Toledo 7, Norfolk 1 (Orioles)

Fu Te Ni made his third start of the year on Tuesday and earned the win after throwing 7 innings and allowing just 1 ER on 8 hits and no walks. Ortega and Hoffman combined to throw two scoreless innings of relief.

Max St.Pierre (C) was 1-4 with a three run homer. Diaz (SS) was 2-2 with 2 runs scored, a double, and a walk. Ryan Strieby (1B) homered in 4 ABs and drove in 2.

Erie 2, Trenton 9 (Yankees)

Jay Voss took the loss after lasting 6.2 innings as the Erie starter. He gave up 4 ER on 7 hits and 2 walks. Wise and Stohr allowed 2 and 3 ER, respectively, over the remaining 1.1. Wise did not actually record an out but faced 4 batters.

Rawley Bishop (1B) was 2-3 with a double, an RBI, and a walk. He’s hitting .287 on the year.

Lakeland 0, Charlotte 9 (Rays)

Jared Wesson (LHP) started and lost for the Flying Tigers. He lasted just 4 innings while giving up 5 R (4 earned) on 5 hits and 4 walks. Luke Putkonen (RHP) was charged with the remaining 4 ER.

Tony Plagman (1B) was 2-3 and Eric Roof (C) was 2-4 in an otherwise anemic offensive box score.

Toledo 7, Scranton 4 (Yankees)

Brayan Villareal (RHP) started and lasted 5 1/3 innings while giving up 4 ER on 7 hits and 2 walks. Fu Te Ni (LHP) threw 1.1 innings in relief, holding Scranton scoreless. Enrique Gonzalez got the win and Chance Ruffin picked up his sixth save after the two combined for 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.

After a stellar 1^st half at Erie, Ruffin was promoted to AAA Toledo and has appeared in 7 games. In 8 innings of relief work, he has a 2.25 ERA with 11 K’s and 4 BB’s.

Ryan Strieby (1B) was 1-4 with 1 HR and 2 RBI. Danny Worth tripled in 2 ABs, drove in 2 runs, and drew a walk. Timo Perez was 2-4 with a walk and 2 runs scored. Will Rhymes also had 2 hits in 4 ABs and drove in 2. Rhymes is hitting .324 in Toledo.

Erie 8, Altoona 11 (Pirates)

LJ Gagnier posted a quality start for the SeaWolves: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. However, his performance was not enough to save the ‘Wolves from the implosion of Brendan Wise (RHP).  With Erie up 2 in the top of the 9^th, Wise came on to close out the game. Instead, he gave up 5 ER and took the loss with the blown save.

Gustavo Nunez (SS) was 2-4 with a double, a homer, and 3 RBI. Justin Henry (RF) was 2-4 with 2 2B and 2 RBI.

Lakeland 2, St. Lucie 8 (Mets)

Shawn Teufel (LHP) started, and lost, for the Flying Tigers. He posted the following line: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. He has a 2.50 ERA over 36 IP.

Corey Jones (2B) had the only RBI and went 2-4 from the plate. Avisail Garcia (RF) was 2-4 with a run scored, a double, and a strikeout.

West Michigan 5, Beloit 2 (Twins)

Josue Carreno (RHP) pitched well as the WM starter and improved his record to 5-9. Over 6 IP, he held Beloit to just 4 hits and 2 ER while striking out 5 without walking a batter. Torrealba and Rondon earned a hold, and save, respectively, as they held Beloit scoreless over 3 IP.

Clay Jones (DH) was 2-4 with a homer, a RBI, and 2 runs scored. Machado (SS) was 0-4 but picked up the only other WM RBI. Castellanos and Perez each went 1-4.

Toledo 3, Scranton 7 (Yankees)

This one was tied at three until the top of the 8^th inning when Scranton put up 4 and hung on to win by that margin. In a starting role, Duane Below looked good and threw a quality start: 6 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5K. His ERA on the year is 3.13.

Ortega took the loss after allowing 3 of the 4 ER in the 8^th inning.

Carlos Guillen played 2B and went 1-3 with a double, a walk, and a run scored. Guillen is hitting .316 in the minors. Cale Iorg (SS) drove in 2 runs to lead the Mud Hens but was 0-2 from the plate.

Erie 1, Altoona 3 (Pirates)

Jacob Turner took the loss in this one: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. In his last 10 starts Turner has posted a 4.01 ERA over 67 1/3 innings. In that same stretch, he’s K’ed 50 and walked 21. Turner has a high ceiling, which is not in question; however, I’ve been hearing rumors that he may get a mid-season promotion to fill in as the 5^th starter. Given his inconsistency, I think Turner needs to continue to develop at Erie. If I was DD, I would be looking at trying Duane Below for a start or two – then looking to acquire a SP before the 7/30 deadline if Below is not ready to produce at the major league level.

In any event, the sole RBI for Erie came by way of Bryan Holaday (C) who went 1-2 on the night.

Lakeland 2, St. Lucie 1 (Mets)

The 4 Lakeland pitchers all looked great. Drew Smyly (LHP) improved to 5-3 after 5 innings of 1-run ball in which he struck out 7 batters. He was replaced by, in order, Morrsion, Putkonen, and Little who combined to allows 4 hits over 4 innings with no runs. Matt Little (RHP) earned his second save.

Jordan Lennerton (DH) had the only RBI and went 1-2. Julio Rodriguez (C) and Brent Wyatt (LF) scored Lakeland’s 2 runs. In addition to the R, Wyatt was 1-2 with a double and a walk

West Michigan 5, Wisconsin 4 (Brewers)

Alex Burgos (LHP) did not factor in the decision as the SP for West Michigan. Over 4 1/3 IP, he allowed 5 hits and 3 walks which turned into only 1 ER. Impressively, he struck out 9 batters over that span. Reliever Clemente Mendoz (RHP) earned his 2^nd win after throwing 2.1 scoreless innings.

James Robbins (1B) had the by far the best night offensively. He was 3-5 with a run scored, a double, and two RBI. Jason Krizan (RF) was 2-5 with an RBI. Hernan Perez (SS) was 1-3 with a double, a RBI, run scored, and 2 walks. Castellanos was 0-4 with a walk, 3 K’s, and a run scored.

Erie 3, Akron 6 (Indians)

Brooks Brown gave up 5 runs (4 earned) over 5 IP as he took the loss. Austin Wood (LHP) pitched three innings of 1-run relief and struck out 3.

Carlos Guillen went 1-5 with 3 strikeouts. In 52 minor league ABs, spread between Lakeland, Toledo, and now Erie, Guillen is hitting .250 with a  .304 OBP.

Michael Bertram (LF) went 1-3 with a double and 2 RBI. Bryan Pounds was 2-3 with a double, a run scored, and a walk.

Lakeland 9, Bradenton 2 (Pirates)

Trevor Feeney (RHP) threw his third quality start in a row. In fact, going back to May 19^th, Feeney has thrown 8 quality starts in 10 chances. Feeney’s line: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K, W. Nelson allowed 2 runs (1 earned) and White pitched a shutout ninth.

Corey Jones (2B) had a stellar night offensively: 3-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI. Jordan Lennerton (1B) was 0-2 but drew 3 walks and scored 2 runs.

West Michigan 4, Bowling Green 2 (Rays)

Brian Flynn (LHP) was the winning pitcher. He gave up 2 ER over 5 IP with 5 hits and 2 walks. Rondon earned his 17^th save after he struck out the side in the 9^th.

Dixon Machado was 3-4 with a run scored. Rob Brantly (C) also went 3-4 with a run scored. Moya, Krizan, Robbins, and Hamme had an RBI each. Castellanos was 1-3 with a run scored.

Toledo 5, Columbus 2 (Indians)

Andy Oliver posted a quality start but did not factor in the decision. He threw 6 2/3 innings and gave up 2 ER on 4 hits and 5 walks. Brendan Wise (RHP) recorded his first win of the season after coming on in relief of Oliver. In 1 1/3 IP, Wise held Columbus to 1 hit and 1 base runner.

Carolos Guillen DH’ed and went 2-3 with a double, a walk, and a RBI. Iorg (SS) also went 2-3 with a double, a walk, and a RBI.

Erie 6, Akron 8 (Indians)

Erie lead this contest 4-2 after 5 innings. In the bottom of the 6^th, Akron put up 6 runs, most of which were charged to the starter, Mark Sorensen. As a result, Sorensen dropped to 7-7 on the year with an ERA of 6.49.

Shawn Roof (LF) drove in 3 runs on 1-4 from the plate. In 105 ABs with Erie, Roof is hitting .324 with a .393 OBP. Michael Bertram (DH) went 2-3 with 2 runs scored and a double. Johnson, Douglas, and Bishop each added an RBI.

Lakeland 5, Bradenton 4 (Pirates)

Kenny Faulk earned his 20^th save after cleaning up the mess left by Matt Little. In 2/3 of an inning, Little allowed Bradenton to close a 5-1 deficit to 5-4.

Corey Jones (2B) was 1-4 from the plate but his lone hit was a 2-run homerun. Tony Plagman (DH) was 2-2 with a double, a triple, an RBI, and 2 walks.

West Michigan 11, Bowling Green 3 (Rays)

Alex Burgos (LHP) started, recorded a win, and posted the following line: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Over 37.2 IP, Burgos has K’ed 32 and has a 2.15 ERA. Patrick Cooper recorded arguably the least stressful save of the season (Cooper came on in the top of the 8^th  before WM scored 4 in the bottom).

Nick Castellanos (3B) played a tremendous game. He was 3-4 with 2 homers, 3 RBI, and 3 runs scored. In his last 10 games he has 2 homers, 12 RBI, and is hitting .375 with a .395 OBP and .675 SLG. James Robbins (1B) and Jeff Rowland (LF) added 2 RBI each.

Toledo 8, Columbus 6 (Indians)

Bryan Villarreal won after 6 IP and 5 H, 4 R (3 earned), with 2 BB and 3 K. Brad Thomas (LHP) allowed 2 ER over a 1/3 of an inning. Schlereth looked terrific as he struck out 3 in 1.2 IP.

Will Rhymes went 3-4 and fell a homer short of the cycle. Timo Perez (LF) 3-4 with a double and 2 RBI. Clete Thomas (CF) was 2-4 with a homer and 2 RBI.

Erie 1, Akron 4 (Indians)

Jay Voss was the losing pitcher after posting the following line: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 6 K. Wood, Stohr, and Gayhart combined to hold Akron scoreless over the remaining frames.

Bryan Pounds (LF) was 1-1 with 3 BB. Brandon Douglas (2B) drove in the only RBI on a 1-4 night.

Lakeland v. Bradenton (PPD:rain)

West Michigan 1, Lansing 2 (Blue Jays)

Despite a quality start from Kyle Ryan, he took the loss after 6 2/3 as the SP. He gave up 2 ER and 5 hits while striking out 4. Torrealba came on to close out the game and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Hernan Perez (SS) had an explosive night from the plate. He was 3-4 with a triple and a run scored. Brantly (DH) was 1-4 with the only WM RBI.

Toledo 5, Indianapolis 1 (Pirates)

Duane Below (LHP) improved to 9-4 after 7 innings of 1-run ball as the Toledo starter. He allowed 4 hits and 4 walks while striking out 4. In 102 IP, Below has an ERA of 3.06. Schlereth allowed a walk in 1/3 of an inning and Wise finished out the game.

Carlos Guillen went 1-4 with a double and 2 RBI. Guillen was replaced in the top of the 7^th by Clete Thomas. Will Rhymes was 3-5 with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored. Strieby and Iorg had an RBI each.

Erie 3, Harrisburg 4 (Nationals)

Despite a late-inning Erie rally, the starter, Brooks Brown (RHP), wound up as the losing pitcher. Brown gave up 8 hits, 3 walks, and 4 runs (3 earned) in 7 IP.

Jamie Johnson (CF) had a terrific night in the leadoff spot: 3-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI. Francisco Martinez went 1-3 with a triple, a run scored, and a walk.

Lakeland 11, Dunedin 5 (Blue Jays)

This one was tied at 2 heading into the bottom of the 7^th before Lakeland put up a Rod Allen “crooked number” (7 to be exact) and ran away for the win.

Cole Nelson (LHP) started and went 4 innings. He gave up 2 ER on 6 hits and 3 walks. Victor Larez (RHP) earned the win after throwing 3 perfect innings and striking out 3 along the way. Larez was relieved by Zach Samuels (RHP) who gave up 3 runs (2 earned) in the 9^th.

Tony Plagman (DH) went 1-3 with 2 runs scored, a double, 3 RBI, and 2 walks. Wade Gaynor (3B) also drove in 3 and went 3-4 with a run scored and a walk. Garica and Jones each drove in 2.

West Michigan 0, Lansing 11 (Blue Jays)

There are two good things about this contest: 1) it’s over and 2) runs don’t carry over. 4 West Michigan pitchers saw action and each allowed at least one ER. The starter, Flynn, threw just 1 2/3 innings and managed to walk 5 batters. Logan Hoch (LHP) looked worse than that as he gave up 5 ER in 3 innings and allowed 6 hits.

James Robbins (1B) had the only night worth discussing as he went 2-4. Castellanos went 1-4 with a double.

Toledo 2, Indianapolis 1 (Pirates)

Andy Oliver was the winning pitcher after starting and throwing six innings. He held Indianapolis scoreless, although he walked 6 and allowed 4 hits. Despite his high WHIP, he K’ed 8. Schelereth threw an inning and a third and gave up an ER. Chance Ruffin picked up save number 2.

Jeff Salazar (CF) went 1-3 with a walk, 2 runs scored, and a solo homer. Strieby (1B) had the other RBI on a 2-4 night. Guillen DNP.

Erie 1, Harrisburg 8 (Nationals)

Mark Sorensen (RHP) got shelled in 4 innings as the starter: 9 H, 1 BB, 8 ER, and the “L”. Gayhart, Stohr, and Marte combined to throw 4 scoreless innings.

Rawley Bishop had the only Erie RBI on a double in the 6^th which scored Martinez.

Lakeland 2, Dunedin 5 (Blue Jays)

Luke Putkonen (RHP) took the loss but had a decent start nonetheless: 6 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3K.

Julio Rodriguez (C) went 1-3 and drove in 2 runs. Jordan Lennerton went 3-4 with a run scored. Although his numbers have slumped recently (.216 BA over the last 10 games), Lennerton is hitting .272 on the year with an OBP of .390. Maybe a 3-4 night is what he needs to bust out of his slump and head north to Erie.

West Michigan 4, Fort Wayne 3 (Padres)

With the game tied 3-3 in the top of the 9^th, Luis Castillo drove in Jeff Rowland with an RBI single for the game-winning run. Despite the clutch hitting, Nick Castellanos had the top night offensively. He went 3-4 with a double and 2 RBI. After a terrible start to the year, Castellanos has his average at .306.

Ramon Lebron (RHP) got the win after a scoreless 8^th inning in relief. Rondon earned his 15^th save.

Toledo 7, Indianapolis 1 (Pirates)

Fu Te Ni (LHP) started for the Mud Hens and made it 4 1/3 innings before being replaced. Ni did not factor in the decision but looked good as he allowed just 3 hits and 3 walks with no runs. Matt Hoffman (LHP) ended up earning the win after 3 solid innings – his only blemish was a solo homer.

Carlos Guillen went 0-1 and was lifted for a pinch hitter in the 4^th. Ryan Strieby (1B) went 1-4 with a HR and 2 RBI.  Argenis Diaz (3B) went 2-4 with a double and two runs scored.

Erie 6, Akron 2 (Indians)

Erie scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 1^st and lead this contest wire to wire for the win. Jay Voss (LHP) started and lasted 7 innings before giving way to Robbie Weinhardt. Voss gave up 2 ER on 6 hits and walk while striking out 8. Weinhard held Akron scoreless over two innings.

Rawley Bishop (1B) was 1-2 from the plate and walked twice. Bishop picked up two RBI to lead the way for Erie. Bertram (DH) went 2-3 with a double, 2 runs scored, a walk, and a RBI.

Lakeland 3, Clearwater 11 (Phillies)

Drew Smyly (LHP) was the recipient of some poor Lakeland defense as Smyly was charged with 7 runs, 4 earned, over 3 innings. Smyly was the losing pitcher and dropped his record to 4-3. Larez and Newman combined to allow 4 ER over 5 innings.

All 3 Lakeland runs were driven in by Tony Plagman (1B) who went 1-4 with a double. Jordan Lennerton (DH) went 0-4 with a golden sombrero.

West Michigan 1, Fort Wayne 2 (Padres)

Kyle Ryan started for the ‘caps and lasted 6 innings. He gave up 5 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, and K’ed 4. Patrick Cooper (RHP) dropped to 3-5 on the year after 2 1/3 innings of relief in which he gave up an ER on 3 hits and a walk.

Nick Castellanos (3B) drove in the lone West Michigan run and went 1-4 from the dish. Hernan Perez (2B) went 1-4, as did Brantley (C).

Toledo 3, Columbus 1 (Indians)

Duane Below (LHP) improved to 8-4 after 7 scoreless innings. He gave up just 4 hits and struck out 3.

Chance Ruffin (RHP) allowed an unearned run in 2 innings of work en route to his 1^st save of the year.

 Carlos Guillen went 1-4 with a run scored. Scott Thorman (1B) went 3-4 with a double and 2 RBI. Salazar (CF) had the other Toledo RBI.

 Erie 11, Akron 9 (Indians)

 Austin Wood (LHP) was the least bad pitcher for Erie, and earned the win after throwing the last 2 innings in relief. The starter, Brooks Brown (RHP), was the recipient of terrible defense. In 4.2 IP, Brown gave up 8 runs, but only 3 were earned.

 Brandon Douglas (2B) and Rawley Bishop (1B) each drove in 3 runs and went 3-5 from the plate.

 Lakeland 0, Dunedin 6 (Blue Jays)

 Cole Nelson (LHP) turned in a terrible performance as the Lakeland SP: 0.2IP, 4 H, 5 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 2 K. Teufel, Little, and Newman combined to give up an earned run on 5 hits through 7 1/3.

 Only 3 Lakeland batters recorded a hit: Gaynor (3B), Plagman (1B), and Wyatt (LF).

 West Michigan 16, Fort Wayne 11 (Padres)

 Brian Flynn (LHP) started for West Michigan and lasted 4 innings. He allowed 4 ER on 5 H and 3 BB while striking out 3. Michael Torrealba (RHP) became the winning pitcher after 2 innings of two-run relief. Logan Hoch (LHP) tried his best to relinquish the lead after he relieved Torrealba and gave up 4 R (3 earned) in an inning and a third. Lebron and Rondon combined for 1 2/3 IP of scoreless relief to preserve the win.

 The West Michigan offense scored 9 runs in the 5^th inning. Fort Wayne closed to within 11-9, but West Michigan responded with a 4-run 7^th to put it out of reach. A unique stat: every one of West Michigan’s 9 starters recorded an RBI. Another oddity of the offense – there were no West Michigan HRs.

 Nick Castellanos drove in 4 and went 2-5 with a double. Hernan Perez (SS) went 2-3 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI. Luis Castillo (CF) went 3-5 with a double and 2 RBI.

Toledo 4, Columbus 5 (Reds)

Adam Wilk (LHP) dropped to 4-5 on the season after allowing 3 ER in 4IP to take the loss. Wilk was relieved by LJ Gagnier (RHP) and Matt Hoffman (LHP) who each allowed a run each. Brendan Wise (RHP) closed out the game with a scoreless 9^th.

Ryan Strieby (1B) went 3-5 with a double, a homer, and a RBI. Danny Worth (3B) was 1-3 from the plate but drove in 3 with a three-run homer in the 6^th inning.

Lakeland 7, Clearwater 1 (Phillies)

Carols Guillen DH’ed and went 1-5 with a run scored. His ABs went as follows:

• AB 1 – 1^st inning – flied out to left
• AB 2 – 3^rd inning – reached on E4
• AB 3 – 5^th inning – singled to center
• AB 4 – 7^th inning – popped out to SS
• AB 5 – 8^th inning – K

 Drew Smyly (LHP) started for the Flying Tigers and earned his 4^th win after allowing just 1 ER over 6 IP.

Corey Jones (2B) had a big night with the bat as he drove in 3 runs and went 2-4 with a double.

 West Michigan 1, South Bend 7 (D-Backs)

 Kyle Ryan (LHP) gave up 4 ER in the 3^rd inning and got the hook after just 2 2/3 as the starter. Predictably, he was charged with his 6^th loss. Torrealba and Cruz held South Bend at bay over 5 1/3 innings until Ramon Lebron (RHP) entered the game. Lebron gave up 3 ER, 4 H, and a walk in the top half of the 9^th  – mercilessly killing any hope of a comeback. To his credit, an outing like this only inflated his season ERA to 1.97. In fact, Lebron had only given up 2 ER in his previous 14 2/3 innings of work.

 Hernan Perez (2B) drove in the only run of the night and went 1-4 with a double. Robbins went 0-4 with 3 K’s.

 Normally, I don’t have any interest in, nor do I cover, opposing pitchers; however, David Holmberg (LHP) who started for South Bend, struck out 7 in 7 innings and held West Michigan to just one hit. On the season, he’s 8-3 with a 2.39 ERA in 83 innings. He’s struck out 81 while walking only 13. He’s also 6’4’’, 219lbs., 20 years old, and ½ human ½ sasquatch. If DD ever stumbles across the pages of DTW – this is my official request to add Mr. Holmberg to the Tigers farm system.

Toledo 7, Louisville 2 (Reds)

Thad Weber (RHP) pitched 7 strong innings and recorded his 4^th win of the year. As the starter, he tossed 7 innings and allowed 2 runs off 7 hits and 3 walks while striking out 5. Brad Thomas struck out the side in one inning of work and E. Gonzalez closed out the 9^th.

Timo Perez had a huge night as he went 3-4 with a double, a homer, and 3 RBI. Will Rhymes went 2-3 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored. Strieby and Thorman drove in 2 each.

Erie 7, Binghamton 1 (Mets)

Erie scored 3 in the 1^st and 4 in the 4^th to win comfortably. Casey Crosby (LHP) was the winning pitcher: 5 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K. Jared Gayhart (RHP) allowed a solo homer in the 9^th, but struck out the side to finish Binghamton.

Deik Scram (RHP) went 2-3 with a homer, 4 RBI, a walk, and 2 runs scored.

 Lakeland 2, Clearwater 4 (Phillies)

Carlos Guillen went 0-2 with a walk to begin his rehab assignment. After reaching base, he was lifted for a pinch runner.

Jared Wesson (LHP) took the loss. He started and threw 5 1/3 innings. Wesson gave up all 4 Clearwater runs on 11 hits and 3 walks.

Julio Rodriguez (C) went 3-4 and had the only Lakeland RBI. Jordan Lennerton (1B) went 0-2 but drew 3 walks.

West Michigan 2, South Bend 4 (D-Backs)

The Whitecaps spoiled a tremendous start from Kevin Eichhorn (RHP): 8 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Bruce Rondon (RHP) blew a save opportunity in the 9^th and Logan Hoch (LHP) completed the choke to take the loss in 11.

Rowland and Sanz had one RBI each. Jeff Rowland (RF) also went 2-3 and scored a run.