Seth Stephenson helps power Whitecaps to a sweep of the Cubs

Scores, news, and notes from the Detroit Tigers’ farm system for Sunday, April 20, 2025.

Indianapolis Indians 10, Toledo Mud Hens 6 (box )

Matt Manning got clobbered again as the Indians took down the Mud Hens, winning the series five game to one.

The Hens had a scoring chance in the top of the first. Brewer Hicklen led off with a single and Jace Jung drew a walk. Hao-Yu Lee was called out on strikes, but Akil Baddoo drilled a line drive to right field. Right fielder Billy Cook fired home and just cut down Hicklen at the plate. Gabe Alvarez had some words for the home plate umpire but of course to no avail.

Manning couldn’t get out of the first in this one. He walked Ji Hwan Bae to start the inning and Nick Solak launched a two-run homer on a decently located sweeper at the bottom of the zone. Manning struck out two, but a single, two walks, and then a passed ball on Stephen Scott made it 3-0 Indy. Manning was already at 42 pitches and so Ryan Miller took over and let two more runs score.

The Mud Hens did put up a good fight. In the fourth they tied the game with a five-run outburst on a parade of singles. In the fifth, Jahmai Jones led off with a double and the chance to take the lead was right there. However, Riley Unroe popped out on a bunt attempt and Bligh Madris and Scott made outs in the air to send it to the bottom half.

There, Sean Guenther, back from Lakeland, took over and promptly allowed a Llover Peguero triple. A sac fly gave Indy the 6-5 lead. Guenther allowed another run, and while Hao-Yu Lee singled in a run in the top of the sixth, Brendan White was knocked around for three runs while the offense couldn’t get out of their own way in the late innings.

Hicklen: 3-5, RBI, K

Jones: 1-4, R, 2B, BB

Manning: 0.2 IP, 5 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 2 K

Coming Up Next: The Hens come home to welcome in the Omaha Storm Chasers next week.

Erie SeaWolves 5, Akron RubberDucks 1 (box )

Garrett Burhenn spun a good game, and the SeaWolves too this series four games to two with a good win on Sunday.

Burhenn only went four innings and had some control issues, but the held Akron to one run and struck out five, though he also walked three and allowed five hits. He did a nice job pitching in traffic and the SeaWolves generally played a good defensive game.

The offense struggled with starter Rodney Boone, but once Akron went to their pen the SeaWolves lineup pounced. Thayron Liranzo led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and Justice Bigbie reached on an error. After Jake Holton struck out, Eliezer Alfonzo singled through the right side to load the bases. Akron went back to the pen but new reliever Zach Jacobs allowed a Roberto Campos sacrifice fly, and then Chris Meyers tripled in two more runs for a 3-1 lead. Jim Jarvis made it 4-1 with a single to plate Meyers.

RJ Petit blanked the RubberDucks in the seventh and the eighth. In the bottom of the eighth, Carlos Mendoza led off with a single. Liranzo was called out on an automatic strike three for disengaging for the second time in an AB, but Bigbie doubled Mendoza to third and Holton lifted a sac fly to make it 5-1.

Matt Merrill handled the ninth without much trouble.

Meyers: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, 3B, K

Liranzo: 1-3, R, BB, K

Bigbie: 1-4, R, 2B

Burhenn: 4.0 IP, ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves head out on the road to Harrisburg to tangle with the Senators starting Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. ET.

West Michigan Whitecaps 5, South Bend Cubs 3 (box )

The Whitecaps managed what their parent club could not on Sunday. They pounded out 11 hits and drew six walks to sweep the six-game set.

Rayner Castillo got some early run support as Seth Stephenson lifted his first homer of the season with one out in the bottom of the first. Josue Briceño followed with a hard grounder up the middle for a single. Brett Callahan was hit by a pitch and John Peck singled in Briceño for a 2-0 lead.

Castillo was good early on, but ran out of steam in the fourth as a single, a walk, and a three-run homer started the inning. With a balk and then a hit batter in the inning, Castillo seemed rattled, but he settled down to clean up the rest of the inning.

The ‘Caps got those runs back in the bottom half when Peyton Graham led off with a single and moved to third on a Bennett Lee double. Max Clark singled in Graham, while Stephenson singled in Lee, and it was 5-3 ‘Caps.

Colin Fields took over from there and lived dangerously. He gave up five hits and two walks, but managed to stop every rally attempt in its tracks.

The Whitecaps got one more in the seventh as Stephenson’s big day continued. The speedy outfielder walked to lead off the bottom of the seventh and stole second base. Briceño struck out, but Brett Callahan singled in Stephenson to make it 5-3.

CJ Weins got the final seven outs, allowing just one hit with two strikeouts to earn his first save of the year.

Stephenson: 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, BB, SB

Clark: 2-5, RBI, K

Briceno: 2-5, R, K

Castillo: 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K

Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps now head out on the road to Dayton for six against the Dragons.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 4, Dunedin Blue Jays 1 (box )

The Flying Tigers got another great outing from Hayden Minton on Sunday. A 4-1 victory split the six-game road series in Dunedin.

Minton tossed five shutout innings, allowing just three singles and striking out six along the way. The slider was pretty lethal, but his fastball command was also good in this one.

Bryce Rainer was back in this one, and he singled in the top of the first, but was erased on a Carson Rucker double play ball. The Flygers waited until the third to get on the board. Ricardo Hurtado led off the top of the inning with a walk and later scored on a Patrick Lee single. Lee stole second base but Woody Hadeen struck out and Rainer lifted a sharp fly ball out to a rehabbing Daulton Varsho in center field.

Hurtado singled in Rucker in the fourth for another run, and in the fifth, Hadeen drew a one-out walk and scored on a Rucker drive to center for a double. 3-1 Lakeland.

Ronny Chalas took over for Lakeland in the sixth. The Flying Tigers tried to give him another run to work with when Lee was hit by a pitch in the seventh and then stole second. Hadeen walked, but Rainer flew out. A wild pitch moved the runners 90 feet, but Rucker grounded out.

Instead, it was Chalas giving up a run in the bottom of the seventh. No matter, a pair of walks and two sacrifice flies produced one more run in the eighth, and Moises Rodriguez blanked Dunedin for two innings to earn his second save. Rodriguez was up to 98 mph with his sinker though his slider and changeup weren’t very sharp.

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

Hurtado: 1-2, R, 2 RBI, BB

Minton (W, 1-0): 5.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next: The 7-8 Flying Tigers welcome in Bradenton starting on Tuesday evening.