Jace Jung, Gage Workman, and Josue Briceño each homer in rain soaked Wednesday action

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

Toledo Mud Hens 3, Indianapolis Indians 0 (F/7)(box )

The Hens pitching led the way in a rain shortened seven inning game on Wednesday. Lefty Nick Margevicius threw a great game and Dylan Smith closed it out with a dominant frame to pick up his first Triple-A save in his debut with the Mud Hens.

Margevicius racked up plenty of whiffs with his low-90’s fourseamer and an 88-89 mph variant that I assume was a cutter but also registered as fourseam fastballs. On a cool wet day, the weather may have played a role with grip but either way the Indians had nothing for him. He struck out seven, allowing just a walk and a two hits.

Gage Workman opened the scoring with a solo shot just over the wall in right center field in the third inning. That was his second since being returned to the Detroit Tigers over the weekend.

The Hens weren’t exactly raking either and had just five hits, but they made them count. Jahmai Jones led off the bottom of the fourth with a double and took third on a Bligh Madris line out. Manuel Margot singled in Jones for a 2-0 lead.

In the sixth, Jace Jung completed the scoring with a bomb to right center field at 110.7 mph off the bat. 3-0.

We’ve brought up right-hander Dylan Smith repeatedly on the Monday night Tigers Minor League Report podcast. The Tigers third rounder back in 2021, Smith dealt with injuries in 2023 and 2024 and wasn’t make much progress. Last October in the Arizona Fall League, the Tigers converted him to relief and while his performance remained erratic, he’s really locked in this season as a full-time reliever.

Smith struck out 37 percent of hitters faced with the Erie SeaWolves over 20 innings of work, posting a 1.80 ERA without a home run allowed. He was promoted over the weekend, and debuted on Wednesday with a perfect inning, striking out the side to earn the save.

We’ve seen Smith occasionally up to 97-98 mph, but he typically works 94-95 mph with a good slider that he’s commanding much more effectively now. He may be one who can help the Tigers out this summer.

Jung: 1-2, R, RBI, HR, BB, K

Margot: 1-2, RBI, BB, CS

Margevicius (W, 1-1): 6.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, BB, 7 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a doubleheader starting at 5:35 p.m. ET on Thursday night. That should be a long, chilly night in Toledo for both sides and the fans.

Erie SeaWolves 18, Hartford Yard Goats 3 (box )

Garrett Burhenn didn’t have his best night on the mound, but it didn’t matter a bit as the SeaWolves crushed the Goats for the second straight day.

Burhenn allowed a run in the second and two in the third as Hartford seized an early lead. It didn’t last long, as the SeaWolves dropped six on them in the bottom of the third and were off to the races.

Doubles from Chris Meyers, who returned from the injured list this week, and Ben Malgeri, were followed by an RBI single from Danny Serretti. Trei Cruz walked, and after Max Anderson popped out, Carlso Mendoza singled in Malgeri. Jake Holton then crushed a grand slam to right center field for a 6-3 lead. Max Anderson added a three-run shot in the fourth to make it 9-3.

The SeaWolves took the fifth inning off but the barrage resumed in the seventh. Serretti doubled to lead off the inning, and with one out Anderson doubled to drive him in. Mendoza grounded out, but Holton went oppo for the second time in the game to make it 12-3 SeaWolves. That was Holton’s ninth homer of the year.

Singles from Justice Bigbie, Eduardo Valencia, Meyers, and Malgeri followed in order, despite the Goats going to the pen. Serretti doubled in the final run of the inning and it was 16-3.

Triples from Meyers and Malgeri back-to-back scored another run in the eight, and a sacrifice fly from Trei Cruz scored Malgeri to make it 18-3 and complete the scoring.

Holton: 3-5, 2 R, 6 RBI, 2 HR

Meyers: 3-5, 3 R, RBI, 2B, 3B

Anderson: 2-6, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2B, HR, 2 K

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

Burhenn (W, 5-0): 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves will look to make it five straight victories, and three in a row over Hartford, on Thursday at 6:05 p.m. ET.

West Michigan Whitecaps 1, Great Lakes Loons 1 (suspended)

A doubleheader to make up for Tuesday’s rain out was itself rained out on Wednesday. They did manage to get into the third inning of Game 1 before heavier rain forced a suspension of play as this unreasonably miserable late May weather continues in the Midwest.

Kevin McGonigle and Josue Briceño returned to the lineup, and Briceño smoked his seventh home run of the season in the season inning. Rayner Castillo tossed three innings of one-run ball, but the rain made for a pretty miserable day out there and he walked three along the way.

They’ll try to complete this one and get in a second game on Thursday, but the weather isn’t really looking primed to accommodate them as it’s expected to be in the mid 50’s to 60 degrees and rainy all the way through Saturday.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 5, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels 3 (box )

The Flying Tigers made it two in a row over Fort Myers on Wednesday.

RJ Sales got the start, and this time he struggled a bit and wasn’t collecting many whiffs. Still, he tossed five innings of two-run ball, and the offense and bullpen did the rest.

The cold, miserable weather in the Midwest appears to have convinced the Tigers to move their rehabbing players to Lakeland, as Wenceel Pérez, Parker Meadows, and Matt Vierling made up the top of the Flying Tigers batting order in this one. Pérez reached on an error in the bottom of the first and moved to third on a sharp single up the middle from Meadows. A Matt Vierling ground out scored Pérez before Bryce Rainer flew out and Franyerber Montilla struck out to end the inning.

Sales allowed a run in the top of the first, and one more before departing in the fifth. Pérez, Meadows, and Vierling all made outs in the bottom of the third. Rainer reached on a swinging bunt in the fourth but was thrown out trying to steal second. In the fifth, Cristian Santana led off with a walk and stole second. Nomar Fana and Sergio Tapia were both walked as well to load the bases, and a balk forced in Santana. Pérez lifted a sacrifice fly to scored Fana, and it was 3-2 Lakeland. A ground out from Meadows brought in Tapia from third to make it 4-2. Vierling then drew a walk to bring up Rainer again, but he grounded out to end the inning.

Relievers Jorger Petri and Thomas Bruss made the lead hold up in the sixth and seventh. In the bottom of the sixth, Montilla led off with a double and stole third with two outs. Unfortunately he was stranded, but in the seventh Garrett Pennington crushed his fourth home run at 110 mph off the bat to make it 5-2.

Hard-throwing right-hander Moises Rodriguez took the game from there to collect his fifth save. Rodriguez’s 97-99 mph sinker continues to break hearts and bats and he’s probably a good bet to see West Michigan pretty soon. He did leak a run in the eighth after hitting a batter and then allowing a single to start the inning before retiring the side in order from there.

Montilla: 2-4, 2B, 2 K, SB

Sales (W, 3-1): 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Thursday.