Casey Mize struggles in SeaWolves’ loss

Toledo Mud Hens 6, Pawtucket Red Sox 4 (box)

Beau Burrows needed a good start on Sunday, and while he didn’t quite make it happen, his outing was enough to help the Hens to a victory. Burrows threw 55 of 86 pitches for strikes and went 5 ¹⁄₃ innings of three run ball with four punchouts. Not good, but enough as the Hens already had five runs on the board when Burrows left the game. The Hens had already scored two when Mikie Mahtook cracked a two-run homer in the third inning. Willi Castro’s bat has been quiet over the past month, but he came up with an inside-the-park home run in the fifth, and then doubled in the seventh before scoring on a Frank Schwindel double for the Hens final run.

W. Castro: 3-4, HR, 2B, 3 R, RBI

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

Burrows (W, 2-5): 3 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 SO

Coming Up Next: The Hens will be off Monday, and will travel to Buffalo to take on the Bisons on Tuesday night at 7:05pm ET.

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 8, Erie SeaWolves 5 (box)

After a weekend that saw outstanding efforts from Matt Manning and Joey Wentz, it was Casey Mize’s turn on Sunday. And for four innings things went well. Casey Mize was cruising and the SeaWolves dropped a four-run fourth inning on the Fisher Cats. Right about then it all blew up in their face. Mize melted down in the fifth, allowing five runs in the frame to tank his outing. A pair of singles started off the inning as Mize lost his command for a stretch, issuing a walk and then hitting a batter to force home a run. A groundout plated another run, and in a 1-2 count, Mize left a fastball over the middle and the Fisher Cats’ Brock Lundquist mashed it over the all in right-center field. Just like that, the Fisher Cats led by one, and they added runs in the seventh and eighth frame to pull away.

Eaves: 3-5, R, BB

Hill: 2-5, R, RBI, BB, 3 RBI

Mize (L, 6-3): 4.2 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 3 BB, 5 SO

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves have an off day on Monday, and welcome in the Reading Fightin Phils on Tuesday night.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 3, Florida Fire Frogs 1 (box)

Tom de Blok waited a long time for his first victory of the season. He BABIP’d the Fire Frogs into submission for six innings despite collecting just one strikeout. Jordan Pearce and Reece Hampton had RBI hits in the second inning, and Chris Proctor added another run in the fourth as he singled home Ulrich Bojarski for an insurance run.

Bojarski: 2-4, 3B, 2 R

Pearce: 1-3, 2B, R, RBI

de Blok (W, 1-11): 6.0 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 SO

Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers head for Jupiter to take on the Hammerheads on Monday night at 6:30pm ET.

West Michigan Whitecaps 6, Lake County Captains 5 (box)

Brad Bass was hit hard for the first time in months, but the Whitecaps’ firepower outlasted the Captains on Sunday. Bass allowed four runs in 6 ¹⁄₃ innings of work though he was his efficient, groundball inducing self for most of his outing. Meanwhile the offense built a healthy lead before Bass squandered most of it. Andre Lipcius cracked a solo shot in the second inning to get the scoring started. Parker Meadows followed in the third inning with an RBI single, and then rode home on a two-run shot from Bryant Packard. It was Riley Greene in the fifth inning, tripling home Meadows to make the score 5-3 at that point. Bass would allow his fourth earned run in the sixth, but the Caps weren’t done. Andre Lipcius came through again with an RBI single to plate Greene and open up a three-run lead. Riley Greene also made another great diving play in center field to end the eighth inning. Chance Kirby allowed a solo shot in relief, but was otherwise solid.

Lipcius: 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI, SO

Meadows: 2-4, 3B, 2 R, RBI

Greene: 1-3, 3B, R, RBI, SO

Coming Up Next: The series with the Captains continues on Monday at 7:00pm ET. No starters are yet announced.

Tri-City ValleyCats 5, Connecticut Tigers 1 (box)

Xavier Javier walked five batters on Sunday, but somehow didn’t allow a run. Unfortunately his relievers were less fortunate as the ValleyCats scored five late runs to overcome a Tigers’ one-run lead. Jose King singled home Jake Holton in the fourth inning for the first run of the game. Otherwise, the Tigers managed just five hits overall. Cristhian Tortosa and Bryce Tassin were responsible for the meltdown from the bullpen.

Liniak: 1-4, 2B, SO

Holton: 1-3, 2B, R

Javier: 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 5 BB, 2 SO

Coming Up Next: The homestand continues against the ValleyCats on Monday night at 7:05pm ET.