Another Troy Melton gem carries the Mud Hens, while Thayron Liranzo homers in a SeaWolves loss

Scores, news, and notes from around the Detroit Tigers’ farm system for Friday, July 11, 2025.

Toledo Mud Hens 1, Omaha Storm Chasers 0 (box )

Troy Melton dominated the Storm Chasers and the offense pushed across a late run to win on Friday night.

Melton is in beast mode over his last four starts. He two-hit the Storm Chasers over 5 ²⁄₃ innings and struck out eight in this one against two walks. He got at least one whiff with five different pitches, topping out a little light at 98.3 mph in this one and averaging 96.1 mph. That’s two earned runs over his last four starts with 32 strikeouts to four walks over 21 ²⁄₃ innings of work. If he’s not on your midseason top 100 list, you’re probably doing it wrong.

Thomas Hatch put up a really good start for the Storm Chasers as well, blanking the Hens for six innings with seven strikeouts and no walks.

Finally in the seventh, the Hens broke through. Andy Ibáñez led off with a walk, and Trei Cruz walked with one out. Tomas Nido singled in Ibáñez for the game’s only run.

The Hens bullpen did great work. Bailey Horn finished the sixth for Melton. Matt Manning returned from the restricted list and tossed a perfect inning with two strikeouts. Matt Seelinger was nails for two innings, striking out five and earning a six-out save.

Malloy: 2-4, 2 K

Ibanez: 1-3, R, 2B, BB

Melton: 5.2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 8 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Saturday with the Hens up in the series three games to one.

Harrisburg Senators 4, Erie SeaWolves 3 (F/10)(box )

With the Detroit Tigers top prospects headed to the Futures Game next week and getting the night off here, the offense didn’t have enough juice to hold off the Senators.

Thayron Liranzo got the SeaWolves on the board first with a solo shot to lead off the third. That was his 10th on the year. Jim Jarvis cracked a solo shot in the fifth to make it 2-0.

Troy Watson got the start and he was very good, blanking the Senators over five innings of work.

In the seventh, Ben Malgeri led off with a double and eventually scored on a Liranzo single to make it 3-0.

Ryan Boyer took over from Watson with a clean sixth, but stumbled through a three-run seventh as the Senators tied things up.

Meanwhile, the SeaWolves offense went ice cold and couldn’t even score the runner from second in the 10th. That never ends well, and Yosber Sanchez took over from Tanner Kohlhepp and allowed a walkoff bunt single.

Liranzo: 2-5, R, 2 RBI, HR, K

Malgeri: 1-2, R, 2B, 2 BB

Jarvis: 1-3, R, RBI, HR, BB

Watson: 5.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, BB, 4 K

Coming Up Next: The series is tied at two games apiece heading into the weekend.

West Michigan Whitecaps 12, Lake County Captains 2 (box )

The Whitecaps put up seven runs in the first and cruised to victory on Friday, securing at least a split in the six-game set.

Seth Stephenson opened the bottom of the first with his seventh homer of the season, and they were off to the races. Singles from Peyton Graham and John Peck followed, and a pair of walks forced in another run before Andrew Jenkins launched a grand slam to left center field. It was 7-0 by the time the smoke cleared.

Doubles from Graham and a surging Peck make it 8-0 in the second, and Max Alba didn’t need that much help. He two-hit the Captains over six scoreless innings of work.

In the fourth, Peck led off with a single and Izaac Pacheco doubled the opposite way to scored him. Garrett Pennington grounded out, but Austin Murr tripled in Pacheco and then scored on a Jenkins single to make it 11-0. They’d add another run in the sixth.

Carlos Lequerica took over in the seventh and allowed a two-run shot to Jacob Cozart. Freddy Pacheco closed it out with a pair of punchouts in the ninth.

Jenkins: 4-5, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2 2B, HR

Peck: 3-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B, BB

Graham: 2-6, 2 R, 2B

Pacheco: 2-3, 2 R, RBI, 2B, 2 BB

Alba (W, 2-4): 6.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 4 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Saturday night.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 11, Tampa Tarpons 0 (box )

Lucas Elissalt was excellent again on Friday night, and the Flying Tigers pounded out 16 hits and poured it on late to win handily.

Elissalt continues to be a bright spot in an otherwise disastrous year for injuries among the Tigers pitching prospects. He tossed five innings of one-hit ball in this one, striking out six against one walk. He didn’t get much run support either, despite the final score.

The Flying Tigers were pretty quiet early on, but they broke through in the fourth. Carson Rucker singled and stole second base. Cristian Santana singled him to third, and a Stephen Hrustich sac fly brought in the game’s first run.

In the sixth, Ricardo Hurtado doubled with one out and Santana was hit by a pitch. Hrustich grounded into a force of Hurtado at third, but Clayton Campbell, just back up from the FCL, singled through the left side of the infield and the relay was thrown away, allowing both runners to score for a 3-0 lead.

Ignacio Briceno took over from Elissalt and spun three scoreless frames of his own.

Franyerber Montilla doubled and scored in the seventh and the Flying Tigers scratched out another run in the eighth for a 5-0 lead.

In the top of the ninth, Montilla and Rucker led off with singles and Hurtado launched a three-run shot. Santana and Campbell walked, and Sergio Tapia doubled in two runs before scoring on a Zach MacDonald single to make it 11-0.

Ronny Chalas closed it out with a pair of strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth.

Hurtado: 3-5, R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR, K

Montilla: 3-5, 2 R, 2B, BB

Rucker: 3-6, 2 R, RBI, SB

Elissalt (W, 4-1): 5.0 IP, 0 R, H, BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Saturday with the series tied up.

FCL Tigers 8, FCL Yankees 7 (F/8)(box )

C Brady Cerkownyk: 2-3, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B, BB

2B Ronald Ramirez: 2-4, R, SB

RHP Eric Silva: 2.0 IP, 2 R, ER, 2 H, BB, K

RHP Johnathan Rogers: 3.0 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K