Top prospect Casey Mize struggles again for the SeaWolves

Indianapolis Indians 6, Toledo Mud Hens 4 (box)

Beau Burrows battled his control and was hit hard in this one, while the bullpen couldn’t stop the Indians from add-on runs as they outlasted the Hens on Wednesday. Burrows punched out five over 3 ¹⁄3 innings, but was hit hard in the fourth inning. Ultimately he left the game to be charged with four runs against him. The Hens fought back in the bottom of the fourth via a Mikie Mahtook two-run homer that made the score 4-2. However Caleb Thielbar gave up a run in the top of the next inning, opening up a lead the Hens couldn’t overcome.

Mahtook: 3-4, HR, R, 2 RBI

Robson: 2-5, 2B, RBI, SO, SB

Cameron: 1-4, 3B, R, BB, 2 SO

Burrows (L, 1-5): 3.1 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 5 SO

Coming Up Next: The Hens host Indianapolis again on Thursday night at 7:05pm ET. Ryan Carpenter starts for the home team. Please throw lots of curveballs, Ryan.

Binghamton Rumble Ponies 6, Erie SeaWolves 3 (Gm 1)(F/7)(box)

The first game of this doubleheader did not go at all like the SeaWolves’ planned. Casey Mize ran into a wall in the fourth inning and was drubbed out of the game. Meanwhile the offense couldn’t get anything at all going until putting together a three-run rally in the seventh and final frame of the game. Derek Hill and Isaac Paredes have been going well in July, and each reached base twice in this one.

Mize struggled to locate all game long. He had Andre Jimenez down 0-2 in the second inning and couldn’t put him away, missing with fastballs and splitters. He eventually poured in a fastball that ended up over the wall in field. That was just a precursor to his struggles in the fourth. In deep counts to each of the first two hitters, Mize surrendered a single, a double, and then a sacrifice fly to plate the first run of the inning. He then issued a walk, and now this was getting to be a long inning. Mize looked to be laboring and just wasn’t fooling anyone. A single that dropped between Jose Azocar and Cam Gibson in right-center scored another run, and then Mize surrendered a two-run double in a 1-2 count that ended his night.

Hill: 1-3, 2B, RBI, BB, SO

Paredes: 2-4, RBI

Alcantara: 2-3, 2B, R

Mize (L, 6-1): 3.1 IP, 6 ER, 7 H, BB, 2 SO

Erie SeaWolves 3, Binghamton Rumble Ponies 0 (Gm 2)(F/7)(box)

Tarik Skubal didn’t have his best control on Wednesday, but the stuff was still dominant. Skubal punched out 10 Ponies while blanking them for 4 ²⁄₃ innings with just three hits allowed. In the negative column were the six walks he issued. He largely had his way with Binghamton, but may have tired as his location got progressively worse and led to a high pitch count that forced his removal after 98 pitches.

The SeaWolves offense filled up the basepaths in the second inning, with a two-run single from Derek Hill landing the big blow. Drew Carlton handled the final 2 ¹⁄₃ innings of work without allowing a baserunner.

Hil: 1-3, 2 RBI, SO

Alcantara: 1-1, R, 2 BB, CS

Skubal: 4.2 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 6 BB, 10 SO

Coming Up Next: Anthony Castro (4-2, 4.22 ERA) takes on the Ponies’ RHP Mickey Jannis (5-2, 3.82 ERA) on Thursday night.

Lakeland Flying Tigers, Tampa Tarpons (postponed)

The two clubs were washed out on Wednesday. They’ll attempt to play two starting at 4:30pm ET on Thursday. Jesus Rodriguez (2-12, 5.62 ERA) gets the start for the Flygers.

South Bend Cubs 5, West Michigan Whitecaps 1 (box)

Robbie Welhaf was mauled by the Cubs while the offense had a brutal night at the plate in this one. Cooper Johnson was the Whitecaps first baserunner, reaching on a walk in the fifth inning. They wouldn’t break up the Cubs’ no-hitter until Andre Lipcius singled with one out in the seventh inning. At that point, Nick Quintana was on second, Lipcius on first, and the ‘Caps had their first and really their only chance at a big rally, Unfortunately Ulrich Bojarski and Johnson struck out to end the threat. Bojarski did drive in Quintana in the top of the ninth to end the shutout, but they were never really in the game.

Lipcius: 2-4, 2 SO

Quintana: 1-3, R, BB, SO

Welhaf (L, 3-6): 5.1 IP, 5 ER, 9 H, BB, SO

Coming Up Next: RHP Chance Kirby (3-6, 4.66 ERA) gets the start on Thursday night against the Cubs.

Williamsburg Crosscutters 6, Connecticut Tigers 2 (box)

Xavier Javier and Austin Anderson combined for five innings but were dinged for two runs apiece and the Crosscutters cruised to victory. Javier managed to walk six hitters in his three innings of work to outdo Tarik Skubal’s day in Binghamton. SS Ryan Kreidler and 1B Jake Holton each had multi-hit games for the Tigers. Holton’s eighth inning single plated Kingston Liniak and Kreidler for their only runs in the contest.

Kreidler: 2-4, 2B, R

Holton: 3-4, 2 RBI

Greene: 1-4, 2 SO

Javier (L, 2-2): 3.0 IP, 2 ER, H, 6 BB, 3 SO

Coming Up Next: The two clubs match up again in Norwich at 7:05pm ET on Thursday night.