Tigers top prospect Casey Mize no-hits the Altoona Curve

Louisville Bats 15, Toledo Mud Hens 4 (box)

Lefty Nick Ramirez’s debut for the Mud Hens didn’t go too well. He was a bit victimized by a second inning, two-out error by Dustin Peterson who was playing first base. Still, Ramirez was unable to overcome it. He’d allowed a run in the first, and after the error surrendered a three-run shot in the second though he wasn’t charged for them. Technicalities. Suffice it to say it wasn’t pretty.

John Schreiber took over in the fifth, but wasn’t particularly effective either. He was lifted with two men on for Matt Hall, who then allowed a walk to load the bases. Dawel Lugo threw away a ball that should’ve ended the inning, and Louisville’s Josh VanMeter stepped to the dish and unleashed a grand slam on a 3-2 pitch that Hall was forced to groove. VanMeter went deep three times in this one. Hall had to wear it, allowing three runs in both the eighth and ninth innings to put the game well out of reach.

The Hens’ didn’t swing the bat badly either. They scored solo runs in each of the first two innings, and then Mikie Mahtook added a two-run homer in the fifth. But by then, Mahtook’s longball was only good enough to make it 9-4 Bats at that point, and they never got any closer.

Mahtook: 1-4, HR, R, 2 RBI, SO
W. Castro: 1-2, 2B, 2 BB
Woodrow: 2-5, 3B, R
Ramirez: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R (ER), 2 BB, 4 SO

Coming up next: The two clubs re-engage on Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. ET at Fifth Third Park in Toledo.

Erie SeaWolves 1, Altoona Curve 0 (box)

Well if you haven’t yet heard the news, Tigers top prospect Casey Mize tossed a no-hitter on Monday in his Double-A debut. The no-no was the second for the SeaWolves in a week, as Alex Faedo and Drew Carlton combined to turn the trick against the Bowie Baysox last Wednesday. Mize grazed Curve leadoff man Jared Oliva in the first at-bat of the game, then proceeded to mow through Altoona’s lineup the rest of the way. He allowed a walk on a 3-2 pitch that just missed with two outs in the seventh inning, but was otherwise perfect. And in wrapping the no-no up at just 98 pitches, Mize also claimed a rare Maddux in the process.

He leaned on his cutter, especially first pitch as the game went along, as he was a little wild with the fastball. But it only showcased the advanced depth of his repertoire and command. Even on a bad day with the fastball in which he really started going away from it in the middle innings, Mize was in total control of the game. He and catcher Jake Rogers used the fastball judiciously as the game progressed, mixing a baffling array of breaking balls with the weird magic trick of his splitter to get a lot of quick, weak outs.

There was some solid contact, but only a couple of really hard-hit balls. Derek Hill made a couple of nice plays in center field, showcasing his closing speed both coming in and going back on balls hit well into center field, while a sliding catch in right by Jose Azocar preserved the no-no in the sixth inning. Sergio Alcantara, Cam Gibson and Josh Lester each also weighed in with nice defensive work.

Otherwise this was all Casey Mize. With Tigers’ general manager Al Avila in attendance, Mize polished off the Curve in the eighth inning with his pitch count at 92. Manager Mike Rabelo had to make the call to let Mize go back out in the ninth, a somewhat nerve wracking choice even without the boss in the ballpark. Ultimately, the innings were low stress and allowed Rabelo to give him the opportunity in just his 10th start as a professional. Mize quickly induced a pair of weak ground balls, one of which he fielded himself, and then a pop up to second base that set off the celebration as his teammates stormed the field.

His teammates played well behind him but couldn’t give him much of a lead to work with. A Chad Sedio groundout in the fifth allowed Jake Rogers to race home with the first, and ultimately the only run in the contest. The Curve’s Cam Vieaux, a native of Novi, MI and an MSU grad, otherwise limited the offense despite just one strikeout. Jose Azocar had the SeaWolves only two-hit day, despite the lineup striking out just three times.

Azocar: 2-3
Hill: 1-4, CS
Rogers 1-3, R
Mize (W, 1-0): 9.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, BB, 7 SO

Coming up next: Your move, Matt Manning. The big right-hander faces off against Scooter Hightower, a baseball meets Game of Thrones name if ever we heard one, at 6:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.

Lakeland Flying Tigers (idle)

The Flying Tigers were off on Monday, and head to Kissimmee to take on the Florida Fire Frogs on Tuesday evening. Elvin Rodriguez gets the ball for Lakeland, with first pitch set for 6:00 p.m. ET.

West Michigan Whitecaps (idle)

The Whitecaps were off on Monday as well. They will send Gio Arriera against the Clinton LumberKings on Tuesday, as the two squads kick off a three-game set at 7:30 p.m. ET.