Wilkel Hernandez and Gregory Soto take hard luck losses

Louisville Bats 6, Toledo Mud Hens 1 (box)

Kyle Dowdy ran into trouble in the second inning, and the Hens offense couldn’t mount a comeback on Sunday afternoon. Dowdy lasted just three innings, surrendering four runs in total. Drew VerHagen and Junichi Tazawa were solid in relief, but the bats were quiet despite drawing seven walks in the game. Jacob Robson got on base four times in the leadoff position but the heart of the Hens order couldn’t bring him around. Kody Eaves tripled and scored Toledo’s only run in the third inning.

Robson: 2-3, 2 BB, SO, CS

Greiner: 1-3, BB, SO

Dowdy (L): 3.0 IP, 4 ER, 9 H, BB, 3 SO

Coming Up Next: The Mud Hens are off until Thursday for the International League All-Star break. They take a 49-39 record into the break, and a half game lead in the West Division. They’ll get back into action on the road against the second place Indianapolis Indians on Thursday as they kick off a weekend set at 7:05pm ET.

Binghamton Rumble Ponies 8, Erie SeaWolves 6 (box)

Kyle Funkhouser was cruising along for three innings but melted down under a furious Ponies assault in the fourth. He allowed five runs in the inning and was knocked out of the game with just one out. The SeaWolves saw an early 4-0 lead disappear, and while they rallied from there, Sandy Baez had trouble in the sixth and the offense couldn’t make up the deficit.

Sedio: 2-3, 2 R, BB

Gibson: 1-4, RBI, SO, SB

Funkhouser (L): 3.1 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 6 SO

Coming Up Next: The loss leaves the SeaWolves at 41-46 at the break. The Eastern League All-Star Game is Wednesday, July 11. The SeaWolves will welcome in Altoona on Thursday evening to kick off the second half.

Tampa Tarpons 3, Lakeland Flying Tigers 0 (box)

Gregory Soto put together what was probably his best outing of the season on Sunday, but the offense was blanked by Tarpons pitching. Soto allowed one run in six innings of work. He struck out nine, but more importantly, he walked only two hitters. Luke Burch and Jose Azocar had the Flying Tigers’ only hits. Drew Carlton allowed a pair of late insurance runs for the Tarpons.

Soto (L): 6.0 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 9 SO

Coming Up Next: Spenser Watkins looks to keep his eye-opening 2018 campaign going against the Bradenton Marauders on Monday.

Lake County Captains 7, West Michigan Whitecaps 1 (box)

Wilkel Hernandez bounced back with a strong outing on Sunday, but he didn’t get a lot of help from his teammates. Hernandez spun six innings of two run ball with seven strikeouts and no walks. His only mistakes were a pair of solo shots, two of only three hits the 19-year-old right-hander allowed. Unfortunately, Will Vest came on in the seventh and was rocked for five runs, putting this one out of reach. Brady Policelli doubled and scored the Whitecaps only run. Cam Warner had two hits, including a double, while Kody Clemens, Brock Deatherage had the other Caps’ hits.

Policelli: 1-2, R, 2B, BB

Warner: 2-4, 2B

Hernandez (L): 6.0 IP, ER, 3 H, 7 SO

Coming Up Next: Dane Myers will take on Gregori Vasquez in the rubber game of this three-game set on Monday at 7:05pm ET.

Connecticut Tigers 5, Vermont Lake Monsters 2 (box)

Gresuan Silverio and Jose King each had a pair of hits, while Sam McMillan doubled and scored a run as the Tigers built an early lead and held on. Jose Vasquez was pretty solid for five innings of work, and a trio of relievers shut out the Monsters the rest of the way.

King: 2-4, R, RBI, SO, SB

Silverio: 2-4

Vasquez (W): 5.0 IP, 2 R, 2 H, BB, 2 SO

Coming Up Next: The Tigers stay in Vermont for another night game on Monday at 7:05pm ET.