Erie SeaWolves claim first half divisional title, Kelvis Salcedo dominates for FCL Tigers

Scores, news, and notes from the Detroit Tigers’ farm system for Saturday, June 21, 2025.

Toledo Mud Hens 9, St. Paul Saints 4 (box )

The Hens clinched a series victory on Saturday night as Saints’ pitching imploded repeatedly.

After playing right field last night, Matt Vierling got the Hens rolling with a single out of the DH spot in this one to start the game. He was wild pitched to second, and walks to Justyn-Henry Malloy and Andy Ibáñez loaded the bases with one out. Brewer Hicklen smoked a two-run double to left for a 2-0 lead.

Lael Lockhart Jr. got the start for the Hens, and he quickly gave the lead back, allowing a three-run bottom of the first. However, he settled in for four scoreless frames after that, and struck out seven hitters once he found his command.

In the top of the fourth, Tomas Nido led off with a single. Andrew Navigato popped out, but Vierling walked and both baserunners advanced 90 feet on a Jace Jung ground out. Malloy stepped to the dish and launched a towering three-run shot to left to make it 5-3.

The Hens put this one away in the sixth. Navigato and Vierling started the inning with singles and Jung launched a ground rule double that scored Navigato. Malloy flew out, but Ibáñez singled in a run, and Hicklen lifted a sacrifice fly to score Jung. 8-3 Hens.

Bailey Horn took over in the bottom of the sixth and immediately allowed a solo shot to Ryan Fitzgerald. He settled down to pitch in the seventh with three strikeouts and no further damage allowed.

The Hens scratched out another run in the seventh, and PJ Poulin closed out the final two innings without a run allowed.

Vierling: 3-4, 3 R, RBI, BB, K

Malloy: 1-3, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR, 2 BB, K

Hicklen: 1-3, 3 RBI, 2B, BB, K

Lockhart (W, 3-6): 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 7 K

Coming Up Next: The Hens will hunt a 5-1 series victory at 3:07 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Erie SeaWolves 2, Chesapeake Baysox 0 (box )

The SeaWolves pitching staff dominated to carry them to a divisional title for the season’s first half on Saturday. The Akron RubberDucks lost, and so for the fourth straight year the SeaWolves will be in the Eastern League postseason.

Austin Bergner got the start and one-hit the Baysox over five innings. He walked three but struck out five along the way.

An Eliezer Alfonzo leadoff single sparked the SeaWolves in the third. Danny Serretti followed with a single and Jake Holton later singled in Alfonzo for a 1-0 lead. A pair of walks to Holton and Justice Bigbie in the sixth led to an add-on run and they wouldn’t need anymore.

RJ Petit locked down two innings, and Jordan Marks and Richard Guasch closed this one out.

Holton: 2-3, R, RBI, BB

Serretti: 1-2, BB

Bergner (W, 5-3): 5.0 IP, 0 R, H, 3 BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves will celebrate with the home crowd at 1:35 p.m. ET on Sunday in the series finale. They have a 4-1 lead in the series.

West Michigan Whitecaps 4, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 1 (box )

The mighty Whitecaps stretched their record to a whopping 46-21 with a casual handling of the Rattlers on Saturday. Alex Lange threw plenty of strikes but still wasn’t particularly sharp in a rehab appearance, while Joe Miller put together his most dominant performance of the year with six scoreless innings as the “bulk guy” in this one.

Lange allowed a double and a single that produced a run in the top of the first. He popped up the leadoff batter and struck out two more in traffic, with his sinker and breaking ball looking solid but not back to peak form yet. He threw 15-20 pitches for strikes.

The ‘Caps got the run right back when Seth Stephenson was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. The speedster is getting drilled once every three games this season, and as usual he took advantage by swiping second base. A Kevin McGonigle ground out moved him to third, and Josue Briceño later singled in Stephenson to tie things at 1-1.

Meanwhile, Joe Miller took over and shoved for six innings. The lefty allowed three hits and two walks, striking out eight Rattlers.

The Whitecaps scored in the fourth when Peyton Graham beat out an infield single to score Briceño, who had walked to start the inning. With Austin Murr on base after a single, and two outs, Graham’s RBI knock was followed by a walk to load the bases for Stephenson, but he lined out to third on a ball that looked for a moment like it would blow the game open.

Singles from McGonigle and Max Clark produced another run in the fifth when Briceño lifted a sacrifice fly that made it 3-1.

In his final inning of work, Miller allowed a leadoff triple in the seventh, but he popped up the next batter, got a break on a liner to Graham at second, and then punched out a dangerous hitter in Brewers shortstop prospect Jadher Areinamo to finish his outing in style.

The Detroit Tigers continued to be careful with Josue Briceño’s catching duties on Saturday. After sitting out nearly a week for undisclosed reasons, they’ve kept him to just partial games behind the plate since his return. Probably not a great sign for his long-term future behind the plate considering how lethal his bat is already. He caught six innings in this one before Bennett Lee took over in the seventh.

In the bottom of the seventh, the lethal top of the Whitecaps order struck again. Stephenson walked with one out and stole second. McGonigle was hit by a pitch, and Clark beat out at infield single to load the bases. A wild pitch scored Stephenson, but Bennett Lee and Izaac Pacheco struck out swinging. That 4-1 lead would hold up anyway.

Haden Erbe and Carlos Lequerica each spun a scoreless inning of relief, with the latter picking up his second High-A save this year.

Clark: 2-4, K

Graham: 2-3, RBI, BB, 2 SB

Stephenson: 0-2, 2 R, BB, 2 SB

Lange: 1.0 IP, ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 2 K

Miller (W, 5-2): 6.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K

Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps look to close out the homestand with a victory at 2:00 p.m EDT on Sunday. Good grief folks, it’s hot out there. Remember to keep yourself well hydrated.

Fort Myers Mighty Mussels 5, Lakeland Flying Tigers 2 (box )

Josh Randall pitched fairly well but was hung out to dry by some poor defense and bad luck in this one. The offense only managed three hits, so they didn’t do a whole lot to win this one either.

Early on, Randall had to deal with some traffic. A Carson Rucker error at third put the leadoff hitter on in the bottom of the second inning. Randall threw away a comebacker at that point, but a fly out and later a double play ball kept Fort Myers off the board.

Instead the Flying Tigers took an early lead in the third. Abel Bastidas walked with one out and scored on a Franyerber Montilla double. The shortstop stole second base and then scored on a Jackson Strong single for a 2-0 lead.

In the fifth it all started to unravel. Another Rucker error put a runner on with one out. Rucker couldn’t get the out on a bunt toward him, and a wild pitch and a walk followed from Randall. A single and a walk tied the game, and then another soft grounder to Rucker wasn’t converted. A sacrifice fly followed and it was 4-2 Fort Myers.

Ryan Harvey allowed a run in the sixth, and the offense only had one more baserunner until the ninth. Down 5-2, Rucker reached on an error in the bottom of the ninth with one out. Ricardo Hurtado struck out, but Enderson Delgado doubled Rucker to third, and suddenly things were interesting for a moment. A brief moment, until Jose De La Cruz struck out to end it.

Montilla: 1-4, R, RBI, 2B, K, SB

Delgado: 1-3, 2B, BB, K

Strong: 1-4, RBI, 2 K

Randall (L, 3-5): 5.0 IP, 4 R, 2 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next: The series is tied 2-2 heading into Sunday’s 12:05 p.m. ET matchup.

FCL Tigers 6, FCL Phillies 5 (Gm1)(F/7)(box )

CF Zach MacDonald: 2-5, 2 K, 2 SB

LF-CF Anibal Salas: 2-5, R, 2 RBI, 2B, K

RF Nomar Fana: 2-3, RBI, BB

3B Maikel Orozco: 1-3, 2 RBI, 2B

RHP Alastair Tanner: 2.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 2 BB

RHP Xiomer Guacache: 3.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, BB, 2 K

RHP Eliseo Mota: 3.0 IP, R, 0 ER, H, 0 BB, 2 K

FCL Tigers 5, FCL Phillies 0 (Gm2)(F/7)(box )

The Tigers no-hit the Phillies in Game 2 of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Phillies rookie ball squad. Kelvis Salcedo continued to generate buzz as he tossed the first five innings, allowing two walks and striking out seven. Bryce Alewine closed out the final two innings. Take a look at Salcedo’s outing from Tigers Minor League Report below. The sturdy, 19-year-old right-hander throws mid-90’s with life and he’s got a wipeout breaking ball and the makings of a good offspeed pitch. Control is still a work in progress but it was good on Saturday.

SS Jude Warwick: 2-4, R, RBI, K, CS

2B Juan Hernandez: 2-3, 2 RBI

Salcedo (W, 3-0): 5.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 7 K