Inside the Article:
The Detroit Tigers AAA affiliate Toledo Mud Hens are taking on the Iowa Cubs and have lost all three games to start the week. The AA affiliate Erie Seawolves have won the first three games of their series against the Richmond Flying Squirrels. The Tigers High A affiliate, the West Michigan Whitecaps, have dominated the Lansing Lugnuts, winning two of their three games and outscoring them 25-12. The A-level affiliate, the Lakeland Flying Tigers, have won just one game of their first three against the Bradenton Marauders.
Tigers Minor League Mid-Week Shout Out:
Hitter: Justice Bigbie – West Michigan Whitecaps
Justice Bigbie this week against the Lugnuts has been red hot in the first three games. He started the first two off with three hits in each game and on Wednesday, he went 1-4. Bigbie is 7-12 with three runs scored, two doubles, a home run, five RBI, and a walk as the Whitecaps offense has been dominant, taking two of three heading into the weekend.
Pitcher: Ty Madden- Erie Seawolves
Ty Madden got the ball on Wednesday for Erie in their series against Richmond. Madden dominated the Flying Squirrels going five innings, giving up two hits and zero runs; he did not walk anyone and struck out six. Madden did not factor into the decision of the game, as Erie won 1-0 and got that run in the eighth inning.
Tigers Minor League Moves
Tuesday:
- The Toledo Mud Hens assigned LHP Sam Clay from FCL Tigers.
- The Erie Seawolves assigned LHP Sean Guenther on a rehab assignment to single-A Lakeland.
- Lakeland placed OF Lazaro Benitez on the injured list.
Wednesday:
- OF Steele Walker was assigned to Toledo from Erie.
Thursday:
- LHP Jake Higginbottom was assigned to AA Erie from Toledo.
- RHP Yaya Chentouf was placed on the Erie Development List.
- RHP Tim Naughton was signed by the Tigers as a MiLB free agent and assigned to AA Erie.
Erie Seawolves reach franchise milestones
Last week the Detroit Tigers AA affiliate, the Erie Seawolves, were on the road in Bowie, taking on the Bowie Baysox, the AA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. In their six-game series last week, the Seawolves reached franchise milestones, starting with hitting their 3,000th home run when Diego Rincones hit a solo home run last Friday in Erie’s 7-4 win over Bowie. The other milestone the Seawolves hit was 15,000 RBI when Gage Workman hit a two-run home run against Bowie on Sunday. The Seawolves started in 1995 and worked their way up from short season to AA, where they are today, and have been affiliates of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Anaheim Angels before partnering with the Detroit Tigers in 2001.
Minor Leaguer off to a hot start in May
Boston Red Sox shortstop Marcelo Mayer has been scorching hot in May, playing in High A with the Greenville Drive. Mayer was drafted fourth overall in the 2021 MLB Draft by Boston after being the projected number one overall pick and sliding. In May with Greenville, Mayer has played in six games and is 16 for 31 with eight runs scored, six doubles, three home runs, and 12 RBI. Mayer has a hit in every game since the calendar has flipped to May and is posting a slash line of .516/.516/1.000 this month.
Eastern League bringing out wildlife
On Wednesday night in the Eastern League, which is where the Detroit Tigers AA affiliate the Erie Seawolves play, they experienced two different situations where wildlife was roaming the field. In a game between the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the AA affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, and the Reading Fightin Phils, the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, the game was stopped when a squirrel was roaming around the field.
Then in Harrisburg, where the Harrisburg Senators, the AA affiliate of the Washington Nationals, were taking on the Bowie Baysox, the AA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, they had to stop the game in the eighth inning as a skunk was roaming around in the outfield until a grounds crew member came out and spooked it just enough for it to escape underneath the center field fence.
