Tigers Minor League Baseball Blog

The Mud Hens scored two in the eighth inning and one in the ninth to edge the Charlotte Knights 6-5.  Dane Sardinha drove in the winning run with a solo homer while Jeff Larish, Mike Hessman and Michael Hollimon all went yard.  For Hessman, it’s his 17th homer of the season and six homeruns in his last six games.

Dontrelle Willis had a tough time in his rehab start.  He gave up five runs on seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.  Preston Larrison threw 2 1/3 innings of shutout ball and he improved to 2-1 while Blaine Neal threw a shutout ninth to pick up his 13th save of the season.

Francis Beltran gave up two runs in the ninth inning and he took the loss as the Hens lost to the Clippers 5-3.  Far and away the pitching star was Francisco Cruceta, who made his minor league debut today.  He threw three shutout innings and he struck out six without giving up a hit.

Mike Hessman and Dane Sardinha both belted homeruns in the game.  For Hessman, it was his sixth of the season and he’s now driven in 15 runs.

Virgil Vasquez picked up his first win of the season with an impressive pitching performance in Toledo’s home opener.  He gave up just a single run on three hits and a walk with eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.  Preston Larrison gave up a run in his single inning and Blaine Neal pitched a perfect ninth to pick up his first save of the season.

Dane Sardinha was the hitting star in the win.  He went two for three with a solo homerun.  Timo Perez didn’t get a hit, but he stole two bases and Mike Hessman went two for four with a double and a run.

The Mud Hens turned a seven run deficit into a one run game with a late inning rally but 9-8 is as close as they’d get.  Anastatcio Martinez was shelled and he gave up eight runs on seven hits and four walks with two strikeouts in just 2 1/3 innings.  The loss drops him to 5-7 on the season.

Erick Almonte was the hitting star in the loss.  He went four for five with an RBI and two runs.  Dane Sardinha went one for four with a homerun, three RBIs and two runs.

Dane Sardinha singled home Erick Almonte in the top of the ninth inning as the Hens topped the Tide 4-3.  Almonte finished the game with two hits and as did Sardinha.

Macay McBride picked up the win with three shutout innings in his Toledo debut.  Virgil Vasquez was rolling in his start but Norfolk touched him up for three runs in the fifth inning.

Dennis Tankersley got off to a rough start but he settled down and improved to 9-6 in the Hens 4-2 win over Indianapolis.  He gave up the two runs on five hits and three walks with eight strikeouts in eight innings of work.

Dane Sardinha belted a two run homer in the seventh inning to help out the cause.  Chris Shelton went two for two with two walks and a run.

Virgil Vasquez fell to 10-5 on the season with a tough start in the Mud Hens 9-3 loss to Durham.  He gave up five runs (four earned) on eleven hits with three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

Dane Sardinha went two for four with two RBIs.  Brent Clevlen went two for three with a walk.

The Mud Hens couldn’t get much done at the plate as they lost to the Knights 4-1.  Timo Perez had two of those hits while the lone run came on a solo homer by Dane Sardinha.

Virgil Vasquez fell to 10-4 despite a nice start.  He gave up two runs on six hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in seven innings of work.

Dane Sardinha had a career day at the plate in the Mudhens 10-3 blowout win over Richmond.  He belted three homers and drove in seven runs in the game.  Prior to that, Sardinha had hit only four homeruns the entire season so the offensive explosion was somewhat surprising.  Erick Almonte also pitched in with a two run homer, his first long ball since being promoted to Triple A.

Ron Chiavacci picked up the win and he improved to 9-5 on the season.  He gave up two runs on six hits and two walks with eight strikeouts in six innngs of work.

Virgil Vasquez improved to 10-3 on the season with a nice start in the Hens’ 2-1 win over Richmond.  He gave up one run on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts in six innings of work.

Both Mudhen’s runs came via solo homeruns.  Chris Shelton and Dane Sardinha both yard for the Mud Hens.  It was Shelton’s eleventh homerun and Sardinha’s fourth.

The Mud Hens managed only four hits in a twelve inning game but they still walked away with a 2-1 win.  Dane Sardinha drew a bases loaded walk in the top of the twelth to win it for the Hens.  Ramon Santiago had two of the four hits and he scored the first run for the Hens in the first inning.

Virgil Vasquez threw six shutout innings and then Yorman Bazardo gave up just one run in five innings of relief to pick up the win.  He improved to 5-3 on the season.

Mike Hessman homered for the fifth time in ten games as he continued to knock the ball over the fence.  It was his seventeenth homerun of the season and he finished the game two for three with a double, the homerun, two RBIs and two runs.  Dane Sardinha went two for four with a double, a homerun, two RBIs and two runs.

Dennis Tankersley threw a gem in the Hens 9-2 win.  He improved to 6-3 on the season and have gave up two hits and a walk with four strikeouts in six shutout innings.

The Mud Hens came back from a 7-0 deficit to beat Louisville and they had some late inning heroics to get it done.  Mike Hessman drove home Ryan Rayburn in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra frames while David Espinosa scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the tenth to win it.  Dane Sardinha had a nice day at the plate and he went two for five with a double and three RBIs.

Virgil Vasquez was hit hard in the early parts of this game and he gave up seven runs in five innings.  You see this happen sometime.  A pitcher will tear it up in the minors, struggle in the majors and then when he gets sent back down, he struggles some more.  Hopefully Vasquez can get back on track in his next start.

Vic Darensbourg got it done in relief and he picked up the win.  He gave up just two hits and a walk with three strikeouts in three innings.

You have to feel for Ron Chiavacci.  He gave up just one run on five hits with five strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings only to see the pen blow the game in the ninth and lose it in the tenth.  Jason Karnuth gave up the two ninth inning runs to send the game into extra frames before Jeremy Johnson took the loss when he gave up a run in the tenth.

Mike Hessman was a perfect three for three and he scored one run.  Dane Sardinha only had one hit, but it was a two run shot in the third inning.

Dane Sardinha drove home Jack Hannahan in the bottom of the tenth inning as the Mud Hens beat the Yankees 2-1 in ten innings.  Hannahan was one of the three Mud Hens to finish with two hits in the game.

Virgil Vasquez got it done again and he ’s looking better and better as the season progresses.  He gave up five hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in seven shutout innings and its the third time in four starts he’s gone at least five innings and not given up an earned run.  Unfortunately, he didn’t pick the win though.  Tim Byrdak did with a shutout top of the tenth.