Durham Bulls 6, Toledo Mud Hens 3 (box)
Jordan Zimmermann was knocked around in a rehab start for the Mud Hens on Thursday night, and the Bulls completed a three-game sweep. Zimmermann allowed four runs and was lifted in the fifth inning after allowing a two-run home run to Brendan McKay, the second long ball the Bulls tagged Zimmermann with in the contest. Eduardo Jimenez couldn’t stop the bleeding in the frame, and surrendered a pair of runs to put the Bulls up 6-3, which held up as the final score.
The offense did get Zimmermann a lead to work with when Daniel Pinero lashed a two-run double in the fourth. Jacob Robson hit a solo shot to center field in the fifth, his third on the year, and the Hens led 3-2 heading into the ill-fated bottom of the fifth. Caleb Thielbar and John Schreiber kept the Bulls off the board in the seventh and eighth inning, but no comeback was forthcoming.
Daz Cameron went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts as he continues to struggle. Zimmermann threw 69 pitches, and should be close to a return to Detroit.
Robson: 2-4, 2B, HR, R, RBI, BB
W. Castro: 2-4, SO
Pinero: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 SO
Zimmermann (L, 0-1): 4.2 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 6 SO
Coming Up Next: The Hens now travel to Norwich for a three-game set with the Tides that will complete their six-game road trip. First pitch is set for 7:05pm ET on Friday night.
Reading Fightin’ Phils 3, Erie SeaWolves 2 (box)
The SeaWolves’ offense put on a fairly miserable show, but the outcome of the game mattered not a bit after Casey Mize had to be lifted from the game in the third inning. He stretched his arms between pitches, and then babied a fastball and there was immediate recognition that something was not right with the Tigers’ top prospect. Catcher Kade Scivicque was quickly followed to the mound by athletic trainer T.J. Obergefell and SeaWolves manager Mike Rabelo who immediately pulled Mize from the game. Emily Waldon of The Athletic reported that Mize experienced soreness in his shoulder.
Casey Mize has just been taken out of the game. Catcher Kade Scivicque saw something, and brought everybody with him. Not good... not good at all. pic.twitter.com/uHtVegvlxV
— TigersProspectsVideo (@ProspectsVideo) June 14, 2019
#Tigers Casey Mize was removed from the game due to soreness in his right shoulder, I’m told.
— Emily Waldon (@EmilyCWaldon) June 14, 2019
Nolan Blackwood took over from Mize, allowing an unearned run in the fifth, while Zac Houston allowed two more in the sixth. The offense made a late push when Cam Gibson tripled home Sergio Alcantara to finally get the SeaWolves on the board. A.J. Simcox followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Gibson and close the margin to just one run, but that was as close as they got.
Gibson: 1-3, 3B, R, RBI
Mize: 2.1 IP, H, BB, 2 SO
Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves head home to welcome the Hartford Yard Goats for a three-game set this weekend. Matt Manning will make the start for Erie.
Lakeland Flying Tigers (idle)
The Flying Tigers reached the Florida State League All-Star break in fourth place in the North division with a 29-36 record in the first half. The All-Star game takes place on Saturday, and the Flygers will head out on the road to St. Lucie for a three-game series on Monday to kick off the second half.
West Michigan Whitecaps 10, Dayton Dragons 3 (box)
Wilkel Hernandez threw a solid start for the Whitecaps, and the two rivals locked up in a tightly contested affair on Thursday night. Ultimately, the Whitecaps blew the doors off with a seven-run eighth inning to run away with the win.
The ‘Caps got on the board first with Wenceel Perez leading the way. Perez smacked a one-out double, and his teammates followed with two singles and a walk to score him and load the bases. A Rey Rivera sacrifice fly brought home another run, but Parker Meadows popped out to end the threat. The Dragons came right back with two in the bottom of the frame to knot things up again.
That’s the way most of the game played out, as no one scored until Avery Tuck led off the seventh with a solo shot, his third home run, to put the Whitecaps on top 3-2. They finished the job in the eighth as Dragons’ pitching imploded and the Whitecaps scored seven runs, despite the fact that Ulrich Bojarski’s leadoff double was the only extra base hit of the inning. When the smoke cleared, the Caps’ led by eight runs and this one was bound for the books.
Tuck: 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, SO
Bojarski: 3-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB
W. Hernandez (W, 5-5): 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 3 SO
Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps welcome in the South Bend Cubs for three this weekend before taking a break for the Midwest League All-Star game.
Connecticut Tigers
The New York-Penn League gets underway on Friday, as the Tigers take on the Lowell Spinners tonight at 7:05pm ET. You can get a look at the starting roster for the short season A-ball league here. There are some interesting players to keep tabs on, and hopefully a few sleepers who will make their presence felt.
Former third base prospect Zac Shepherd is going to give pitching a whirl. Australian lefty Jack O’Loughlin, and right-hander Xavier Javier, whose start in the Gulf Coast League carried GCL Tigers West to a championship, will be among the featured arms. Kelvin Smith and Eric De La Rosa are a pair of raw position players with intriguing athleticism out of the 2018 draft class. Eliezar Alonso and Gresuan Silverio are a nice pair of young catchers with some potential. We’ll be adding the league results here alongside the full season affiliates starting immediately.