Bryce Rainer hits first Whitecaps homer while Ben Jacobs dominates again

Toledo Mud Hens 4, Memphis Redbirds 3 (Gm1)(box) (F/8)

Gage Workman’s eighth inning single walked Game 1 off for the Mud Hens as the first of a doubleheader after Tuesday night’s rainout.

Right-hander Dylan File was knocked around a bit, but hung in there to toss 5 1/3 innings of three-run ball while striking out six on the day.

A pair of singles in the top of the first were cashed in when File allowed a two-run double. New acquisition Paul DeJong doubled in the bottom half for his first Mud Hens at-bat, but was stranded. File gave up another run in the top of the third, but the Mud Hens kicked it into gear at that point.

Max Clark singled in Andrew Navigato in the third, and Eduardo Valencia cracked a solo shot in the fourth to make it a 3-2 Memphis lead. In the sixth, Corey Julks singled and Workman doubled him to third, where he eventually scored on a Navigato ground out. That was all they’d get, but it made it a 3-3 game while Drew Sommers took over from File successfully.

Tanner Rainey spun a scoreless eighth, an extra inning as this was scheduled for seven. DeJong started on second for the Hens, and was wild pitched to third. Workman stepped in and banged a ground ball through the right side for a walkoff single.

Workman: 2-4, RBI, 2B, K, SB

Julks: 2-3, R, BB

File: 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, BB, 6 K

Memphis Redbirds 3, Toledo Mud Hens 1 (Gm2)(box)(F/7)

The Redbirds fought back in a low scoring Game 2. Lefty Carlos Peña, up from Erie to help out, gave up a run in two innings of work. Konnor Pilkington took over, allowing a two-run third inning. Scott Effross and Jack Little kept Memphis in check the rest of the way, but no comeback was forthcoming.

Luke Ritter tripled with one out in the bottom of the third, but was cut down at home on a Ben Malgeri ground ball. Finally in the sixth, Corey Julks led off with a walk, eventually scoring on a Tomás Nido double. Max Clark drew a two out walk in the bottom of the seventh, and Julks followed with a walk, but Workman’s magic was already used up on thsi day, and he grounded out to end it.

Nido: 1-2, RBI, 2B, BB

Clark: 1-3, BB

Julks: 1-3, R, BB

Pena: 2.0 IP, ER, H, 2 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: The series is even at a game apiece headed into a 6:35 p.m. ET start on Thursday.

Erie SeaWolves 13, Harrisburg Senators 6 (box)

The SeaWolves banged out 12 hits and drew six walks to overcome a shaky start from Lael Lockhart Jr. on Wednesday.

Lockhart allowed a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, but in the third the SeaWolves came back. Bennett Lee led off the third with a walk, and scored on a Peyton Graham triple to center field. John Peck reached on a soft single to third base, and Justice Bigbie doubled in Graham. An Andrew Jenkins sacrifice fly scored Peck and made it 3-2 SeaWolves.

Unfortunately, Lockhart allowed a run in the bottom half, and then another in the fifth before departing, leaving the game with it 4-3 Senators.

In the seventh the comeback arrived courtesy of RBI knocks from Peck and Bigbie to make it 6-4 SeaWolves. Dariel Fregio gave a run back in the bottom half, but in the eighth, Aaron Antonini led off with a walk, and Peyton Graham singled with one out. Peck pulled a ball to shortstop but Seaver King threw it away, scoring Antonini. Bigbie singled in Graham, and a Jenkins grounder to third allowed Peck to score ahead of the throw. Two walks followed, forcing in a run to make it 10-5.

Tanner Kohlhepp allowed a run in relief, but the SeaWolves weren’t done scoring yet either.

Graham was hit by a pitch in the top of the ninth, and Peck reached on another error. He and Graham pulled off a double steal, but it wasn’t required as Bigbie struck out, and then Jenkins blasted a three run homer, his fifth of the year, to cap the scoring.

Jenkins: 3-4, R, 5 RBI, HR, BB

Graham: 2-4, 4 R, RBI, 3B, BB, K, SB

Peck: 2-6, 4 R, RBI, 2B, SB

Lockhart: 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves have a 2-0 lead in the series heading into Thursday’s 6:30 p.m. ET start time in Harrisburg.

Dayton Dragons 4, West Michigan Whitecaps 3 (box)

The Whitecaps losing streak hit 10 games on Wednesday, and once again, they lost it in the ninth inning. It’s no consolation that this one was at home and so not a walkoff.

Left-hander Ben Jacobs, at least, continued to pitch very well in his second Midwest League outing. He punched out seven over four innings of work, allowing just a solo shot to Kien Vu in the first inning.

In the bottom of the first, Jackson Strong drew a leadoff walk, but was cut down trying to steal second. Ricardo Hurtado and Garrett Pennington followed with singles, and Bryce Rainer lined a single to left to score Hurtado. Pennington was cut down trying to go first to third, so that was all they’d get.

In the third, Strong tried again, walking and successfully stealing second. Pennington singled him home, and Rainer walked, but Samuel Gil and Cristian Santana struck out.

CJ Weins and then Thomas Bruss got the ‘Caps through the eighth still holding a 2-1 lead, and then Rainer rifled a line drive home run to left field for his first with the Whitecaps.