Tigers Minor League Recap – 6/4
Toledo Mud Hens (Triple-A)
Final: Iowa – Toledo PPD
Top Performer(s):
Game notes:
Tomorrow’s projected starters:
Sawyer Gipson-Long (2-3, 4.67 ERA) vs TBD
Erie SeaWolves (Double-A)
Final: Richmond 1 – Erie 5
Top Performer(s):
Izaac Pacheco, 3B — 3-for-4, 2 HR, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI
EJ Expositio, DH — 1-for-3, HR, BB, R, RBI
Chris Meyers, RF — 1-for-4, 2B, R, RBI
Carlos Peña — 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. This was a game Carlos needed after giving up 7 ER in just 1.2 IP his last start. He allowed just 1 base runner, a Charlie Szykowny double, and struck out 46% of the batters he faced tonight.
Game Notes:
The offense ran through Izaac Pacheco today with his 2 HRs and double. It’s his 3rd straight game with a HR and he upped his XBH total to 5 in those 3 games and has upped his slash line to .279/.367/.593 and a .960 OPS since the start of May. After rough April, he’s really turned it on and has seen his K% in that time now hit 27.6%, much better than the 36.6% he’s seen on the season.
Izaac Pacheco smacks a 2-run homer to left center. Didn’t even seem like he got all of it, but it’s his 7th home run of the season. pic.twitter.com/oCBhcO3e1y
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 4, 2026
Izaac Pacheco with a lobster blast to left center. It’s his 2nd home run of the game, and his 8th of the season. He has 4 homers in his last 3 games, and 6 in his past 11. pic.twitter.com/awgCCXb1ec
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 5, 2026
EJ Expositio helped out with a solo HR as well as the Seawolves would score all of their runs before they gave up the only run Richmond would get on the night.
Carlos Peña has stumbled a bit in 2 of his last 3 starts, but he really came through tonight. A double in the 2nd inning was the only blemish to his stat line. Tanner Kohlhepp came in relief first, getting 2.0 IP and striking out 3. He was on pace to match Peña, but not giving up the hit. The loan Rumble Ponies run came on a solo home run off of Moises Rodriguez in his 2.0 IP of work and Trevin Michael would close out the game walking 2 in his loan IP.
Tomorrow’s projected starters:
Sean Hunley (0-5, 6.92 ERA) vs Charlie McDaniel (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
West Michigan Whitecaps (High-A)
Final: Dayton 4 – West Michigan 3
Top Performer(s):
Bryce Rainer, DH — 1-for-4, HR, R, RBI, BB
Ricardo Hurtado, C — 2-for-4, HR, R, RBI, BB
Andrew Sojka, RF — 1-for-4, HR, R, RBI
Lucas Elissalt — 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. We are seeing the steps with Lucas’ development lately. This is the 3rd time out of his last 4 appearances that he’s gone at least 4.0 IP and giving up 2 or fewer runs. Tonight happened to be his longest outing of the season, the 6 Ks tied his highest amount, and the 6:1 K:BB ratio was his best. The downside is the HRs, which have been around biting him all season. He’s up to 7 HRs allowed on the year, which is a 1.57 HR/9 As the Ks continue to come, hopefully the HRs will drop next.
Game Notes:
Not much offense early on in this game today for either team. The first 7 innings saw just 3 runs scored, the 2 solo HRs for Dayton off of Lucas (Alfredo Alcantara in the 2nd, Alfredo Duno in the 3rd) and a solo shot for the Whitecaps off Jimmy Romano (Andrew Sojka in the 6th).
Dayton would look to put the game out of reach in the top of the 8th as Kien Vu hits a 2-run HR to give Dayton the 4-1 lead.The Whitecaps were having none that though as they tie the game up in the bottom of the same inning when Bryce Rainer and Ricardo Hurtado would hit back-to-back solo HRs to once again make it a 1 run game. CJ Weins would come in the 9th and get a clean 1-2-3 inning on 9 pitches, which included a strikeout, to keep it a 1 run game. The Whitecaps would continue to fight as they would load the bases up with 2 outs and Ricardo Hurtado up to bat… only to go down swinging. It was a great effort, but ultimately fell just short on the comeback.
Bryce Rainer smashes an oppo home run to pull the Whitecaps within two runs. It’s his 4th home run of the year, and according to @ThatDanHasty it left his bat at 107 MPH. pic.twitter.com/l4BKZ0UOJr
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 5, 2026
Ricardo Hurtado saw Bryce Rainer go oppo and decided he would like to do the same. It’s his 4th of the year, and it pulls the Whitecaps within on run. pic.twitter.com/mlPbbOXQ5S
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 5, 2026
Tomorrow’s projected starters:
Carlos Marcano (0-1, 2.63 ERA) vs David Lorduy (0-0, 2.25 ERA)
Lakeland Flying Tigers (Single-A)
Final: Fort Myers 11 – Lakeland 0
Top Performer(s):
Jude Warwick, SS — 1-for-4
Anibal Salas, RF — 1-for-4
Beau Ankeney, DH — 0-for-2, BB
Win Scott — 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K. 2nd appearance for Lakeland for Win Scott with today. Win really helped stop the bleeding for a staff that would desperately need some help tonight. He had a 58% 1st pitch strike percent, 33% whiff% including 64% on 11 swings vs his changeup which got all 3 of his Ks.
Game Notes:
This really did not feel like it was going to be Lakeland’s night from the start. Malachi Witherspoon with the start and he would go on to pitch 0.1 innings as he was charged with 3 ER despite giving up 0 hits vs the 5 batters he faced. Those 5 batters consisted of a HBP, K, and 3 BBs before getting pulled after 33 pitches.
Third straight disappointing start for Malachi Witherspoon, and the second time this year he has failed to make it out of the 1st inning against Fort Myers. But he was at 33 pitches, and the Tigers don’t let any young arm throw more than 35 in one inning. pic.twitter.com/8jO4htlj9k
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 4, 2026
Jatnk didn’t help him out much as he gave up a single and sac fly before getting the final out of the inning. Jatnk would start the second and it here’s how it went for him:
Walk, single, single, single, single, double, double, single, K, single. That would make it a 10-0 game at that point before Win Scott would come in and get a double play to end the inning. Fort Meyers would go on to get one more run just for fun off of catcher Newremberg Rondon, who collected 2.0 IP.
Tomorrow’s projected starters:
Alistair Tanner (3-3, 6.38 ERA) vs Reed Moring (1-0, 1.95 ERA)
FCL Tigers (Rookie)
Final: FCL Phillies 4 – FCL Tigers 3
Top Performer(s):
Jose Dickson, SS — 2-for-2, 2 2B, 2 R, RBI, SB, BB
Angel De Los Santos, 2B — 2-for-4, RBI
Luis Aguilera, 3B — 2-for-3, RBI, SB
Jack Bushell— 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. Jack set a career high today with his 8 Ks, beating his previous career high by 3, while also getting his 2nd longest outing on the season.
Game Notes:
FCL Phillies would get the scoring started this game in the 3rd on an Anderson Araujo single, scoring Gabriel Azocar who would be on 3rd after a throwing error on a sac bunt. The FCL Tigers would answer back in the bottom half of the inning though. A Jose Dickson walk, Luis Aguilera single, and double steal would set up Angel De Los Santos to get a 1-out single to knock in the first run. The Tigers would add a second run in the bottom of the 4th thanks to a pair of doubles from Cristian Perez and Jose Dickson to give them a 2-1 lead.
Pitching would have a wild 6th inning that would allow 3 runs where a bases loaded HBP would score a run immediately after a single would score 2 more, allowing the Phillies to take the 4-2 lead.
The Tigers would get another run in the bottom of the inning to make it a 4-3 game thanks to Dickson’s 2nd double and Luis Aguilera’s 2nd hit of the day.
After shutting down the Phillies’ offense in the top of the 7th, the Tigers would threaten as the first two batters, Angel De Los Santos and Nolan McCarthy, would get one with a pair of singles. They wouldn’t get around as the next 3 batters would strikeout, ground out, strikeout to end the threat and the ball game.
Tomorrow’s projected starters: TBD vs TBD
DSL Tigers (Rookie)
Final: DSL Nationals 15 – DSL Tigers (1) 4
Top Performer(s):
Jose Ramirez, CF — 2-for-4, 3B, 2 R, CS
Jonathan Moya, DH — 0-for-2, BB
Oscar Tineo, SS — 1-for-3, 2B, R, RBI
Rafael Gonzalez — 2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K. Rafael Gonzalez came out and showed some interesting stuff, especially the rise on his fastball. Had quite a few that sat around 20” IVB, touching 22”.
Game Notes:
Jose Ramirez where he was able to show off some speed. Jonathan Moya had a 107 EV that the 3rd baseman couldn’t handle.
Jesus Febles got the start, he was touching 95 with his fastball. Rafael Gonzalez was interesting to me. He showed a nice, loopy 79-80 MPH curveball and a 92-93 fastball that generated at times an IVB as high as 22”.
Scary moment in the 7th as Tigers pitcher Omar Gonzalez appears to hit Jawel Garcia in the face with a fastball. Fortunately he walked off the field with a little help, but was holding his head.
Tomorrow’s projected starters: TBD vs TBD
Final: DSL Rangers Red – DSL Tigers (2)
Tomorrow’s projected starters: TBD vs TBD
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Chris Brown