Tigers Prospect Daily: Toledo stunned by Gwinnett's 15-hit day as Mud Hens drop series finale

Gwinnett Braves 8, Toledo Mud Hens 1 (box)

As the Mud Hens met with the Gwinnett Braves for their series finale on Sunday afternoon, Toledo positioned righthander, Tim Melville (1-3, 5.13 ERA) to face a Gwinnett team that has shown they have no trouble swinging the bats. Melville got the first taste of the Braves No. 1 prospect, Jose Peraza after issuing a walk to the infielder. Following a stolen base, Peraza would eventually score the first run for Gwinnett off an RBI single by Gwinnett's Adonis Garcia.

Toledo answered back in the second with Steven Moya ripping his first double of the season. Following a fielding error by Gwinnett, Bryan Holaday reached safely, allowing time for Moya to score the only run for the Mud Hens. Melville worked five innings for Toledo, allowing six earned runs on nine hits, including a home run to Gwinnett's Barrett Kleinknecht in the fourth. Gwinnett would end the afternoon with eight runs off a staggering 15 hits, handing Toledo their third consecutive loss with a final score of 8-1.

Moya: 2-4, 2B, R
Fields: 2-4, BB, SO
Hessman: 0-2, 2 BB, 2 SO
Marte: 0-3, SO
Melville (L): 5.0 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, BB, 2 SO

COMING UP NEXT: Toledo will have a day off on Monday, before starting a three-game series against the Pawtucket Red Sox on Tuesday at Fifth Third Field. Starting pitchers have yet to be determined.

Altoona Curve: 7, Erie Seawolves: 4 (box)

Coming into Sunday afternoon, Erie looked to snap a skid that left them on the verge of recording a frustrating 12th consecutive loss for the first time since 2008. Starter Josh Turley (2-2, 2.35 ERA) controlled the hill for Erie.

Turley worked against Altoona righty Jason Creasy (3-0, 2.00 ERA), holding the Curve to two earned runs while striking out seven in six innings of work for Erie. The Seawolves had no trouble hitting, tagging Altoona for 13 hits on the day. Jeff McVaney and DH Dean Green recorded two hits apiece, while Josh Price and Wade Gaynor each recorded a double.

The thorn in the side of the Seawolves came once again in the form of Altoona's Josh Bell. Bell tripled twice, once off of Turley and a second drive off of Erie reliever Zac Reininger. Pitching transplant Joe Rogers received the biggest blow, allowing four runs in less than an inning of work.  With the sweep by Altoona, Erie falls to 6-16 this season, now 9 1/2 games out of first place.

McVaney: 2-5, 3B, 2 RBI
Green, D: 2-4, RBI, BB
Green, A: 2-4, R
Price: 1-2, R, 2B, 2 BB
Bernard: 1-4, R, 2 SO
Jones: 1-4, RBI
Turley (L): 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO

COMING UP NEXT: The Seawolves hit the road on Monday for a four-game road series against the New York Yankees affiliate, Trenton Thunder (11-12). Erie has slated Derek Hankins (1-3, 4.38 ERA) to get the start in game one.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 3, Tampa Yankees 1 (box)

On Sunday afternoon, Lakeland battled to take the split in a four-game series with the Tampa Yankees. Right hander, Jonathan Maciel (1-2, 7.40 ERA) and the Flying Tigers held the Yankees scoreless until the fourth, when both teams tacked on a run and the top and bottom of the inning.

Lakeland was led offensively by Ben Verlander, who recorded three hits in his four plate appearances, including a run scored and two RBI. Dominic Ficociello posted a pair of hits for Lakeland, while adding another run to the board in the seventh, thanks in part to a balk from the Tampa pitching staff.

Maciel produced a strong performance for the Flying Tigers, holding Tampa to one earned run off two hits, while walking three and retiring two for the day. Lakeland successfully held Tampa to 3-26 at the plate, allowing only one extra-base hit for the Yankees. Lakeland catcher Drew Longley was on point with his defense, cutting down three separate steal attempts by Tampa. Tampa's lone run scored would be all they would see and Lakeland was able to hold off the Yankees for the 3-1 win.

Verlander: 3-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
Ficociello: 2-5, R
Salgado: 1-5, R, SO
Martinez: 1-4, 2B, RBI, 2 SO
Maciel (W): 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO

COMING UP NEXT: Lakeland will play host to the Daytona Tortugas for a three-game home stand beginning on Monday, followed up by a seven-day stretch of travel to face the Dunedin Blue Jays (11-13) and the Jupiter Hammerheads (11-14).

Lake County Captains 4, West Michigan Whitecaps 1 (box)

Try as you may, you just can't contain Ross Kivett. The high-energy No. 2 hitter for West Michigan set the tone at the plate for the Whitecaps Sunday afternoon, stretching his hit streak to three games. Kivett tagged Lake County for a pair of doubles, a third double coming from the other resident West Michigan powerhouse, Mike Gerber. Gerber's production on Sunday afternoon stretched his hit streak to nine games with no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

West Michigan righthander, Fernando Perez (0-3, 3.74 ERA) maneuvered through six innings for the Whitecaps, holding Lake County to two earned runs on six hits, while striking out two.

Lake County's Anderson Polanco and Fernandez were successful is silencing the offense of their opposition through four innings, but in a flurry of singles Lake County struck in the fifth inning with a pair of runs. West Michigan fought back, scoring Kivett off the double by Gerber in the bottom of the sixth inning. Gerber was left stranded at third and West Michigan was not able to piece together enough of a push to come out on top of Lake County.

Kivett: 2-4, 2 2B
Gerber: 1-4, 2B, RBI
Hill: 1-4
Kengor: 1-4, SO
Shepherd: 1-3, 2 SO
Pankake: 0-4
Gonzalez: 0-3, 2 SO
Fernandez (L): 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 SO

COMING UP NEXT: West Michigan will depart on Monday for a six-day stretch of travel play, beginning with a three-game series hosted by the Lansing Lugnuts and a three-game series against the Dayton Dragons to close out the week.

★★★

While the continuing struggles in Erie are not exactly breaking news, the Seawolves brass is continuing to shaft the pieces of their roster chessboard and the latest adjustments were announced on Sunday afternoon.

Third baseman Corey Jones has had a start in Erie to be proud of, and his efforts have in no way gone unnoticed by the front office. In 21 games with the Seawolves, Jones is tied with Wynton Bernard for a team-high 22 hits, tied with Jeff McVaney for the second-largest amount of team doubles (4), leading the team in RBI (10), and maintaining the second-strongest team batting average (.293).

On Sunday, Jones received word that he would be joining the Toledo Mud Hens. In Jones' absence, outfielder and familiar face Jason Krizan will rejoin the Seawolves in Trenton, to take the roster slot previously held by Jones.