Carlos Mendoza and Hao-Yu Lee lead the Mud Hens to a 20-run eruption; Thayron Liranzo homers again for Erie

Scores, news, and notes from around the Detroit Tigers’ farm system for Thursday, May 15, 2025.

Toledo Mud Hens 20, Scranton-Wilkes/Barres RailRiders 7 (box )

Carlos Mendoza and Hao-Yu Lee led the way as the Mud Hens bludgeoned the RailRiders on Thursday to take a 2-1 series lead.

Things started with a bang as Carlos Mendoza launched his first Triple-A home run with one out in the first inning. Hao-Yu Lee and Bligh Madris walked, and Jahmai Jones followed with a three-run shot to center field for a quick 4-0 lead.

PJ Poulin allowed two runs in the bottom of the first as the Hens were in bullpen day mode, but the offense came right back for more. Riley Unroe walked with one out in the top of the second, and after Jake Rogers struck out Mendoza struck again with a two-run homer. Lee doubled and Madris walked again, chasing starter Erick Leal, but Andrew Navigato followed with an RBI single and Jones and Manuel Margot walked to push across another run. 8-2 Hens.

In the third, Rogers, looking about ready to return to the Detroit Tigers , doubled to left and with two-outs scored on a Lee triple to left. Austin Bergner took over in the third and allowed two run, but the Hens offense was just getting loose.

In the top of the fifth, Ryan Kreidler was hit by a pitch to open the inning. Unroe lined out, but Rogers and Mendoza walked to load the bases and Lee singled to center to score two more runs. Madris walked for the third time, and a Navigato single scored Mendoza and Lee. At that point it was 13-4.

Bergner allowed three more runs in the fifth for a rough Triple-A debut, but the bullpen had it under control. Chase Lee, Bailey Horn, Ryan Miller and Matt Gage each spun a scoreless inning, with Horn striking out three to lead the way.

By this point the offense finally quieted down somewhat. Right-hander Clayton Beeter, who I liked on draft day quite a bit, handled the seventh for the RailRiders and allowed a triple to Navigato but already had two strikeouts under his belt and got out of the inning unscathed.

In the top of the ninth, the Hens finally and totally erupted to bury the RailRiders. They collected eight singles and a double in the inning, dropping another seven runs on them to reach 20 runs.

Mendoza: 4-6, 4 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR, BB

Lee: 4-6, 4 R, 3 RBI, 2B, 3B, BB, K

Navigato: 4-6, R, 4 RBI, 3B, HR, K

Bergner: 3.0 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: The series continues Friday night at 6:35 p.m. ET.

Richmond Flying Squirrels 3, Erie SeaWolves 1 (Gm1)(F/7)(box )

In Game 1 of Thursday’s doubleheader, the SeaWolves just didn’t get much going offensively. Carlos Pena got the start and leaked a pair of early runs. The SeaWolves didn’t get a hit until Max Anderson led off the fourth with a single, but that led nowhere, and Pena allowed one more run in the bottom half.

The offense just didn’t show up, struggling with tall lefty Joe Whitman and really having zero batted ball luck. Thayron Liranzo blasted his second right-handed home run of the series in the sixth, but that was all for the SeaWolves.

Liranzo: 1-2, R, RBI, HR, BB

Bigbie: 2-3

Pena (L, 0-2): 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, BB, 4 K

Erie SeaWolves 3, Richmond Flying Squirrels 2 (Gm2)(F/7)(box )

In Game 2, the SeaWolves bounced back. They got a solid start from Garrett Burhenn and carried an early lead throughout the seven inning matchup.

In the top of the first, Max Anderson and Jake Holton singled with one out, and Eduardo Valencia was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Justice Bigbie singled in two runs before the Squirrels got out of the inning. In the top of the second inning, Ben Malgeri cracked a solo shot to center field, and it was a quick 3-0 lead.

Burhenn gave up single runs in the third and the fourth, striking out seven over five innings of work. Drew Sommers handled the sixth, while Yosber Sanchez shut things down in the seventh for his second save with the SeaWolves.

Holton: 3-3, R

Bigbie: 2-3, 2 RBI

Burhenn (W, 4-0): 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 7 K

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves take a 2-1 series lead into a 6:35 p.m. ET matchup on Friday night.

Fort Wayne TinCaps 9, West Michigan Whitecaps 8 (box )

Joe Miller’s strong season ran into a wall in this one as the TinCaps got to him for eight runs, five earned. In the process the Whitecaps fumbled away a big early lead and saw their five-game winning streak snapped.

Things started off well. Max Clark walked in the first but was forced on a Seth Stephenson ground ball. Jack Penney singled, and after John Peck lined out, Izaac Pacheco drew a walk to load the bases and Brett Callahan singled in two runs.

Miller gave them back in the bottom of the first, but the Whitecaps came right back. In the top of the second, Archer Brookman and Abel Bastidas singled to start the inning. Clark popped out, but Stephenson grounded a single to load the bases. Brookman scored and a Penney ground out, but Peck stepped to the dish and cracked a three-run shot to center field. The next hitter was Pacheco, and he stayed hot with a solo shot to right field for a 7-2 lead.

Unfortunately, Brett Callahan got hurt trying to turn a single into a double later in the inning and had to leave the game.

Miller allowed a three-run shot in the third, and then in the fifth, a wild pitch and then a passed ball helped the TinCaps to a three-run inning as they seized an 8-7 lead.

Marco Jimenez allowed a solo shot in the seventh, and that was big for Fort Wayne. In the top of the eighth, Penney singled in Bastidas to pull the Whitecaps within one, but that was as close as they’d get.

Pacheco: 3-4, R, RBI, HR, BB, K

Penney: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, BB

Callahan: 2-2, 2 RBI

Miller (L, 1-1): 4.1 IP, 8 R, 5 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start in Fort Wayne on Friday night.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 4, Clearwater Threshers 0 (box )

Lucas Elissalt was outstanding in this one and carried the Flying Tigers to a three-game lead in the series. He one-hit the Threshers over five innings without a walk, and he struck out seven on the outing.

Cristian Santana opened the scoring with a solo shot in the second inning. The Flying Tigers had a shot in the third when David Smith led off with a walk, and Bryce Rainer walked with two outs, but that went nowhere.

In the fifth, Woody Hadeen was hit by a pitch with one out. He took second on a balk as he irritated the Threshers pitcher with an aggressive lead. He then added insult to injury by stealing third base. Rainer struck out, as did Montilla to strand Hadeen.

Finally in the sixth the Flying Tigers finally took control. Ricardo Hurtado reached on a dropped strike three and then scored on a Samuel Gil doubled. A balk and a passed ball scored him for a 3-0 lead.

Luke Stofel took over from Elissalt, and he kept the Threshers off the board for three innings despite issuing a few walks. In the top of the ninth, Patrick Lee singled with two outs and yet another balk got him to second base where he scored on a Hadeen single to make it 4-0.

Duque Hebbert, returned to Single-A early this week, closed this one out with ease, striking out two.

Gil: 1-3, R, RBI, 2B, BB, K

Santana: 1-4, R, RBI, HR, 3 K

Elissalt (W, 1-1): 5.0 IP, 0 R, H, 0 BB, 7 K

Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers will look to make it 4-0 on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. ET.

FCL Tigers 9, FCL Blue Jays 1 (box )

Javier Osorio: 3-4, 3 R, 6 RBI, 2B, HR, 2 SB

Jesus Pinto: 1-3, 2 R, RBI, BB, K, SB

Johnathan Rogers: 3.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 5 K

Jatnk Diaz (W, 1-0): 4.0 IP, R, 0 ER, H, 2 BB, 4 K