Clark and McGonigle homer in Whitecap victory, while Franyerber Montilla powers Lakeland

Scores, news, and notes from the Detroit Tigers’ farm system for Sunday, June 22, 2025.

St. Paul Saints 3, Toledo Mud Hens 2 (F/10)(box )

The Saints salvaged a second game in the series by taking a close contest on Sunday in ten innings. Troy Melton was supposed to start this one, but was scratched for unknown reasons. So the Hens were scrambling to handle an unplanned bullpen day.

The Hens went with a bullpen game in this one, and it worked out well until the end. The offense just couldn’t get much going. Matt Vierling had the day off.

Drew Sommers handled the first inning without issue, while Trevin Michael came up from High-A and survived for three scoreless innings despite walking four hitters. Ryan Miller tossed the fifth and sixth innings, and he too kept the Saints off the board.

The Hens weren’t doing anything offensively either, but they broke through first in the top of the sixth inning. Akil Baddoo led off with a walk and stole second base, and then Hao-Yu Lee walked as well. A double play ball from Andy Ibáñez followed, leaving Baddoo at third base. Jace Jung then showed off the adjustments to his setup in the box with a two-run oppo shot for his eighth home run with the Hens. 2-0 Hens.

Matt Manning got into trouble in the seventh with a leadoff walk and then a double. He was pretty wild and was fortunate to allow only one run. Another walk followed but he got a double play ball to get out of the inning. Beau Brieske handled the eighth, and it was 2-1 Hens going into the bottom of the ninth. Unfortunately, Brieske allowed a solo shot to Yunior Severino that tied the game and sent them to extras.

After a ground out to open the top of the 10th, Riley Unroe lined into a double play with Brian Serven caught off second base. With the Hens out of pitching, Unroe threw the bottom of the 10th, mixing a low 80’s slider and a low 40’s curveball and eephus. He allowed the walkoff knock, potentially ending his pitching career.

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

Ibáñez: 2-4, 2B

Michael: 3.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 4 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: The Hens welcome in the Charlotte Knights for six starting on Tuesday night.

Chesapeake BaySox 12, Erie SeaWolves 4 (box )

After clinching the first half division title on Saturday, the SeaWolves weren’t at their best in this one. They did win the series four games to two, however.

The story in this one was Kenny Serwa struggling with his command and the SeaWolves bullpen getting blown up. The knuckleballer had his first rough start at the Double-A level, allowing four earned runs in 3 ²⁄₃ innings of work. Four walks issued was a big part of the problem.

Ryan Boyer took over and was shelled for five earned runs, and Yosber Sanchez didn’t do much better, giving up three earned over two innings of work.

As for the SeaWolves offense, they loaded the bases with two outs in the second inning but didn’t score. They were quiet until the fifth when Jim Jarvis skipped a hard ground ball through the Baysox’s first baseman for a leadoff double. Brady Allen singled, but Jarvis was thrown out at the plate. Danny Serretti struck out, but Carlos Mendoza singled, and Eduardo Valencia doubled in Allen. Two walks followed, pushing across another run but the big hit never arrived. At that point it was 9-2 Baysox, so the outcome wasn’t much in question.

Jarvis singled with one out in the sixth and was doubled to third by Allen. A Serretti ground out scored Jarvis to make it 10-3. Jake Holton added a solo shot, his 12th homer of the season, in the seventh to make the score a bit more respectable.

Max Anderson and Thayron Liranzo had the day off.

Holton: 1-3, R, RBI, HR, 2 BB

Malgeri: 3-4, 2 2B, BB

Jarvis: 2-4, R, 2B, BB

Allen: 2-3, R, 2B, BB, K

Serwa (L, 3-1): 3.2 IP, 4 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, 4 K

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves head to Somerset to battle the Patriots next week. Let’s hope a certain few reinforcements promoted from West Michigan are on hand.

West Michigan Whitecaps 5, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 3 (box )

If this was the last game in LMCU Park for Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark, they left fans with a strong final impression. Both homered as the Whitecaps took down the Rattlers again on Sunday.

Sean Guenther made a rehab appearance, and he gave up a solo shot to the dangerous Jadher Areniamo in the first inning. The Brewers shortstop prospect is going to be moving up boards this summer.

Max Clark answered him with a 424 foot bomb to dead center in the bottom half of the inning. The shot was Clark’s fifth of the year, and illustrates that the power potential is still solid even if he hasn’t learned to launch enough balls to the pull field just yet. There is plenty of time for more.

Hayden Minton took over in the second from Guenther, and he too allowed a solo shot, and then another run in the third, but that was all the Rattlers could managed. Minton settled down, striking out seven as he went five innings in this one.

In the fifth, as is his custom, Seth Stephenson was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. The Rattlers were able to prevent him from stealing second by wild pitching him there instead. Kevin McGonigle stepped to the dish and launched an absolute rocket to right field for a two-run shot, his fifth of the season. Clark followed with a bunt single, catching the Rattlers off guard, and then with two outs he stole second base. An Austin Murr single scored him to make it 4-3 Whitecaps.

John Peck cranked a solo shot to center in the seventh, continuing to show a little more power potential than was expected on draft day. That was the sixth long ball of the season for the infielder.

Freddy Pacheco handled the seventh, and Joe Adametz closed it out with two strong innings of work.

Clark: 2-3, 2 R, RBI, HR, BB, SB

McGonigle: 1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, K

Murr: 2-3, RBI, BB

Minton (W, 2-1): 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 7 K

Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps head out to take on Lake County next week.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 8, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels 4 (box )

The Flying Tigers took this rain shortened five-game set with a late outburst as Franyerber Montilla continues to rake after struggling for a few weeks in late May and early June.

The Flying Tigers struck first when Woody Hadeen led off the game with a single and Jackson Strong was hit by a pitch. Montilla singled to left, and a Garrett Pennington sacrifice fly made it 1-0.

Lefty Gabriel Reyes allowed an unearned run based on a Samuel Gil error in the second inning to even things up.

In the fourth, Carson Rucker led off with a single and took second on an error. Gil singled him home for a 2-1 lead. Ricardo Hurtado followed with a single and Hadeen walked to load the bases. The Mussels went back to their pen, and Strong flew out, but Montilla ripped an RBI single to left to plate Gil. Hurtado was thrown out trying to follow Gil home, Pennington singled in Hadeen, and it was 4-1 Flygers.

Here’s a little Montilla glovework for your enjoyment as well.

Reyes pitched well for five innings, racking up six strikeouts and allowing just the second inning unearned run, but he ran out of gas in the sixth. A pair of ground ball singles through the right side were followed by a walk, and Blair Calvo had to take over. The Mussels scored three runs charged to Reyes.

So it was a 4-4 tie heading into the seventh. Rucker walked with two outs in the top of that inning and stole second base. Singles from Gil and Hurtado reclaimed the lead, and it was 5-4 heading into the eighth when the Flying Tigers finally seized control.

Strong led off the inning with a single and stole second base. Montilla then lifted a fly ball over the right field wall for his fourth homer of the season. After a Pennington line out, Cristian Santana singled and stole second, scoring on a Rucker single for an 8-4 lead.

Tanner Kohlhepp tossed a scoreless seventh in a rehab appearance. Thomas Szapucki handled the eighth, and Moises Rodriguez the ninth to put a bow on this one.

Montilla: 4-6, R, 3 RBI, HR, K

Rucker: 2-4, 2 R, RBI, BB, K, SB

Gil: 2-4, R, RBI, BB

Strong: 2-5, R, SB

Reyes: 5.0 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 7 H, BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers welcome in the Clearwater Threshers for six starting on Tuesday night.