Scores, news, and notes from the Detroit Tigers’ farm system for Friday, March 28th, 2025
Columbus Clippers 8, Toledo Mud Hens 5
Every time the Mud Hens clawed their way back into this one, the bullpen struggled again. The Hens homered three times, but a four-run seventh inning by the Clippers doomed them on Opening Day at Fifth Third Park.
Lefty Lael Lockhart Jr. got the start. He wasn’t at his best, but his defense bit him a little as well. Still, three walks and three runs, two earned, in 2 1⁄3 innings doesn’t earn you any kudos.
Lockhart stranded a Juan Brito double in the top of the first, and Jace Jung put the Hens up early with the first home run of the minor league season. Even better was the fact that he took left-hander Doug Nikhazy deep to left field. We like an oppo blast, and as Jung’s struggles to barrel anything up in spring camp got him optioned back to Toledo, that’s a good first at-bat in particular.
Lockhart settled in and punched out two in the second inning. His command of his breaking balls and splitter was better, but the Hens didn’t build on the early 1-0 lead.
In the third, Lockhart came out a little wild and walked Dayan Frias and Milan Tolentino to start the inning. As you’d expect, that didn’t end well.
An error on Andrew Navigato left everyone safe and the bases juiced for the wrong guy. Brito strafed a single to left field to score Frias and then an Angel Martinez double plated two more. 3-1 Clippers. Lockhart struck out the next hitter but issued yet another walk and RHP Ryan Miller took over. Miller acquitted himself very well by whiffing the next two hitters to smother the threat, and after a quite third from the Hens, he spun a quick fourth too.
In the bottom of the fourth, Hao-Yu Lee led off with a walk against Nikhazy, but was erased by a Jung double play ball. Bad timing, and Justyn-Henry Malloy got an 89 mph fourseamer belt high down the middle in a 1-0 count and absolutely hammered it. A majestic 443 feet later, and that ball was out to deep center field with ease. It left the bat at 110.8 mph.
Here’s the broadcast view of Justyn-Henry Malloy’s monster home run to left center. Left his bat at 110.8 MPH and went 443 feet. pic.twitter.com/joRCxJfrbo
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) March 28, 2025
Recent acquisition LHP Bailey Horn, who the Tigers sent cash to St. Louis for as Horn was about to be designated, took over in the fifth. He allowed a single and no more, topping 95 mph with his fourseamer and mixing in a good sweeper as well.
The Tigers got a one-out single from catcher Tomas Nido in the fifth, and DH David Hensley followed with a walk. Unfortunately the Hens couldn’t cash them in.
Finally in the sixth, after Nikhazy left the game, the Hens broke through. A two-out walk to Malloy started them, and a Navigato double put both runners in scoring position. Bligh Madris scored them both with a well placed triple to center field. 4-3 Hens.
They gave the runs right back as RHP Brendan White had a disastrous seventh inning. Four extra base hits including a homer in the frame made it 7-4 Clippers, and they never looked back.
Justice Bigbie lifted a high fly ball out of the park to left in the seventh, and that solo shot made it 7-5 Clippers, but Jordan Balazovic allowed a run in the eighth and the Hens didn’t manage another big threat.
Andrew Chafin handled the eighth with a 1-2-3 frame and a pair of swinging strikeouts. The sinker was still averaging 89-90 mph however.
The Hens went quietly in the ninth.
Malloy: 2-3, 2 R, RBI, HR, BB, K
Jung: 1-4, R, RBI, HR
Lockhart: 2.1 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: They’ll get back at it tomorrow afternoon at 4:05 p.m. ET.