Kevin McGonigle returns to action on Saturday

Scores, news, and notes from around the Detroit Tigers’ farm system for Saturday, May 10, 2025.

Iowa Cubs 7, Toledo Mud Hens 6 (F/10)(box )

The Mud Hens got another excellent start from Dietrich Enns on Saturday, but the bullpen and the offense fumbled the bag late.

Enns went six scoreless frames with seven strikeouts and no walks in this one. He racked up 14 whiffs against a pretty good Triple-A offense, and his ERA is down to 2.61 on the young season. He didn’t get much help from his teammates.

Matt Vierling, still only in the DH spot, hit his second homer in three games in the bottom of the first. Akil Baddoo hit a solo shot to lead off the second, but that 2-0 lead was all the run support Enns received.

Tyler Owens was mauled for four runs by a tough Cubs offense in the top of the seventh, and then Ryan Miller allowed one in the top of the eighth. Down 5-2, the Hens finally got something going at the plate in the bottom of the eighth.

Hao-Yu Lee doubled with one out, and Cubs pitcher Jack Neely was really wild. He walked Vierling and Hicklen, wild pitching Lee to third and then in to score in the process. The Cubs went to their pen, but Jahmai Jones crushed a three-run shot that made it 6-5 Hens heading into the ninth.

Unfortunately, Miller coughed up another run and this went to extras.

Matt Gage allowed just a single in the tenth, but it was enough to score the run from second. The Hens couldn’t match them as Andrew Navigato struck out and Hicklen flew out. Baddoo whiffed to end it.

A bad night for a typically strong bullpen, but Dietrich Enns at least is looking interesting as starting depth.

Vierling: 1-3, 2 R, RBI, HR, BB, K

Lee: 1-5, R, 2B, K, CS

Jones: 1-2, R, 3 RBI, HR, 2 BB

Enns: 6.0 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 0 BB, 7 K

Coming Up Next: The Hens will look for a series victory at 2:05 p.m ET on Mother’s Day. Take care of your Moms, folks.

Altoona Curve 6, Erie SeaWolves 4 (box )

The Curve managed to stave off a potential sweep by ending the SeaWolves four-game winning streak on Saturday.

Joseph Montalvo is off to a really rough start as he tries to make the jump to Double-A ball, and this start was no different. He gave up a leadoff homer in the second, then walked two and gave up another run on a double before getting out of the inning.

The SeaWolves got a run in the bottom half when Eduardo Valencia was hit by a pitch and then was wild pitched to second. Jim Jarvis singled him home to cut the lead to 2-1, but Montalvo kept leaking oil, allowing a run in the fourth and then a Termarr Johnson solo shot in the fifth.

Looking to cut into the Curve’s 4-1 lead, the SeaWolves got a two-run shot from Valencia in the sixth to make it 4-3. Meanwhile RHP Duque Hebbert cleaned up the fifth for Montalvo and spun a pair of scoreless innings to keep this one close.

Unfortunately Ryan Boyer took over in the eighth and allowed a run, and then another in the ninth. Roberto Campos led off the bottom of the eighth with a double and scored on a Jarvis single to center field, but that was as close as they’d get to the lead.

Jarvis: 4-4, 2 RBI, 2B, CS

Cruz: 1-4, 2B, K

Montalvo (L, 2-1): 4.2 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 1:35 p.m. ET start for the series finale on Sunday.

West Michigan Whitecaps 6, Lansing Lugnuts 3 (box )

The Whitecaps took a 3-2 lead in the series on Saturday with a nice comeback win over the Lugnuts at home. Max Alba got the start, and allowed two runs over four innings of work. Kenny Serwa took over for 3 ¹⁄₃ innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts to earn the win.

The ‘Caps had a few scoring chances early and couldn’t capitalize, but down 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth they got to work. Andrew Jenkins singled with one out, and after Izaac Pacheco tapped one in front of the plate for an out, Peyton Graham drew a walk. Luke Gold stepped to the dish and brought both runs home with a rocket the opposite way for a triple.

In the bottom of the fifth, Abel Bastidas led off with a single. Seth Stephenson was hit by a pitch with one out, and Jack Penney singled in Bastidas while Stephenson cruised into third. Penney promptly stole second base, and the Lugnuts wisely let him go with Stephenson on third. A wild pitch brought the run home anyway, and it was 4-2 Whitecaps.

Serwa allowed his run in the top of the eighth, but in the bottom half the Whitecaps scored two more runs to pull away for good. Peyton Graham led off with a single and Gold walked. The next two hitters struck out, but Max Clark sprayed a line drive to left for a double to score Graham. Stephenson beat out an infield single to bring in Gold, and that was all they’d need.

Jordan Marks took over from Serwa to clean up the eighth, and he handled the ninth with a pair of strikeouts to pick up his first save for the Whitecaps.

Clark: 2-5, RBI, 2B, 2 SB

Gold: 1-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B, BB

Stephenson: 1-1, R, RBI, 2 BB, SB

Serwa: 3.1 IP, ER, 4 H, BB, 4 K

Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps hunt for a series victory on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. ET.

Max Clark stole two bases in this one, clearly heeding my whining for more attempts.

Bradenton Marauders 6, Lakeland Flying Tigers 4 (box )

With the Tigers treating prospect injuries like the Manhattan Project, we’d had no updates at all on Kevin McGonigle’s ankle sprain over the last five weeks. Instead, he magically reappeared in the Flying Tigers lineup on Saturday as the designated hitter.

Josh Randall made another good short start as he works into his first pro season. Unfortunately the Marauders bullpen bested Lakeland’s to take a 3-2 series lead.

The Flying Tigers opened the scoring in the top of the second. Jackson Strong singled with one out, and after Ricardo Hurtado popped out, Cristian Santana and Patrick Lee singled to score the run.

Randall leaked the lone run of his outing in the third, and then settled in to complete four innings before turning things over to middle reliever Ignacio Briceno.

In the top of the fifth, Patrick Lee crushed a ball to dead center and saw it hop over the wall to hold him to a double when he probably would’ve reached third. It didn’t matter, as David Smith singled him in for a 2-1 lead. Kevin McGonigle, with a ground out and a walk to his record already on the night, striped a double the opposite way and Smith then scored on a passed ball. Bryce Rainer walked and then stole second, inducing a wild pitch that brought in McGonigle, and it was 4-1 Lakeland.

The offense went cold from there on, and Briceno got lit up for five runs in the bottom of the fifth. Thomas Bruss took over, and he and Jorger Petri handled the final three innings in perfect fashion, but the offense couldn’t get a comeback going. They had a few baserunners the rest of the way, but couldn’t really mount a real threat.

Btw, if you’ve been looking to see Rainer’s arm strength, check out the hose at full power.

If you like that, Patrick sees that throw and raises you…eh about 10 feet too high, but man what a howitzer this guy has as well. The tools, power, speed, arm strength, and defense are impressive. We’ve seen him generally be really accurate from the outfield as well, so don’t take him sailing this one as indicative of his accuracy.

McGonigle: 1-2, R, 2B, BB

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

Strong: 2-4, R, K

Rainer: 0-2, 2 BB, SB

Randall: 4.0 IP, ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K

Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers will try to split the road series at noon on Mother’s Day (this is your final Mother’s Day reminder).

FCL Tigers 6, FCL Phillies 4 (box )

LHP Ethan Schiefelbein: 3.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K

RHP Kervis Salcedo (W, 1-0): 3.0 IP, 0 R, H, BB, 3 K

2B Jose Dickson: 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, BB

C-DH Enrique Jimenez: 1-2, RBI, BB

SS Jude Warwick: 1-4, R, RBI, K