Josue Briceño hits 3 homers to power West Michigan; Bligh Madris walkoff slams for the Mud Hens

Scores, news, and notes from around the Detroit Tigers’ farm system for Thursday, May 29, 2025.

Toledo Mud Hens 7, Louisville Bats 4 (box )

The Hens made it three straight over the Bats, and five straight overall, with a stellar start from Sawyer Gipson-Long and just enough power from the offense on Thursday.

After three short rehab appearances in A-ball, Gipson-Long, who really needs a nickname to shorten that moniker, made his second Triple-A start on the path back to the Detroit Tigers . Perhaps “the Saw” could work if he pitches well. Now over a year and a half since his UCL reconstruction, things appear to be coming together for him at just the right time. The Tigers could use the starting depth at the moment, and Gipson-Long doesn’t look like he needs much more rehab work to be ready to contribute.

The right-hander’s huge extension and solid velocity all appear intact, and his command was downright surgical in this one as he tore through the Bats’ bats. He allowed a solo shot in the top of the first inning, and then blanked them without a single baserunner the rest of his start. He needed just 53 pitches to toss 5 ¹⁄₃ innings and he punched out five along the way.

After that first inning homer, the Hens answered back in the bottom half when Jace Jung walked with two outs and Jahmai Jones tripled him in. Workman then launched a solo shot to right field in the third to give them a 2-1 lead.

Jones tripled again to lead off the fourth, and a sacrifice fly from Akil Baddoo scored him. Matt Manning took over from Gipson-Long in the sixth and allowed a run, and so it was a 3-2 game headed into the top of the ninth.

Matt Seelinger allowed the Bats to seize the lead, allowing two runs in the top of the ninth. However, the Hens were having none of this nonsense. Baddoo walked with one out and Hicklen was hit by a pitch. Ryan Kreidler walked as well, loading the bases and setting the stage for Bligh Madris to slice a walkoff grand slam just fair down the left field line.

You don’t see many walk off grand slams, but Izaac Pacheco did the trick for the Whitecaps just last Sunday. Fun times at Fifth Third Field and across the Tigers’ system right now.

Workman: 2-4, R, RBI, HR, K

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

Madris: 1-4, R, 4 RBI, HR, K

Hao-Yu Lee: 1-4, 2B, K

Gipson-Long: 5.1 IP, ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 5 K (53 pitches, 38 strikes)

Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Friday as the Hens look to secure the series victory and keep their six-game winning streak alive.

Erie SeaWolves 7, Reading Fightin Phils 2 (Gm1)(F/7)(box )

The SeaWolves got a solid start from Joseph Montalvo and plenty of power from their lineup to take the first of two on Thursday.

Carlos Mendoza got them started early as the infielder launched his second home of the season for Erie in the top of the second inning. Jim Jarvis led off the third with an infield single and then rode home on Trei Cruz’s sixth home run of the season. The blast from the centerfielder made it 3-0, but Montalvo allowed a solo shot and then another run in the bottom of the third before settling back in for two more scoreless frames.

Mendoza led off the fourth with a single, and this time it was Justice Bigbie going yard. Bigbie’s fourth of the season with the SeaWolves made it a 5-2 game and Erie never looked back. Jordan Marks and Andrew Magno handled the final two innings with no trouble.

In the top of the seventh, walks to Max Anderson and Jake Holton with one out led to two more runs.

Bigbie: 3-3, R, 3 RBI, HR

Cruz: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, HR

Mendoza: 2-4, 2 R, RBI, HR

Montalvo (W, 4-2): 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, BB, 5 K

Erie SeaWolves 5, Reading Fightin Phils 4 (Gm2)(F/7)(box )

The SeaWolves made it a doubeheader sweep and a two games to one lead in the series behind a good start from Troy Melton.

The offense gave him run support early in this one. Carlos Mendoza and Max Anderson doubled back-to-back in the top of the first for a quick 1-0 lead. In the second, Ben Malgeri doubled and scored on a Danny Serretti single. 2-0 SeaWolves.

Melton meanwhile was cruising along without much difficult until the Phils started the bottom of the fourth with three straight singles to load the bases. Melton got a ground ball for the first out, but a run scored. With the infield in, a grounder to Jim Jarvis at shortstop was hit too firmly to score on, and he recorded the out at first. Melton then froze Cade Fergus for strike three to escape without any further trouble.

So it was a tight 2-1 game at that point, but the SeaWolves opened their lead in the fifth. Anderson singled and Chris Meyers and Jim Jarvis both walked with two outs. A hanger up in the zone was blasted off the right field wall by Roberto Campos, and his double cleared the bases and gave Erie a 5-1 lead.

In the fifth, Melton gave up a single and then threw the ball away on a pickoff, allowing the runner to advance to third. A sacrifice fly scored him to make it 5-2 Erie.

Tim Naughton allowed a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh, but survived to earn his second save.

Catcher Thayron Liranzo did not play in either game of the doubleheader after initially being scheduled to start.

Anderson: 4-4, R, RBI, 2B

Campos: 2-2, 3 RBI, 2B

Jarvis: 2-3, R, 2B, BB, K

Melton (W, 2-1): 6.0 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 6 H, BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:45 p.m. ET start scheduled for Friday night.

West Michigan Whitecaps 14, Dayton Dragons 1 (box )

Unlike several recent opponents, the Dragons decided to pitch to Josue Briceño in this one and they regretted it badly as the 20-year-old slugging catcher crushed three home runs on the night. Peyton Graham and Patrick Lee also went deep as the Whitecaps bludgeoned Dayton even with Kevin McGonigle getting a day off.

Max Alba made a short four inning start and was effective, blanking the Dragons for four innings. Kenny Serwa handled the last five innings, allowing one run and striking out six without a walk. The low walk rate continues to fascinate as inexperienced knuckleballers don’t tend to have that kind of control.

However, the real fascination is with Josue Briceño, who I continue to argue is not getting nearly enough attention nationally. He launched solo shots in the first and the fourth to build an early lead for West Michigan, hitting one to left and one to right field.

In the fifth inning, the Whitecaps blew the doors off with a six-run inning. Izaac Pacheco led off with a single and Peyton Graham, finally perking up just a little bit after two rough seasons in a row at this level, crushed a 420 footer to left center field to make it 4-0.

Patrick Lee immediately followed by cranking a solo shot to left. The Dragons got an out, but Max Clark singled and Seth Stephenson tripled him in. The Dragons went back to their pen for a reliever to deal with Briceño again, and Brody Jessee succeeded in keeping him in the park. However, he still hammered a double to the wall in center field for an RBI double. John Peck reached on an error that got Briceño to third, and then they pulled off the delayed double steal, with Peck taking second and Briceño stealing home. Three homers, an RBI double, and a steal of home plate for Briceño.

Serwa allowed his run in the sixth, and so it was 8-1 heading into the seventh.

Stephenson was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and Briceño went yard yet again, this one to right center field. Peck singled, and after Austin Murr struck out, Pacheco walked and Graham doubled in both baserunners to make it 12-1.

Luke Gold would pinch-hit for Briceño in the eighth, as they’re still working him back into playing a full scheduled after getting beat up behind the plate a bit over the past two weeks. Look out when he’s 100 percent again!

Briceño has improved a ton behind the plate over the past year, and he now has 11 home runs on the year with 33 RBI in just 34 games.

Singles from Pacheco and Graham led off the ninth, and Patrick Lee smoked a double to left to score them both and reach the final score of 14-1.

Briceño: 4-4, 4 R, 5 RBI, 2B, 3 HR, SB

Graham: 3-5, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2B, HR

Patrick Lee: 2-5, R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR

Pacheco: 2-4, 3 R, BB, K

Serwa (W, 3-1): 5.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Friday as the Whitecaps look to make it four straight over Dayton.

Tampa Tarpons 2, Lakeland Flying Tigers 0 (Gm1)(F/7)(box )

Tyler Mattison made his first rehab appearance of the season in a well pitched game on Thursday, but the Flying Tigers’ offense was quiet.

Mattison sat in the low 90’s and allowed a hit and a walk in a scoreless first inning. He has a long way to go, but this was the big first step that could carry him back to his position as the Tigers best relief prospect by the end of June.

RJ Sales took over from there and was cruising along until allowing a single and two-run shot in the fifth. Chris Williams Jr. took it the rest of the way out of the bullpen.

The offense had just three singles on the day, with two from Garrett Pennington and one from Bryce Rainer.

Pennington: 2-3, K

Sales (L, 3-2): 3.2 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, BB, 5 K

Lakeland Flying Tigers 3, Tampa Tarpons 1 (Gm2)(F/7)(box )

Garrett Pennington’s two-run shot in the fourth inning was the difference in this one. The 24-year-old has made a bit of a name for himself as a power hitter since signing with the Tigers last year out of Indy ball.

The Flying Tigers opened the scoring in the second inning. Pennington led off with a single, and Cristian Santana followed with one of his own. Pennington scored on a ground ball that turned into an inning ending double play.

In the fourth, Jackson Strong was hit by a pitch, and Pennington followed with a 105.8 mph blast to right center field. 3-0 Flying Tigers.

Luke Stofel got the start, and he was pretty effective for four innings before giving up a run in the fifth. Ethan Sloan cleaned up that inning and then handled the sixth, while Thomas Bruss closed out the seventh for his fourth save.

Pennington: 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR

Montilla: 1-2, BB, SB, CS

Stofel: 4.2 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 4 K

Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers split the series with the Tarpons after one game was cancelled after rain washed them out on both Tuesday and Wednesday. They’ll tackle Bradenton on the road for three starting Friday night at 6:30 p.m. ET.

FCL Tigers 3, FCL Yankees 0 (box )

3B Javier Osorio: 1-2, 2B, BB, K

LF Nomar Fana: 0-0, R, RBI, 3 BB, 2 SB, CS

RHP Jatnk Diaz (W, 2-0): 5.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, BB, 3 K

RHP Xiomer Guacache: 3.0 IP, 0 R, H, 0 BB, 3 K