Weather Washes Out Iowa Cubs Finale Against Mud Hens
Sunday's series finale between the Iowa Cubs and the Toledo Mud Hens fell victim to the elements, as inclement weather forced a full cancellation. With the rainout, the Mud Hens officially take the series, winning four out of five games.
For Iowa fans hoping to see the Cubs salvage a win at home, the washout was a tough break. Midwest weather is always a factor early in the season, and Sunday was a reminder that Mother Nature sometimes gets the final say. The Cubs will simply have to regroup and look ahead to their next matchup.
SeaWolves Show Late Inning Grit in Richmond
Over in Richmond, the Erie SeaWolves proved that a team is never out of it until the final out. A massive four run ninth inning propelled Erie to a 6-3 victory, tying their series with the Flying Squirrels at three games apiece.
The most crucial swing of the afternoon came off the bat of Izaac Pacheco. With two outs in the top of the ninth, Pacheco crushed a 96 mph fastball for a two run homer, giving Erie a 4-3 lead. Mitch White had just taken over on the mound for Richmond, but the change did not go as planned. White gave up a single to Andrew Jenkins, a walk to E.J. Exposito, and a two run double to Seth Stephenson that put the game out of reach.
Erie's bullpen had an interesting day. Moises Rodriguez earned the win with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth, but he was also the reason Richmond took a late lead in the first place. Rodriguez sailed a throw to first that ricocheted off the tarp and rolled down the right field line, allowing the runner to reach third and score on a sacrifice fly. Fortunately for Rodriguez, his teammates bailed him out in the next half inning.
Starting pitcher Max Alba had a solid outing, giving up two runs over 4.2 innings while striking out four. Exposito homered in the third to tie the game early, and Brett Callahan tied it again in the eighth with an RBI.
Tarik Skubal Dominates in West Michigan
Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal made a rehab start for the West Michigan Whitecaps, and it was exactly what baseball fans wanted to see. Skubal looked near perfect, tossing five scoreless innings while giving up just two hits and striking out six. He reportedly touched 99 mph on the radar gun, looking every bit the dominant pitcher Tigers fans have come to respect.
The Whitecaps provided plenty of run support, cruising to an 8-0 victory over the Dayton Dragons. Jackson Strong got things started early with a two run homer in the first inning, and the Whitecaps never looked back. Garrett Pennington singled in two more runs in the third, and Ricardo Hurtado doubled in a pair in the fifth. Woody Hadeen added an RBI double in the sixth, and a balk in the seventh brought home the final run of the day.
Hadeen, Pennington, and Bennett Lee all had multi hit days. Lee just recently joined the roster after coming down from Erie on Saturday. The bullpen handled the rest, with Ryan Harvey striking out a pair in two innings, and Luke Stofel and CJ Weins combining to finish the shutout. West Michigan takes the series, 4-2.
Lakeland Flying Tigers Grind Out a Win
The Lakeland Flying Tigers proved that efficiency matters more than sheer volume. Despite being outhit by the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, Lakeland walked away with a 5-3 win to close out their series.
The Flying Tigers took advantage of six free passes and made their six scattered hits count. Javier Osorio kicked off the scoring with a two run single into left field in the second inning. After Fort Myers scored in the top of the sixth, Beau Ankeney answered right back with a solo home run to keep Lakeland ahead.
The Mighty Mussels tied it up with two runs in the eighth, but Lakeland showed resilience. Jesus Pinto singled into center field for a run, and Edian Espinal drove in another with a sacrifice fly to secure the lead for good.
Starting pitcher Charlie Christensen was outstanding on the mound. He gave up just one hit over four innings while striking out eight, lowering his ERA to 1.38 on the year. His secondary stuff was sharp, racking up swings and misses with his cutters, sliders, and changeups. Jatnk Diaz closed the door, getting the final four outs of the game.