Bryce Rainer homers again; Mud Hens sweep the Storm Chasers

Scores, news, and notes from around the Detroit Tigers’ farm system for Sunday, April 27, 2025.

Toledo Mud Hens 2, Omaha Storm Chasers 0 (box )

The Hens absolutely ran the table on Omaha last week. A bullpen game on Sunday saw dominant pitching performances that carried them to a six-game sweep. After a shaky start, Gabe Alvarez and his club started to get right against the Storm Chasers.

Jordan Balazovic got the start, and he spun three scoreless frames with just a hit and a walk allowed with one strikeout. Brandon Seelinger took the ball for two no-hit frames and Tyler Owens contributed one in the sixth. Matt Gage tossed two innings with two hits allowed and a pair of strikeouts to carry the Hens slim lead through the late innings. And last but not least, PJ Poulin picked up his first save with a 1-2-3 ninth.

The Hens offense didn’t have an easy time of it either as they collected just five hits, but they did draw four walks, three of them to Akil Baddoo. The first of those three walks came with one out in the bottom of the first inning. Baddoo promptly stole second, but Hao-Yu Lee and Bligh Madris struck out.

However, in the second inning, three straight two-out singles from Riley Unroe, Brian Serven, and Carlos Mendoza scored their first run. They got two on in the third but came up short. They got a hit batter and another Baddoo walk to start the bottom of the fifth, and that brought a new pitcher from Omaha, and an ejection for their manager Mike Jirschele after debating balls and strikes. Reliever Andrew Hoffman then made it moot by striking out three in a row to turn the Hens away.

Finally, in the seventh, Brewer Hicklen singled to shortstop and took second on a throwing error. Hao-Yu Lee ripped a double to left and it was 2-0. That was all they’d need.

Lee: 1-4, RBI, 2B, 2 K

Baddoo: 0-1, 3 BB, K, SB

Balazovic: 3.0 IP, 0 R, H, BB, K

Coming Up Next: The Hens head east to Worcester to take on the Red Sox next week.

Harrisburg Senators 5, Erie SeaWolves 4 (F/10)(box )

The Senators fought back to split the series on Sunday. Joseph Montalvo threw a good game, and the lineup pounded out 9 hits and drew 4 walks, but they just couldn’t string anything together.

Trei Cruz opened the scoring immediately, launching his first homer of the season as the leadoff hitter in the game. Starter Joseph Montalvo allowed the Senators to tie things up in the bottom of the first, but he settled in to throw four innings with no more runs allowed. He didn’t really have great feel for his secondary stuff but was able to pound the zone effectively and get plenty of weak contact.

The SeaWolves recaptured the lead in the third when Cruz led off with a double. Max Anderson singled and was thrown out on a double steal as Cruz stole home after the Senators threw to second base. 2-1 SeaWolves.

Andrew Magno and Carlos Pena took over to handle the middle innings in scoreless fashion. In the seventh, Roberto Campos and Eduardo Valencia singled to start the inning. Brady Allen lined out, getting Campos to third, and he scored on a Danny Serretti grounder that forced Valencia at second. Cruz continued his stellar day with a walk, and Anderson singled in Serretti. Thayron Liranzo cranked a ball deep to center field, but it was run down to end the rally. Still, it was 4-1 SeaWolves and their prospects of winning the series looked good.

In the eighth, the SeaWolves got a leadoff double from Justice Bigbie, and Chris Meyers and Campos walked to load the bases. Unfortunately, Valencia grounded into a double play in which the Senators threw home to get Bigbie and then Valencia at first. Allen grounded out and the SeaWolves were turned away.

The Senators took heart from this. Cayden Wallace launched a solo shot off of Garrett Burhenn in the bottom half to make it 4-2 SeaWolves. In the ninth, down to their final out, the Senators came up with three straight hits off of Tim Naughton and sent the game to extras.

The SeaWolves failed to score in the 10th, and Matt Merrill walked three, including the game winning run.

Cruz: 2-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B, HR, BB

Anderson: 3-5, RBI, CS

Bigbie: 2-5, 2B

Montalvo: 4.0 IP, ER, 4 H, BB, 2 K

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves welcome in the Binghamton Rumble Ponies for six starting Tuesday night at 6:05 p.m. ET.

West Michigan Whitecaps 9, Dayton Dragons 3 (box )

The Whitecaps’ offense tore up Dragons pitching on Sunday to earn a series split.

Seth Stephenson got them going right out of the gate with a one out solo shot, his second of the year, in the first inning. LHP Joe Miller got the start and he was very solid. He tossed three scoreless innings, but then allowed a game tying run in the fourth. Haden Erbe allowed two more in the fifth, and it was 3-1 Dayton.

The comeback started when Archer Brookman led off the sixth with a double. Max Clark singled, and a grounder from Stephenson went for a double play but scored Brookman. In the seventh, John Peck doubled and Izaac Pacheco walked with one out. Andrew Jenkins singled to center, but the runners had to hold briefly and so the bases were loaded. Jack Penney singled in Peck, and it was a 3-3 game.

In the eighth, the Whitecaps took over for good. Clark led off with a walk and Stephenson reached on a sacrifice bunt attempt that went for an error. Luke Gold was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Peck doubled in two runs, and Andrew Jenkins singled in two more to make it 7-3. The hit parade continued with singles from Penney, Brookman, and Clark made it a 9-3 game. Jordan Marks closed out the Dragons in the ninth.

Clark: 3-4, R, RBI, BB

Stephenson: 2-4, R, RBI, HR, K

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

Jenkins: 2-4, R, 2 RBI

Miller: 4.0 IP, ER, 5 H, BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps stay on the road again as they head to Wisconsin to face the Timber Rattlers started Tuesday night at 7:40 p.m. ET.

Bradenton Marauders 2, Lakeland Flying Tigers 1 (box )

The Marauders pulled out a victory in a low scoring contest on Sunday to split the six-game set with the Flying Tigers.

RHP Hayden Minton was outstanding yet ahead, getting plenty of strikeouts with his sinker-slider combo and going five innings. He allowed one run on three hits, without walking a batter.

The Marauders got to Minton for a run in the first, but in the third, Bryce Rainer launched a solo shot that tied the game. The homer was the Detroit Tigers 2024 first rounder’s second of the year, and he continues to go to the opposite field with pretty shocking amounts of really hard contact.

Franyerber Montilla drew a walk in the fourth, but that went nowhere. Rainer walked to open the bottom of the ninth, and Montilla singled. Ricardo Hurtago and Carson Rucker struck out, and a liner from Nomar Fana was snared by the Maruaders first baseman to turn them away.

In the sixth, Duque Hebbert took over for Lakeland, and was quickly victimized by Konnor Griffin, who was a terror all series long. Griffin doubled and a pair of fly outs scored him and what would be the game winning run. The Flying Tigers had baserunners in the sixth and the eighth, but just couldn’t get the big hit they needed.

Rainer: 1-4, R, RBI, HR, BB, K

Montilla: 2-4, BB, K

Minton: 5.0 IP, ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next: The 10-11 Flying Tigers head to Daytona to face the Tortugas starting on Tuesday night.