Mud Hens take down Round Rock in 12 innings

Scores, news, and notes, from around the Detroit Tigers’ farm system for Thursday, April 3, 2025.

It took 12 innings, but the Toledo Mud Hens broke through to win over Round Rock on Thursday night. A key hit by Brewer Hicklen in the top of the 12th inning finally tipped the scales in the Hens favor for good as they went on to win 7-4.

Matt Manning needed a better outing after a rough first start of the season. He was certainly better, but it was still pretty rough going at times. Command was still an issue, as he walked three and struggled to make pitches for short stretches throughout his 4 ²⁄₃ innings of work.

Manning stranded a walk in the first, and in the bottom of the second he gave up a one-out single and then a two-out walk before punching out Kellen Strahm to turn the Express away again. Finally in the third the dam cracked a bit, as a leadoff double from Alex De Goti and then a Sam Haggerty single put Manning behind the eight-ball and plated Round Rock’s first run. He got a flyout but Haggerty stole second and Blaine Crim, who walked it off the night prior, singled in Haggerty. A four pitch walk to Tucker Barnhart followed before Manning got a double play ball to end the inning. 2-0 Round Rock.

Manning had no trouble from that point on, recording the next five outs in order and striking out Haggerty on a pretty good splitter to end his outing. The splitter has been erratic so far, but it is still a relatively new pitch for Manning and he threw some good ones that had a little more aggression behind them in this one, sitting 88-89 mph with it. He also appears to be working on a hard slider or cutter that is a work in progress, but also the pitch I’ve been begging him to develop since 2020. I can’t help be curious as long as Manning is still in the organization. It wasn’t a very impressive outing overall, but at least he appears to be trying to learn some new tricks.

Tyler Owens took over for Manning and promptly gave up a Justin Foscue double. Crim would single him home before Owens could get the final out of the fifth.

Meanwhile, the Hens offense wasn’t doing much of anything. Jace Jung doubled with two-outs in the first, but that went nowhere. The Hens wouldn’t get another baserunner until the fourth when Jung singled with one out. He was then promptly cut down trying to steal second. Eliezer Alfonzo singled with two outs in the fifth, but again this did not lead to run scoring.

The Express turned to RHP Nick Krauth in place of starter Caleb Boushley to begin the sixth inning. Jahmai Jones singled with one out…and was picked off and caught trying to go to second. Cool, cool. That was badly timed as Andrew Navigato drilled a single through the left side of the infield. That brought Jung to the dish again, but he flew out to left to end the inning. Still 3-0 Express.

Owens retired the first two hitters in the bottom of the sixth, and RHP Jordan Balazovic took care of the final hitter. Really it was Jones taking care of the hitter as Strahm hit a rocket to center field.

The Hens finally broke through in the seventh. Recently acquired outfielder Brewer Hicklen led off with a solid single, and Tomas Nido doubled to right field to score him. David Hensley dropped a sacrifice bunt down to move Nido to third, and Alfonzo, hitting in the DH position, doubled in the run to make it 3-2 Round Rock.

Jack Dunn grounded out and Alonzo couldn’t advance, but Riley Unroe drew a walk to keep the inning alive and the Express went back to their pen for RHP Joe Barlow. He set Jahmai Jones down on strikes to end the threat.

Balazovic got a strikeout on a pitch the Express challenged and lost on to open the bottom of the seventh. Haggerty singled right back to the pitcher, but he got a double play ball from Foscue to end the inning.

Barlow tore through the Hens in the eighth, and Balazovic likewise cruised through another half inning of work.

The Express went to Dane Acker to collect the save and it didn’t work out that way. With two outs, Alfonzo reached on a two-base throwing error, and then scored as Dunn chopped a misplayed single third that was also thrown away. Tie ballgame.

RHP Ryan Miller took over for the Hens to hold the tie in the bottom of the ninth. A pair of two out walks made it stressful, but Haggerty grounded out to Dunn at shortstop to send this to extra innings.

With Unroe starting on second, Jones lined out softly and Navigato flew out to center on a ball deep enough to advance the runner to third. That left it up to Jace Jung, but Acker threw four straight fastballs well above the zone, wanting nothing to do with him. The walk brought Hicklen to the dish but he flew out to right field. Bad things happen when you don’t score in the top of the 10th inning.

Foscue led off with a sacrifice bunt, moving Haggerty to third. They intentionally walked Crim to pitch to Barnhart, getting the inning ending double play in order, but instead Miller got to two strikes and fired a twoseamer in there as the veteran catcher got nothing but air. Harris lifted a routine fly ball out to center field, and that was a job well done by Ryan Miller.

Right-hander JT Chargois took over in the 11th for the Express. Nido bunted Hicklen over to third, using the first out of the inning. Hensley came to the plate after an 0-for-4 night and pulled a routine grounder to shortstop. That was enough to get the run home, and it was 4-3 Hens. Alfonzo got a pitch he liked, but drilled it right to the first baseman to end the half inning.

Andrew Chafin entered in the bottom half looking to close it out. Alan Trejo grounded out to start things off, but he moved the Manfred runner to third. Unfortunately, Trevor Hauver got a 1-1 sinker at the bottom of the zone and lifted a fly ball to center deep enough to score the run from third and tie the game. A strong accurate throw in from Jones just never had a chance to get him. Chafin carved up Strahm handily, but two balls in play is all it takes to score in extra innings. And so on to the 12th…

Jack Dunn quickly lifted a deep fly ball to right field and Alfonzo tagged and moved over to third. Chargois fell behind Unroe 3-0 and eventually walked him. Jones was then hit in the arm by a sailing fastball to load the bases. Andrew Navigato came to the plate with Jung looming in the on deck circle. He pulled a grounder to third and Cody Freeman just lost the ball in the transfer. Alfonzo scored and the bases were juiced for Jace Jung, but he whiffed on a sinker over the middle of the plate to strike out. That left it up to Hicklen, and he pulled a two-run single off the end of the bat into left field. The score was 7-4 Hens.

Lefty Carlos Pena came on to wrap things up and got three quick outs as the Hens completed their first win of the Pacific Coast League-International League crossover series.

Alfonzo: 2-5, 2 R, RBI, 2B

Jung: 2-5, 2B, BB, K, CS

Hicklen: 2-6, 2 R, 2 RBI, K

Manning: 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 4 K

Chafin: 1.0, R, 0 ER, 0 R, 0 BB, K

Coming Up Next: These two clubs will match up again at 8:15 p.m. EDT on Friday night. They’ll play three more before the Hens come home to host the Iowa Cubs for six next week.

The Erie SeaWolves start their season on Friday night at home against the Harrisburg Senators. RHP Troy Melton gets the Opening Day honors and is slated to take on RHP Kyle Luckham.

The West Michigan Whitecaps are also home to start their 2025 campaign at LMCU Park at 6:35 p.m. ET.

The Lakeland Flying Tigers will be in Tampa playing the Tarpons at 6:30 p.m. ET. They’ll be playing on the Yankees ’ Complex League field rather than the main facility, so we’ll see what kind of broadcast is put together with the Rays using the main park.