hasty tweeted the reading. Luke Gold added another RBI double and it was a 6-0 Whitecaps lead when Miley left the game.
Whitecaps starter Joe Miller continued his strong start to the season, holding Dayton to just two hits over five scoreless innings. The West Michigan bullpen did the rest, with Micah Ashman, Preston Howey, and Joe Adametz combining to allow just one more hit while striking out 5 over four more scoreless frames.
John Peck got in on the action with an RBI single in the 6th. And then Briceno put an appropriate cap on the night, demolishing a 90-MPH fastball for a 3-run homer in the 8th. It was his 4th home run of the season, and this was also the second time Briceno has caught a shutout this season.
Josue Briceño crushes a 3-run homer to right center. It’s his 4th long ball of the year, and the Whitecaps lead 10-0. pic.twitter.com/sBAsZWstTy
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) April 23, 2025
Lakeland (Low-A)
Final: Lakeland 2, Bradenton 1
Top Performers:
Franyerber Montilla: 1-for-3, 3B, BB, K, 2R, SB(4)
Ricardo Hurtado: 2-for-4, 2K, 2RBI
Pitchers:
RJ Sales: 5IP 5H 0R BB 3K
Duque Hebbert: 2IP 2H ER 0BB 4K
Yosber Sanchez (rehab): 2IP BB K
Game Notes:Â Always nice to end the night with a classic pitchers’ duel. Lakeland starter R.J. Sales continues to get more comfortable in pro ball. He worked five scoreless innings, the longest outing of his short career. But he also got plenty of help from his defense, particularly Franyerber Montilla and Ricardo Hurtado.
Bradenton got some strong pitching, too. Starter Clevari Tejada pitched well for four innings, but a two-out triple by Montilla and an RBI single from Hurtado put the Flying Tigers up 1-0. The Marauders bullpen was excellent, with Isaias Uribe and Hunter Furtado striking out seven over four scoreless innings. That allowed Bradenton to stay in it and eventually tie the game on a Duque Hebbert wild pitch in the 7th.
But it was Montilla and Hurtado once again combining for some two-out magic in the 9th. Montilla worked a six-pitch walk, and then promptly stole second base. Then Hurtado crushed a ball to deep left to give Lakeland a walk-off win. They are now 8-8 on the season.
🚨Flying Tigers Walk-Off Win🚨
Ricardo Hurtado crushes an RBI *single to deep left to score Franyerber Montilla (BB, SB) and give Lakeland a 2-1 win. @ZachSurdenik calls it. pic.twitter.com/cRXoWDlKNw
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) April 23, 2025
Jerry McKennan 
Colin Arthur