Tarik Skubal takes a hard luck loss for the Flying Tigers

Columbus Clippers 4, Toledo Mud Hens 1 (box)

Beau Burrows struggled on Tuesday but managed to give the Hens a decent outing. The offense just couldn’t get it going. Burrows battled his control through five innings, walking four but allowing just a pair of runs. Zac Reininger allowed a pair of runs in relief, and a solo shot from Dawel Lugo in the fourth inning scored the Hens only run.

Lugo: 2-4, HR, 3B, R, RBI

Burrows (L, 0-3): 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 4 BB, 3 SO

Coming Up Next: Tyler Alexander was slated to start for the Hens on Wednesday, but he’ll pitch for the Tigers instead. The Hens will have to piece something together for a 7:05pm ET start.

Erie SeaWolves 5, Binghamton Rumble Ponies 4 (F/10)(box)

Matt Manning wrapped up the first half of his season with a rocky outing on Tuesday night. Manning struggled to command the fastball, and without that lynchpin the Ponies were able to stay in counts and battle him into long plate appearances. He started out strong, striking out the side in the first, but faded in the fourth, allowing a run in a lengthy inning with a pair of loud outs involved. In the fifth, his outing ended poorly on a two-run shot to left field off the bat of the Ponies’ Gavin Cecchini. Manning will make his next appearance in the MLB Futures Game on Sunday. Perhaps he’ll get a little breather to start the second half.

The offense fought right back, stringing together three straight singles to score two runs, and adding another one later in the inning to tie the score at three. Frank Schwindel launched a solo shot in the sixth to take the lead. Ethan DeCaster allowed Binghamton to tie it up in the eighth, but Will Vest came on to set up a walkoff victory. Derek Hill was the hero with an opposite field single to send Luke Burch home with the game winner.

Schwindel: 2-4. HR, R, RBI

Gibson: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, SO

Manning: 4.1 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 4 SO

Coming Up Next: Spenser Watkins (2-1, 4.08 ERA) starts for Erie at 7:05pm ET on Wednesday night.

Palm Beach Cardinals 1, Lakeland Flying Tigers 0 (box)

We’re getting real excited about Tarik Skubal. The lefty has been outstanding in his first pro season and seems likely to leave the Florida State League behind in short order. Skubal took a shutout into the seventh inning before allowing a solo shot that proved the deciding run on Tuesday night. Brady Policelli continued his consistent performance with a double and a two-hit night, but the offense was otherwise stifled in this one.

Skubal has punched out 97 hitters in 80 ¹⁄₃ innings with a 2.58 ERA and a WHIP of 1.01. His fastball has been dominant and he is filling up the strike zone to boot. It’s worth remembering that Skubal had a lot of scouts’ eyes before injury damaged his stock in college. If he’s blessed with good health and can continue to refine his secondaries the Tigers are going to have a valuable arm fairly soon. Seems like he’s made it back and perhaps much more.

Skubal got a nice nod from FanGraphs’ Eric LongenHagen yesterday, in which it was noted that Skubal has the 14th best swinging strike rate in all the minor leagues.

Policelli: 2-4, 2B, SO

Skubal (L, 4-5): 7.0 IP, ER, 7 H, 6 SO

Coming Up Next: Elvin Rodriguez (7-3, 3.33 ERA) takes on the Cardinals at 6:00pm ET on Wednesday.

West Michigan Whitecaps 5, South Bend Cubs 3 (box)

Brad Bass had a rough first inning, but managed to hold the Cubs down for four more while the Whitecaps clawed their way back and eventually won on Tuesday. Parker Meadows led off the third with a walk, and Dayton Dugas doubled to set the table for a two-run inning that tied things up. Zach Malis and Nick Quintana each rapped RBI singles in the fifth and sixth inning respectively to take a lead they wouldn’t give up.

Dugas: 2-4, 2B, 2 R, SO, SB

Perez: 2-3, R, RBI, SB

Bass (W, 1-0): 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 10 H, 0 BB, 3 SO

Coming Up Next: Wilkel Hernandez (6-5, 4.09 ERA) starts on Wednesday at 7:35pm ET.

Connecticut Tigers, Aberdeen IronBirds (suspended)

The Tigers were rained out on Tuesday. They’ll play a back-to-back doubleheader on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 5:05pm ET.