Franyerber Montilla and Cristian Santana homer as Flying Tigers sweep doubleheader to clinch a postseason berth

Scores, news, and notes from the Detroit Tigers’ farm system for Wednesday, June 18, 2025.

Toledo Mud Hens 6, St. Paul Saints 4 (box )

After a rough week against Omaha, the Hens are pushing back with their second straight win over St. Paul on Wednesday.

The Hens struck first in this one. Manuel Margot led off the third inning with a single and Brian Serven was hit by a pitch. Fly balls from Hao-Yu Lee and Justyn-Henry Malloy moved Margot to third and then home on Malloy’s drive for a 1-0 lead.

In the fourth, Jace Jung led off with a walk and scored on an Akil Baddoo triple. Ryan Kreidler knocked in Baddoo, and it was 3-0.

Meanwhile, Dietrich Enns was dominating the Saints for three innings. He ran into some trouble in the fourth and fifth, allowing three runs on a pair of homers. However, he also struck out 10 hitters, allowing just four hits and a walk.

Brendan White finished the fifth for Enns and was solid in collecting four outs. Lefty Bailey Horn returned from his rehab assignment and spun a scoreless seventh despite walking two hitters.

In the top of the eighth the Hens finally pulled away again. Malloy led off with a single and Andy Ibáñez walked. After Jung struck out a wild pitch advanced the runners and Brewer Hicklen walked to load the bases. The Saints went to the pen again but Baddoo striped a double to right field that cleared the bases. Baddoo stole third base, but Kreidler and Margot popped out.

Matt Manning took over in the eighth with a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. He looked to close it out for a six-out save and did so, but not before allowing three singles and a walk to push in a run for the Saints and put them in position where a single would’ve tied the game. Instead Manning punched out Carson McCusker to pick up his second save.

Baddoo: 3-4, R, 4 RBI, 2B, 3B, SB

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

Enns: 4.2 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, BB, 10 K

Coming Up Next: It’s an 8:07 p.m. ET start on Thursday night.

Erie SeaWolves 14, Chesapeake Bay Sox 0 (F/7)(box )

After a rain delay, the SeaWolves and BaySox were able to get this one in though they trimmed it to seven innings. The outcome wasn’t in doubt for very long anyway. Chris Meyers and Thayron Liranzo provided the power to back a strong start from Jaden Hamm as the SeaWolves dominated this one.

A leadoff single by Trei Cruz in the bottom of the first was followed by walks to Liranzo and Max Anderson. A sac fly from Eduardo Valencia made it 1-0 but that was all they’d get.

In the second, Meyers led off with a solo shot, his second of the year. Ben Malgeri, back from his rehab assignment with West Michigan, followed with a double and Cruz walked. Liranzo’s eighth home run of the season followed, and it was 5-0 SeaWolves.

In the third, Justice Bigbie led off with a single and Meyers walked. Malgeri tripled them both in and then scored on a Jim Jarvis grounder that went for an error. 8-0 SeaWolves.

The SeaWolves scored two more in the fourth, and then completed the scoring with a four-run fifth inning in which Liranzo doubled and Meyers launched a three-run shot for his second round-tripper of the game.

Meanwhile, Jaden Hamm allowed just one hit over 5 ²⁄₃ innings of scoreless work. He was pitching free and easy with so much run support, though he walked three hitters. He also collected five strikeouts in one of his best outings of what has been a difficult transition to the upper minors so far for him.

Hard-throwing Richard Guasch, recently acquired from Mexican League ball, got the final four outs. With the score and the weather turning for the worst, they called this one after seven innings.

Meyers: 3-3, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2 HR, BB

Liranzo: 2-2, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR, 3 BB

Bigbie: 2-3, 3 R, BB

Hamm (W, 2-2): 5.2 IP, 0 R, H, 3 BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves will look to make it three in a row on Thursday. The Akron RubberDucks refuse to lose however, taking their fifth straight to remain a half game back in the first half divisional standing.

West Michigan Whitecaps vs. Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

Rain washed this game out just as it did most all outdoor activity in southern Michigan on Wednesday short of puddle jumping. Because the two teams don’t meet up again this season, it won’t be made up. Instead, Kevin McGonigle, Max Clark, Josue Briceño and the rest of their squad got the night off. They’ll get back at it with a 6:35 p.m. ET start on Thursday.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 5, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels 2 (Gm1)(box )

Lakeland Flying Tigers 6, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels 1 (Gm2)(box )

The Flying Tigers swept Wednesday’s double header, securing the first half division title and a postseason berth in the process. Both games were seven inning affairs. They are the second Detroit Tigers affiliate to clinch a postseason spot, with Erie in a close battle this week with Akron to be the third.

In Game 1, the Flying Tigers bullpen was gifted an early lead and did a great job taking it from there. Meanwhile the offense was just running wild on Fort Myers, stealing seven bases. Franyerber Montilla had four on his own and led the offense in this one overall.

Woody Hadeen, spark plug extraordinaire, got them started with a single to leadoff the game and then stole second base. Jackson Strong walked, and Franyerber Montilla doubled to left to score them both. Montilla promptly stole third and then scored on a balk. 3-0 Lakeland.

Zack Lee started this one for the bullpen, but allowed two runs in two innings of work. Moises Rodriguez threw gas with pretty good command for two perfect innings and three strikeouts. Tanner Kohlhepp returned to action on a rehab appearance and spun a scoreless fifth with a strikeout.

It was 3-2 Flygers in the top of the third when Montilla led off with a single and stole second base. Cristian Santana walked and Montilla stole third on the pitch, scoring on an errant throw. A pair of single plated Santana to make it 5-2.

Thomas Szapucki pitched a scoreless sixth while Blair Calvo threw two perfect frames of relief with three strikeouts. Dariel Fregio, showing a pretty advanced slider and changeup despite a low wattage fastball, closed it out for his first save.

The Flying Tigers thus clenched a postseason berth for the second straight season.

Montilla: 3-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 2B, BB, 4 SB

Rodriguez (W, 2-1): 2.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K

Luke Stofel got the start in Game 2 and while he wasn’t exactly carving up the Mussels, they couldn’t hit him hard either. Stofel went five innings, allowing just an unearned run on a Montilla fielding error in the third.

In the fourth, Hadeen led off with a walk. Jackson Strong lined out, but Montilla made up for the error with a two-run shot to left for his third of the season. Cristian Santana followed him by smoking his 10th home run of the season to left. Santana has five long balls in the last week and is making a lot of hard contact of late. Like fellow wayward young slugger Izaac Pacheco at West Michigan though, there’s still far too much swing and miss to get too excited yet.

Garrett Pennington followed Santana’s shot with a double and Carson Rucker singled him to third. Stephen Hrustich struck out but Ricardo Hurtago came through with an RBI single to make it 4-1 Lakeland. The Flygers took advantage of a hit by pitch and an error to plate two more in the seventh inning.

Ronny Chalas succeeded Stofel and threw scoreless frames in the sixth and seventh. A ground out to Montilla at shortstop ended it and the party was on.

Montilla: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, SB

Pennington: 3-4, R, RBI, 2B

Santana: 1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR

Stofel (W, 4-0): 5.0 IP, R, 0 ER, 2 H, BB, 2 K

Coming Up Next: They’ll get back to work at 7:05 p.m. ET on Thursday night.