Ronaldo Hernandez and Garrett Whitley each hit their first home run of the season Thursday. For the first time since Aug. 24, 2017, Garrett Whitley homered. A labrum injury cost him the entire 2018 season. He’s had a slow start, but that hasn’t been uncommon in his career. Through his first 12 games in 2017, he had a .413 OPS. In 2016, it was .519. In both seasons, he eventually settled in. Triple-A Durham Bulls (4-9) A late collapse cost Durham in an 8-5 loss to Norfolk. Aaron Slegers pitched well — allowing just two runs in seven innings — and he left with a 5-2 lead. But in the eighth, Colin Poche allowed a game-tying, three-run home run, and the Tides added three additional runs with two outs to win the four-game series. CF Andrew Velazquez: 1-for-3, 3 R, 1 2B, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 SB (.854)2B Nick Solak: 1-for-4 (.807)DH Christian Arroyo: 2-for-3, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K (.938) RHP Aaron Slegers: 7 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (5.17)LHP Colin Poche: two-thirds IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (19.29) Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (7-5) Montgomery’s game was postponed. Class A-Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (5-10) Charlotte started its series against Fort Myers with a 6-3 win over the Miracle. After only hitting three home runs in their first 14 games, the Stone Crabs got two — Garrett Whitley and Ronaldo Hernandez each hit solo homers. With the run support, Paul Campbell pitched a strong outing. He struck out five and yielded just a single and a walk in 6 2?3 scoreless innings. 2B Tyler Frank: 1-for-5, 1 RBI (.450)RF Moises Gomez: 0-for-4, 1 BB, 2 K (.459)C Ronaldo Hernandez: 1-for-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB (.407)LF Garrett Whitley: 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K, 1 SB (.646) RHP Paul Campbell: 6 2?3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K (6.60) Charlotte’s site offers this recap. Class-A Bowling Green Hot Rods (7-7) Bowling Green earned a 13-inning, 8-5 win over Great Lakes. Thanks to two Chris Betts homers, the Hot Rods led 3-0, but the Loons eventually tied the game to force extra innings. Neither team took advantage of the free baserunner in the first two, but Kaleo Johnson’s two-run homer put Bowling Green back up in the 12th. Great Lakes tied it again, but RBI hits from Ford Proctor and Johnson in the 13th put the Hot Rods ahead for good. Michael Plassmeyer struck out seven in six scoreless innings. DH Wander Franco: 2-for-7, 1 R, 1 3B, 2 K (.739)C Chris Betts: 3-for-3, 3 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 4 BB (1.017)1B Kaleo Johnson: 2-for-7, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 3 K (.754) LHP Michael Plassmeyer: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K (1.59) CLICK HERE FOR ALL BOX SCORES Friday’s games (probables courtesy of milb.com) Durham vs. Gwinnett 7:05 p.m. ET (MiLB.TV, radio stream)Ryan Merritt (0-1, 14.73) vs. Kolby Allard (1-0, 0.96) Montgomery @ Mobile 6:05 p.m. ET (MiLB.TV, radio stream) DOUBLEHEADERJosh Fleming (1-0, 1.50) vs. Adrian De Horta (0-0, 6.23)TBA vs. TBA Both games will be seven innings. Charlotte @ Fort Myers 6:30 p.m. ET (radio stream)Riley O’Brien (1-0, 3.38) vs. Bailey Ober (1-0, 0.00) Bowling Green @ Great Lakes 6:05 p.m. ET (MiLB.TV, radio stream)Caleb Sampen (1-1, 4.15) v. Jeronimo Castro (1-0, 0.00) *Listed as TBA on milb.com Scouting the opposition Gwinnett Stripers (Atlanta)7-7 (2nd in IL South)Offense: 65 R (9th) .767 OPS (7th)Pitching: 3.93 ERA (3rd) 1.17 WHIP (1st)Top-30 prospects: 3B Austin Riley (1), RHP Kyle Wright (4), RHP Bryse Wilson (6), LHP Luiz Gohara (10), LHP Kolby Allard (14), C Alex Jackson (23) Mobile BayBears (Angels)5-7 (5th in SL South)Offense: 23 R (8th) .565 OPS (8th)Pitching: 4.28 ERA (10th) 1.31 WHIP (7th)Top-30 prospects: OF Jo Adell (1), OF Brandon Marsh (3), 2B Jahmai Jones (5), LHP Patrick Sandoval (12), C Jack Kruger (17), RHP Jeremy Beasley (20) Fort Myers Miracle (Minnesota)9-6 (3rd in FSL South)Offense: 56 R (5th) .663 OPS (4th)Pitching: 2.68 ERA (3rd) 1.12 WHIP (5th)Top-30 prospects: SS Royce Lewis (1), OF Trevor Larnach (5), RHP Jhoan Duran (7), C Ryan Jeffers (9), IF Jose Miranda (13), OF Akil Baddoo (19), C Ben Rortvedt (22), 2B Michael Helman (27), OF Aaron Whitefield (28) Great Lakes Loons (Dodgers)6-7 (6th in MWL East)Offense: 53 R (T-11th) .663 OPS (12th)Pitching: 2.95 ERA (3rd) 1.29 WHIP (5th)Top-30 prospects: RHP Josiah Gray (19), 3B Miguel Vargas (21), SS Jacob Amaya (30) Daily news and links Quad Cities has had an interesting start to the season (Baseball America $). His defense should be major league ready any day now: INTO THE PARKING LOT!!!Here's the MASSIVE home run #Bisons 3B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit out of McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket!!! #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/DNSdztW5fc— Buffalo Bisons (@BuffaloBisons) April 17, 2019

The award is for the league’s best rookie! The Headline Tampa Bay Lightning prospect and Syracuse Crunch forward has been awarded the Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award. The award is given every year to the AHL’s most outstanding rookie. What a year! Alex Barré-Boulet has been voted the winner of the Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award as @TheAHL's outstanding rookie for the 2018-19 season. pic.twitter.com/PISlw6Yseh— y - Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) April 18, 2019 This is the first time in team history that a Crunch rookie has been recognized by the league with this honor. Congrats to Alex Barre-Boulet, who became the first #SyrCrunch player to lead @TheAHL rookies in scoring. He is the first Crunch player to be named the league's most outstanding rookie. He's the first #TBLightning prospect to win it since Cory Conacher with Norfolk in 2011-12. https://t.co/qUtl5jgQJG— Lukas Favale (@LukasFavale) April 18, 2019 The Lightning -The Tampa Bay Lightning had their exit interviews yesterday. As expected, team general manager Julian BriseBois had some interesting things to say. First up, feelings on how it all ended: #tblightning GM Julien BriseBois said while he “can’t overstate” his disappointment in how it ended, he doesn’t plan to make massive changes. Coach Jon Cooper staying. “My faith in Coop has not wavered.” Preached “humility,” vowed they will bring Cup to Tampa— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) April 18, 2019 Next, on the question of blowing it all up and starting fresh: BriseBois (1 of 2): "We have a very good team. We have very good players and very good coaches. I’m not going to overreact and blow up all the good things we have here because we had a very bad four-game slump at the most inopportune time of the year." #Bolts— Bryan Burns (@BBurnsNHL) April 18, 2019 The story of this nucleus of players and this coaching staff, it’s not over. It’s still being written. The best and most memorable chapters lie ahead. I have great faith eventually...we’re going to bring the Cup back to Tampa with this group of players, with these coaches."— Bryan Burns (@BBurnsNHL) April 18, 2019 BriseBois when asked if offseason changes need to be made: “The reality is there were going to be changes in the offseason anyway just because of our cap situation. There will be some changes. Today, it's too soon. The emotions are still too raw." #Bolts— Bryan Burns (@BBurnsNHL) April 18, 2019 And, finally, Nikita Kucherov out of context: Kucherov, on if he learned from the Game 3 suspension: “No.”— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) April 18, 2019 -Alan wrote a really nice piece on the feelings many Lightning fans were wrestling with yesterday. I suspect most of the harsher sentiments will fade in the coming weeks. Fans will probably take a needed break from the team. But those who are interested in the draft and free agency will slowly start to come back and pay attention. They’ll remember that the Lightning have been one of the best-managed teams in the league and BriseBois should get a fair shot to make his mark on the roster. He’s been in Tampa for a while but this will be his first summer in charge. -The Lightning Foundation brought together a group of volunteers, including STM and sponsors, to clean up trash and beautify the Harbour Island mangroves. Before and after our squad of more than 70 volunteers collected over 4,500 pounds of trash in the Harbour Island mangroves. Thanks again to our Season Ticket Members and partners for helping us make a difference! pic.twitter.com/0xcG6WIDCi— Lightning Foundation (@LightningFDN) April 18, 2019 The Crunch -Just how good was Syracuse’s season? Records and awards. The 2018-19 regular season was full of them.We’ve recapped some of the highs before it all starts over for #CalderCup Playoffs. #RaiseIt pic.twitter.com/9NNvefs0TZ— y - Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) April 18, 2019 -With the end of the Crunch’s season here, we posted another picture summary yesterday to celebrate how Syracuse’s season ended. -Patrick Williams previewed all of the playoff matches in the AHL’s Eastern Conference, including the Crunch and the Cleveland Monsters. The Crunch’s penchant for penalty trouble has been an extended issue. Having the AHL’s fifth-best penalty kill negated much of the potential damage from that lack of discipline, but Syracuse does need to clean up the penalty issue. -You want infographics for the Calder Cup playoffs? We got ‘em! Infographics for all eight #CalderCup division semifinal series ? https://t.co/g1Bc0P5d1F pic.twitter.com/3hZUkLvr1R— AHL Communications (@AHLPR) April 18, 2019 The Solar Bears -Did you miss this highlight from Orlando Solar Bears forward Hunter Fejes the other night? It was pretty sweet! Who else would it be?Hunter Fejes buries his second of the game to lift Orlando to a 4-3 win at 10:23 of DOUBLE OT in the longest Kelly Cup playoff game in Solar Bears history! pic.twitter.com/NiNL1cWn7G— Orlando Solar Bears (@OrlandoHockey) April 18, 2019 The Others -Lexi Brown has some good advice for those women out there who are currently struggling with their significant other’s angst over their team: When JT lost in the cup final, he came home with a puppy. Accept nothing less ladies. https://t.co/hCzs40oc47— Lexi Brown (@lexilafleur) April 18, 2019 -I don’t know who Tyler Seguin is. Yet, given the description of the Dallas Stars’ player in this tweet, I was able to figure it out... As @OrMoyal pointed out last night, Seguin has Hulk hands. pic.twitter.com/GhwL9faIVs— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) April 18, 2019 -PensBurgh broke down the important off season dates for the Pittsburgh Penguins (Who, by the way, are also done playing). -John Buccigross and Barry Melrose sat down with Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic to discuss puck. (pay-walled) -Here’s another video game-like highlight, this time from the Colorado Avalanche: That’s a NOPE from Gru #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/s6ocmi88PG— x- Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 18, 2019 -Troy Mann, the head coach of AHL Manitoba, has had quite the journey to get to where he is. “It was hockey all the time, it really was,” said Mann, reflecting on his childhood. ”I grew up in a typical Canadian family,” continued Mann ruminating. “We had an outdoor rink in the backyard; my Dad was a big hockey fan.” Trent, Troy’s younger brother of four years also picked up the hockey gene, playing goal growing up and turning professional, he now serves as the Director of Amateur Scouting for the Ottawa Senators. -This Twitter thread about ECHL mascots and the ceral boxes that represent them is pretty hilarious. #ECHL mascots as breakfast cereals: a thread pic.twitter.com/kiBOPDJjlC— Indy Fuel ?? (@IndyFuel) April 18, 2019 -Team USA has named their team for the Men’s National Team for the IIHF Worlds: #TeamUSA names its first 17 players to the 2019 U.S. Men’s National Team. #IIHFWorlds Details ? https://t.co/j5QZHC8ZMT pic.twitter.com/cUfL4MIyTM— USA Hockey (@usahockey) April 18, 2019

The hospital known for delivering and caring for babies is expanding to handle even more. St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital in Tampa has started construction on a $9.4 million project to expand its Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and renovate 15 beds in the obstetrics unit. The expansion is the NICU is for 12 new, private patient suites, bringing the total bed count to 76. The suites will have a full bathroom and sleeping nook for overnight guests, and the latest high-tech and life-sustaining…

The Palmetto port has experienced the busiest first fiscal half in its nearly 50-year history. Port Manatee said it broke cargo records for the six-month period that ended March 31, according to a press release. The accomplishments compared with the first six months of fiscal 2018 include: Total short tons, up 14 percent, to 5,132,864 Containerized cargo, as measured by 20-foot-equivalents units, up 34 percent, to 25,242 Containerized cargo tons, up 36 percent, to 262,143 Dry bulk cargo tons,…