Toledo Mud Hens 8, Omaha Storm Chasers 2 (box)The Mud Hens bashed four home runs in support of Ty Madden and cruised to victory over the Storm Chasers on Wednesday.
Madden got himself into a jam with some walks in the top of the first, but escaped with just a run allowed. He went on to blank them through three more innings before turning it over to the bullpen.
The Mud Hens seized control in the bottom of the second against RHP Aaron Sanchez, who at 33 years old refuses to give up. Some may remember the excellent start to his major league career with the Blue Jays a decade ago. Corey Julks and Jace Jung, unlike Pepperridge Farms neither remember nor care, and they blasted back-to-back solo shots to lead off the inning.
Corey Julks 394 foot blast ties the game for the Mud Hens. pic.twitter.com/AFEjFYHMd8
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) April 22, 2026
In the third, Ben Malgeri cracked a solo shot to leadoff that inning. 3-1 Hens.
Tyler Mattison took over from Madden in the fifth. He was a little wild, and a Luke Ritter error contributed to a run scoring, but Mattison limited the damage. 3-2 Hens.
Finally in the fifth the Hens pulled away for keeps. Max Clark led off the inning by reaching on an error and Gage Workman ripped a single to right field. Julks stepped in and smoked a line drive to left for a two-run double that made it 5-2. That was the end of Sanchez’s outing.
Ethan Bosacker took over for Omaha and promptly walked Jung. A Tyler Gentry single loaded the bases and Tomas Nido walked to make it 8-2. Ritter lifted a sacrifice fly to score Jung for a 7-1 lead.
Malgeri would lead off the bottom of the eighth with his second solo shot of the day and his third homer of the season.
Scott Effross returned from rehab with a clean inning of relief. Ricky Vanasco, who I referred to as Ricky Nolasco like a maniac in an article yesterday, remained untouchable with a clean inning and a strikeout, maintaining his 0.00 ERA. Brenan Hanifee closed it out with no issues.
If it feels like Max Clark watch has been quiet, he looks fine and hasn’t been striking out. He just hasn’t been racking up the hits or doing much damage the past few games.
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:35 p.m. ET start in Toledo on Thursday with the series tied at a game apiece.
Marlins OF Austin Slater has been designated for assignment.
Kenny Serwa threw his first good game of the season, and the offense took advantage of some wildness from the Ponies to win easily on Wednesday.
Serwa got himself into a bit of a jam in the bottom of the first, but the knuckleballer worked through it without surrendering a run. Then his teammates got to work in the top of the second.
Chris Meyers singled with one out, and Izaac Pacheco drew a walk. An Andrew Jenkins ground out advanced the runners but it didn’t matter as E.J. Exposito cranked a three-run shot, his third of the year, for an early lead. Singles from Brett Callahan, Justice Bigbie, and Meyers produced another run in the third. 4-0 SeaWolves.
Serwa leaked a run in the bottom of the fourth but he handled the fifth without issue and put together a really good outing overall.
A sacrifice fly from Callahan scored Seth Stephenson in the seventh, and in the eighth, a pair of walks to Bigbie and Meyers were cashed in by a Pacheco two-run double. A ground out got Pacheco to third where an Exposito fly out was deep enough to score him and make it 8-1.
Izaac Pacheco smokes a double into the right field corner. Two runs score. Erie is now up 7-1. pic.twitter.com/aUYYXHY285