June 3rd
Toledo 3 Buffalo 2
Virgil Vasquez returned to form with 6 shut out innings. He allowed only 3 hits and 1 walk while fanning 4. Ryan Raburn hit a 3 run homer to provide all the offense.
Erie 7 Binghamton 0
Andrew Miller has adjusted well to Erie and with 7 more scoreless innings today his ERA is down to 0.59. He allowed 7 hits and one walk while fanning 7 and picking up 12 ground ball outs. Joel Roa homered, his 2nd of the year.
St. Lucie 11 Lakeland 12 11 innings
Wil Rhymes, Ryan Roberson, and Michael Hernandez all homered. For Hernandez and Rhymes it was part of a 3 hit attack. Cameron Maybin added 3 singles.
West Michigan – PPD Rain
June 2nd
Courtesy of Mike R:
Toledo 2 Buffalo 3
Ryan Raburn went 3 for 4 and Chris Shelton was 2 for 4 including a double and the lone Mud Hens RBI (other run was unearned). Corey Hamman made just his 2nd start of the season and went 4.2 IP in which he gave up 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 BB’s, and 1 K while surrendering a HR. Roman Colon threw 2 innings, giving up 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 BB and striking out 2.
Erie 3 Binghamton 1
Mike Holliman hit a 2-run HR, and Jeff Larish was 3-4 with 2 doubles. Dallas Trahern continued dealing this season with a 8 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K performance that dropped his ERA to 2.45 in Double-A. 14 of his outs were ground balls, 3 fly balls, and 6 K’s. Very dominating performance.
St. Lucie 8 Lakeland 0
Not much to like on the Lakeland side of things. St. Lucie’s 2-5 hitters drove in all 8 runs by going a collective 8 for 20 with 2 doubles and a HR. Lakeland mustered just 2 hits against St. Lucie pitching. Kyle Sleeth gave up 3 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 0 K’s in 2 innings of relief. Why is he still on the 40 man roster? His 13.50 ERA as a nearly 26-year-old in Double-A can be let go.
Fort Wayne 4 West Michigan 8
Scott Sizemore had 2 hits and drove in 2. Gorkys Hernandez didn’t play today. Duane Below went 5 innings, allowing 6 hits, 1 run, 4 walks, and striking out 7. The bullpen pitched well (Fragaso, Bierd, Clelland) as they combined to pitch the final 4 innings, scattering 5 hits, 3 runs, but only walked 1 and struck out 6.
Billfer: Maybin had 1 line drive, 4 ground balls, and a striked out. Get rid of the bum! haha. (Kidding, I’m not that drastic.)
Mike, be careful not to fall into the trap so many GMs and managers do and focus on what Maybin can’t do or isn’t doing right now.
Even if his power never develops – and he’s only 20, so there’s lots of time – he will play a premium defensive position well, get on base, and run like the wind. That has value, too.
As for the power, Firstinning.com recently had a story looking at who goes the opposite way the most and Maybin was among the leaders. I don’t know this to be the case, but it’s possible he’s working on his swing and not just looking to yank the ball out of the park every time he goes to the plate.
I can understand making an argument that he may not be one of the top prospects in baseball, but he is looking like a player that could have real value to the Tigers very soon.
Oh, Matt I know. I’m just kind of bummed because I’m in love with what Colby Rasmus is doing (granted, 8 months older, but same draft class as Maybin) in Double-A. And I was expecting his power to develope more than it has at this point. Basically his HR totals are thanks to 1 week in April and a day in May.
I do appreciate his value to get on base and his defensive prowess, but his terribly high K totals, for me, tend to drag down his value a little. Right now I’d settle him in the Mid-to-Lower 20’s in a list of the top prospects in baseball.
Also, his firstinning.com profile,/a> shows that he’s hitting 52% of his balls in play to LF, 44% of which are on the ground (8.7% in the air) and 28.4% to RF (14.4% on the ground and the air) and 10.6% in the air to CF. I haven’t seen him play and regret not getting a chance to go to Grand Rapids to see him in Low-A ball, but I’m hoping it’s more his trying to pull everything that’s resulting in what are alarming groundball rates.
I guess, the only reason i’m slightly concerned (though I’m sure it comes across as a 5 alarm worry, haha) is he was touted as having all 5 tools. Even if he doesn’t develope that power, he’ll be a very good leadoff hitter with his increasing BB totals and his speed. That’d allow Granderson to move down in the order where, at his peak, I think he should be (I feel the same for Grady Sizemore. Both he and Grandy are No. 3 hitters in my opinion, in their prime).