Hao-Yu Lee’s late blast powers Hens, while the Flying Tigers run winning streak to 11 games

Scores, news, and notes from around the Detroit Tigers’ farm system for Sunday, July 6, 2025.

Toledo Mud Hens 5, Columbus Clippers 4 (box )

While the Detroit Tigers were sweeping the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday, the Mud Hens handled business against the Guardians Triple-A affiliate too, winning on Sunday to take the series four games to two.

The Hens went bullpen day in this one and it worked out pretty well. Jordan Balazovic allowed a run in the first, and Brendan White a run in the second, but Alex Lange, Woo-Suk Go, and PJ Poulin settled things down in the middle innings.

Meanwhile the offense missed some early opportunities. It wasn’t until the sixth that they broke through, as Brewer Hicklen launched a two-run homer with Andy Ibáñez aboard after a hit by pitch. Dylan Smith allowed a run in the bottom half, and so it was 3-2 Clippers entering the ninth inning.

That’s when Hao-Yu Lee struck. Brian Serven led off with a single and Riley Unroe walked. Akil Baddoo flew out, but Lee crushed a three-run shot to left center field to seize the lead with only two outs left in the game.

Drew Sommers allowed a run in the bottom half but held on to earn the save.

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

Lee: 1-5, R, 3 RBI, HR, K

Unroe: 1-1, R, 3 BB

Coming Up Next: The Hens head to Omaha this week to take on the Storm Chasers starting with an afternoon game at 1:05 p.m. on Tuesday. A day game in Omaha in July sounds pleasant…

Erie SeaWolves 7, Akron RubberDucks 3 (box )

The SeaWolves are going to be a scary team with the incoming reinforcements, but they’re tough enough already. After losing the first three to Akron, they fought back to split the series.

Carlos Pena led the way with five innings of scoreless ball despite just one strikeout.

The SeaWolves got him an early lead in the top of the first. Trei Cruz started the game with a walk and went first to third on Thayron Liranzo’s single. An error on a Jake Holton ground ball scored a run, and Eduardo Valencia singled in Liranzo for a 2-0 lead. The SeaWolves had baserunner the next three innings, but didn’t score again until the fifth, when Cruz doubled and scored on a Holton single for a 3-0 lead.

They made it 6-0 with a three-run sixth. Carlos Mendoza, Roberto Campos, Cruz, and Liranzo all singled in the inning.

Tanner Kohlhepp spun a scoreless sixth, but Jordan Marks stumbled, giving up three runs in the bottom of the seventh.

RJ Petit and Yosber Sanchez locked it down the rest of the way, both punching out two Ducks apiece.

A leadoff double in the eighth by Campos led to another run on a Danny Serretti sacrifice fly later in the inning.

Cruz: 3-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B, BB

Liranzo: 3-5, R

Campos: 3-5, 2 R, 2B

Pena (W, 5-4): 5.0 IP, 0 R, H, BB, K

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves will add their new heart of the order to Max Anderson and take the show on the road to Harrisburg this week to face the Senators.

Great Lakes Loons 4, West Michigan Whitecaps 2 (box )

The Loons performed a rare feat, beating the Whitecaps four games to two in this series. The nature of the series may have provided some extra motivation for the Tigers to promote Kevin McGonigle, Josue Briceño, and Max Clark. There were a ton of hit batters in the series, and things had already started getting chippy in recent series as teams were routinely bludgeoned by the Whitecaps lineup.

McGonigle was hit in the helmet in the series and was fortunately fine. Briceño and Seth Stephenson were both hit as well. Benches cleared once, and on Friday Max Clark took exception to a fastball right over his head and did plenty of barking at both the Loons and the umpires. In short it was a pretty chippy series, to put it in hockey terms, and the Loons tried to do a little intimidating along the way. Of course, they also had a ton of wild pitches, so who knows…

The Whitecaps scored first when John Peck reached on an error to start the third inning. He was thrown out at home on a Max Clark double, but Josue Briceño singled in Clark for a 1-0 lead.

Lefty Andrew Sears allowed a run in the bottom half, though that was all he’d allow in four innings of work.

Peck singled, stole second, and scored on a Briceño single in the fifth for a 2-1 lead. Peck and Clark errors led to a Loons run in the bottom half with CJ Weins on the mound. Micah Ashman handled the sixth, but Joe Adametz gave up a two-run shot in the seventh that was the difference.

Briceno: 2-4, 2 RBI

Clark: 1-3, R, 2B, BB, K

Stephenson: 1-4, BB, K, SB

Sears: 4.0 IP, ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps will go on without their star prospects, taking on the Lake County Captains at home this week.

Likely promotions from Lakeland to fill the holes left may come for SS/2B Franyerber Montilla, first baseman/outfielder Garrett Pennington, and perhaps outfielder Jackson Strong. Woody Hadeen is another likely promotion candidate, especially if as seems likely, they want to give Strong more time in Single-A. Hadeen can play pretty much anywhere and has had reps in center field as well as the middle infield this season.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 8, Dunedin Blue Jays 1 (box )

The Flying Tigers ran their winning streak to a whopping 11 games on Sunday as they swept the Blue Jays.

Josh Randall got the start in this one, and he and Gabriel Reyes were both scheduled for short bulk innings appearances. Randall gave up a run in the first, but was otherwise fine through 2 ²⁄₃ innings of work.

In the bottom of the second, Strong singled and stole second base before Cristian Santana drew a walk. Carson Rucker struck out, but Stephen Hrustich walked as well to load the bases for Ricardo Hurtado. The Flying Tigers backstop cleared the bases with a three-run double for a 3-1 lead.

In the bottom of the third, Jack Penney led off with a single and Montilla and Pennington doubled to make it 5-1. Santana later singled in Pennington to make it 6-1.

Thomas Szapucki took over in the fourth, and got five outs without allowing anything, striking out two along the way. Reyes took over in the sixth and he was electric. The southpaw struck out four in 3 ¹⁄₃ innings of scoreless work, allowing just two hits and no walks.

Montilla singled, stole second, and later scored on a wild pitch in the fifth. Singles from Hrustich and Hurtado led to the final run on a Zach MacDonald sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Triple-digit closer Moises Rodriguez took over from Reyes to close this out in the ninth.

Montilla: 3-5, 2 R, 2B, K, SB, CS

Hurtado: 2-3, 3 RBI, 2B, BB, K

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

Randall: 2.2 IP, ER, H, 0 BB, 3 K

Reyes (W, 3-1): 3.1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 4 K

Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers now hold a 49-28 record, best in the league, and will head to Tampa to face the Tarpons this week before getting a rest during the All-Star break.