A big day for the offense carried the Hens over Lehigh Valley in game 1 of this series from Allentown, PA. Jack O’Loughlin continues to impress, and while the bullpen made it a nail biter, a ninth inning rally brought home the victory.
The left-handed O’Loughlin, who has spent a half decade in A-ball since being drafted by the Tigers at age 17, has suddenly leveled up. With better velocity (92-94) and an improving breaking ball, the Australian looks like a different pitcher than he did even at the beginning of the season. He’s not dominating at Triple-A or rocketing up prospect lists yet, but coming straight from High-A he’s been surprisingly effective filling the hole in the Hens rotation left by Reese Olson.