Erie SeaWolves’ offense overcomes rare off day from the pitching staff

Rochester Red Wings 7, Toledo Mud Hens 1 (box)

The Hens scored in the first inning on a sacrifice fly from Dustin Peterson, but that was all the offense could manage on Thursday. Tyler Alexander tossed three scoreless innings, but then ran into trouble in the fourth, allowing a two-run shot by Red Wings center fielder John Andreoli as part of a three-run inning. Sandy Baez took over in relief and got clobbered again, surrendering four runs in the fifth inning to put this one out of reach.

W. Castro: 1-4, R, SB
Peterson: 1-3, RBI
Alexander (L, 1-3): 4.0 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, BB, 3 SO

Coming up next: The Hens are in Scranton on Friday for a weekend series with the RailRiders. Drew Hutchison goes for the home team, while the Hens haven’t announced a starter.

Erie SeaWolves 13, Akron RubberDucks 8 (box)

The SeaWolves offense erupted in this one, racking up 12 hits and four walks to hold off the RubberDucks and take the three-game series. Erie built an early lead, but starter Anthony Castro was wild. He was lifted with an apparent injury after allowing three runs on a hit and four walks. Reportedly, Castro was sick rather than injured. Here’s hoping that is the case.

The bullpen hemorrhaged runs all game long, but after Akron closed the gap, the SeaWolves offense poured it on late. Daniel Pinero launched a two-run homer in the seventh with Jake Rogers aboard. In the eighth, the SeaWolves loaded the bases and Derek Hill drilled a single back up the middle to plate two runs. A Rogers RBI single followed, and Hill eventually came around Erie’s fourth run of the inning on a Pinero groundout. Reliever Billy Lescher picked up the win in his SeaWolves debut.

Pinero: 2-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, SO
Hill: 2-5, 2 R, 2 RBI
Alcantara: 3-4, 2 2B
Lescher (W, 1-0): 1.2 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 SO

Coming up next: The SeaWolves are back in Altoona with Casey Mize on the bump at 6:00 p.m. ET on Friday night. Michigan State alum Cam Vieaux will go for the Curve.

Daytona Tortugas 7, Lakeland Flying Tigers 1 (box)

Dane Myers had a rough day at the office against the Tortugas. He allowed three home runs and seven earned runs charged in an oddly efficient six-inning outing. Rey Rivera drilled a ground-rule double in the fifth to score Luke Burch for the only offense the Flygers could manage. The Tortugas’ Packy Naughton held Lakeland’s lineup in check for 6 ²⁄₃ innings with seven strikeouts. Blaine Hardy threw two perfect innings on his rehab assignment.

Burch: 3-4, 3B, R, SO
Rivera: 1-3, 2B, RBI, 2 SO
Myers (L, 1-4): 6.0 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, BB, 2 SO

Coming up next: Tarik Skubal takes the ball for Lakeland on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. ET.

Cedar Rapids Kernels 8, West Michigan Whitecaps 4 (box)

Starter Adam Wolf ran into a wall in the fourth inning, as the Kernels scored three runs to chase him from the game. Wolf walked five and allowed five hits in an ugly outing. Drew Crosby did no better in relief, giving up three runs as well. Avery Tuck singled in Sam McMillan in the fifth to get the Whitecaps on the board. They then made a push to get back into the game in the seventh. Wenceel Perez knocked an RBI single to center, and later in the inning Ulrich Bojarski added a two-run single to right to make the score 6-4. That was as close they got, as Yaya Chentouf allowed two more Kernels runs and the ‘Caps didn’t have another push in them.

Tuck: 2-3, R, BB, SO
Perez: 1-5, R, RBI, SO, SB
Valente: 1-4, BB, 2 SB
Wolf (L, 1-4): 3.0 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 2 SO

Coming up next: The two clubs lock up again on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. ET.