Yes, this is a separate post. That’s how interested I am in back of the bullpen moves right now.
Don’t know much about him, the throws left, strikes out a lot, walks a few too many. Stats here. He’s 27 years old, so not really a prospect anymore.
Texas alum Corey Knebel down.
Sorry for cutting Wednesday’s post short but Turkey day plans were calling. In any event, to continue the discussion on the Tigers recent roster move, here’s some information on the remaining three prospects added to the 40-man roster:
Tyler Stohr (RHP)
The 25 year-old reliever spent 2011 in Lakeland and Erie. His ERA jumped from 3.25 to 4.21 following his promotion, but he has shown rapid improvement at each level he’s visited thus far. At Lakeland, Stohr walked 8 and struck out 23 over 31.1 IP. In Erie, his ratio of BB’s and K’s per nine rose (17 BB, 27 K, 25.2 IP). It looks like he’s going to work the back end of games as he finished 12 out of 20 appearances in Erie. Watch for Stohr to make the jump from Erie to Toledo next year.
Avisail Garcia (OF)
The 20-year-old right-handed hitter spent 2011 at the high-A level. Over 129 games he hit .264, stole 14 bases, drove in 56, and scored 53 runs. He hit 11 homers, slugged .389, and posted an OBP of .297. Obviously, he has room to improve; however, he hit A-level pitching at a .281 clip and was able to draw more walks. He is an athletic outfielder who has a decent ceiling but needs to work on his patience and hitting. At such a young age, he has time to develop.
Hernan Perez (SS)
Perez is also a 20-year-old right-handed hitter. As some of you may remember, he was one of the players I was able to interview at West Michigan towards the end of their season. Perez is a class act with the right make-up to be successful. He plays very much like a young Robinson Canoe (keep your hopes down, I’m not saying he’s there, or close) in the sense that he’s athletic, moves gracefully, and can generate good bat speed. After spending a couple years with a BA in the .220’s, Perez jumped his average to .258 last year, and over .300 during the first half. He also drew more walks (38) and developed some power (8 HR). Like Garcia, Perez is young and has time to develop over the next couple seasons. My guess is that his recent spike in performance caught the attention of DD and co.
Last week the Tigers set their 40-man rosters in order to protect players from the Rule 5 draft. In addition to the big league club and high-level minor leaguers, the roster includes 5 prospects whose names I mentioned many times throughout last season: Casey Crosby, Matt Hoffman, Tyler Stohr, Avisail Garcia, and Hernan Perez. In this fist-part post, I’ll examine the potential of two of the five.
Casey Crosby (LHP)
In 25 starts at Erie, Crosby went 9-7 with a 4.10 ERA. He tossed 131.2 innings while striking out 121, walking 77, and allowing a .253 average against. Crosby’s numbers seem relatively pedestrian. The most significant aspect of his stat line is that he was able to throw all year without being shut down due to injury. Crosby underwent Tommy John surgery in 2008 and missed most of 2010 with persistent elbow pain. Crosby has a live arm with a mid 90’s fastball from the left side. He has the stuff to be a top ½ of the rotation pitcher but needs to master his control issues. If his arm holds up through 2012, Crosby will be competing for a starting spot in 2013.
Matt Hoffman (LHP)
The 23-year-old lefty appeared in 49 games for Toledo as a middle-reliever. Over 62.1 IP, Hoffman K’ed 46, walked 23, and was hit at a .253 clip. His ERA at AAA was a respectable 3.18. Hoffman is an intriguing prospect because he has shown steady improvement each year and hasn’t hit his ceiling yet. The best way to statistically evaluate this improvement is to look at his tremendous year-to-year improvement in ERA at the same levels: in 2008 he finished the year at West Michigan with a 4.60 ERA. He started 2009 there and posted a 1.12 ERA before being promoted to Lakeland. He finished the year at Lakeland with a 6.79 ERA. The next year, 2010, he produced an impressive 1.59 ERA before being promoted to Erie and then Toledo. Hoffman produced solid numbers in the AFL: 3 1/3 innings giving up just one hit and no runs or walks. Hoffman should blossom into a quality middle-reliever (think Bobby Seay, but good at baseball) sometime in 2013.
For those unfamiliar with the Midwest League playoff race, the Whitecaps are neck and neck with Fort Wayne for the final playoff spot in the league. West Michigan and Fort Wayne shared an equal second-half record going into play on Saturday. That meant that the two teams squared off for a dramatic three-game series with the winner advancing to the post season and the loser packing it up for the year. After a season of evaluating box scores from afar, I decided to make the trip to Grand Rapids to see the Whitecaps battle it out.
On Saturday, West Michigan sent RHP Brian Stroud to the mound. The recently promoted 22-year-old looked strong over 6 innings as he held Fort Wayne to 2 unearned runs. Unfortunately, reliever Patrick Cooper couldn’t keep the Fort Wayne TinCaps at bay and allowed 4 ER in an inning of work while taking the loss.
Clay Jones (DH) provided offensive spark and went 3-4 from the plate. Castellanos was 2-5 with an RBI and Hernan Perez (SS) was 1-4. The Whitecaps trailed most of the game, but staged a valiant comeback with 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th. They fell a run short as Nick Castellanos was called for catcher inference erasing Hernan Perez who was attempting to steal second for the final out of the game.
Prior to the game, I had an opportunity to talk with three top prospects at the A level: Nick Castellanos, Hernan Perez, and Kevin Eichhorn. Before I get to the interviews, I want to thank Ben Chiswick, director of media affairs and play-by-play man for the Whitecaps, and also, of course, the players who allowed me to talk with them in the heat of a playoff race. Finally, I’d like to thank Alex Burgos who lent his time and translated during my interview with Hernan Perez.
Nick Castellanos – 3B, 6’4’’ 195 lbs.
The 19-year-old righty was the 44th overall pick in the 2010 draft and spent that year in the Gulf Coast League. He has played at West Michigan for all of 2011 and has had a record-breaking season as his 158 hits represent the new franchise single-season record. He broke Robert Fick’s previous mark of 157. The third baseman has hit .313 and slugged .438 in 504 ABs. Castellanos specifically did not want to address the record as he maintained his focus on the team’s critical three game series.
DTW: You’ve had a spectacular year, what have you learned in your first year at the A level?
Nick Castellanos (NC): How to be a professional on and off the field, how to be a good teammate, how to recognize certain situations.
DTW: Right now you’re involved in a three-game series which determines if you’ll make the playoffs, what kind of impact does that experience have on your development as a professional ballplayer?
NC: This is going to be the first playoff-type experience I’ll have as a pro baseball player, so I’m excited.
DTW: Jim Leyland constantly mentions that each game is just another game and stresses treating them similarly. Do you think that’s applicable or are you guys fired up over this series?
NC: Actually everyone’s pretty relaxed, you know, like Leyland said, it is another game. You can’t really go in amped up because it is just another game.
DTW: Your strikeout to walk ratio is a little bit high, is there anything you’re going to work on in the offseason to work on it?
NC: It’s not something that I’m going to stress out about. I’m still going to go up there looking to hit. It’s probably something that is going to happen as I develop as a player.
DTW: What is the main thing you want to work on this offseason?
NC: I want to work on everything.
DTW: What is your favorite aspect of your game?
NC: Hitting.
Hernan Perez – 2B, 6’0’’ 160 lbs.
Perez was signed as a non-drafted free agent in July, 2007. Since then, he has spent time in the VSL, BCL, and Lakeland. In 2010, he was promoted to West Michigan and has played there for the last 2 seasons. In his first three years of professional baseball, he hit .226, .239, and .235. This year, however, he has hit .259, including .306 in the first half. As a result, he was named a mid-season all-star. The speedy second-basemen has stolen 23 bases in 29 attempts.
DTW: The minor leagues is about individual development, but what does it mean to you to be playing in a three-game, do-or-die, series as part of this team?
Hernan Perez (HP): It’s definitely a team game, ultimately, but there’s no pressure right now I’m just doing all I can to help the team and hopefully we come out on top.
DTW: What did it mean to you to make the 2011 mid-season all-star team?
HP: I’m really proud of myself for making it. That’s always something that I’ve wanted to do. I give all the credit to my coaches for helping me prepare.
DTW: Your average is about 30 points higher than it’s been in the past. Is there anything you’re doing differently this year?
HP: Being more patient and only swinging at good pitches. Last year I didn’t really have an approach and swung at bad pitches.
DTW: What MLB player do you try to model yourself after?
HP: Robinson Cano
Kevin Eichhorn – RHP, 6’0’’ 175 lbs.
In 25 starts, covering 152 innings, Eichhorn is 11-5 with a 3.61 ERA, 109 K’s, 33 BB’s and a .256 average against. He was acquired by the Tigers in January, 2011 from the Diamondbacks in the Armando Gallaraga deal. He was originally picked in the 3rd round of the first-year player draft in 2008.
DTW: This is, by far, the most innings you’ve pitched as a professional. How’s your arm holding up?
Kevin Eichhorn (KE): It feels really good. I think this is double what I’ve thrown before.
DTW: What pitches do you feature in a typical start?
KE: Usually a 2-seam and 4-seam fastball, changeup, and curveball.
DTW: Will you try to add anything during the offseason or just work on the pitches you already have?
KE: I might try to add either a hard curveball or maybe a slider.
DTW: Your strikeout to walk ratio is terrific, but your average against is .256, it seems like you have great control but hitters are able to put the ball in play a little bit too much. Do you think that will improve as you move through the ranks and maybe get a little bit tougher defense behind you?
KE: I’ve had really good defense here. I just need to fine tune the strike zone, maybe throw the ball a little bit further off the plate. Try to get more bad swings. Just control the zone a little bit better.
DTW: Have you noticed any major differences between the two organizations (Arizona and Detroit)?
KE: A lot of the same stuff, different climates in spring training. Just getting to know the new guys. Everyone’s been real nice.
DTW: What does this series mean to you as a Whitecap?
KE: I really want to win, our team always wants to win, so, we’re going for the whole thing and we’re going to try to put a beating on them and play hard.
DTW: What are you planning to do this offseason that isn’t baseball related?
KE: See the family, rest the arm a little bit. I like playing music.
DTW: What kind of music?
KE: Reggae and rock with my brothers and cousin.
Toledo 4, Indianapolis 5 (Pirates)
Ramon Garcia (LHP) did not factor in the decision and tossed a slightly below-average start: 5 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K. Weinhard and Purcey threw five scoreless innings and struck out 2 batters apiece. Enrique Gonzalez got stuck with the loss after he yielded an unearned walk-off run in the Indianapolis 12th.
Danny Worth went 2-4 with 2 walks and 2 RBI. Carlos Guillen DH’ed and recorded 4 hits, including 2 doubles, and a walk in 6 ABs. He also drove in a run.
Erie 3, Binghamton 4 (Mets)
Trevor Feeney (RHP) pitched well but did not factor in the decision. Over 5 innings he gave up 5 hits and 2 walks resulting in 3 ER. He K’ed 4. Rob Waite (RHP) struck out 4 over 3 innings without allowing a run. Tyler Stohr (RHP) gave up a solo homer in the top of the 9th which was the difference in this one.
Rawley Bishop (1B) went 1-4 with 2 RBI. Bryan Pounds (3B) was 3-4 with 2 doubles. Jamie Johnson had the other Erie RBI.
Lakeland 9, Dunedin 5 (Blue Jays)
Luke Putkonen through a seven inning complete game and recorded the win. He posted the following line: 7 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 7 K.
Six Flying Tigers recorded one RBI each. Jordan Lennerton (1B) drove in 3 on 2 doubles and 3 hits in 3 ABs.
West Michigan 2, Dayton 3 (Reds)
The bullpen wasted a superb start from Alex Burgos (LHP). Burgos held Dayton scoreless over 6 innings and allowed only 4 hits with no walks. He also struck out 3. In his last 10 starts, he’s posted a 2.25 ERA over 56 innings of work with 59 K’s and 21 BB’s. Daniel Bennett (RHP) gave up a walk-off solo shot in the bottom of the 10th to crush the hopes of Whitecaps fans.
James Robbins (1B) went 1-3 with a homer. Nick Castellanos (3B) went 1-4 with an RBI and a walk.
Toledo 2, Buffalo 3 (Mets)
Andy Oliver (LHP) pushed the limits of the term “quality start” and took the loss: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 4 K. Purcey, Wise, and Hoffman each threw one scoreless inning of relief.
Timo Perez (LF) was 3-4 with an RBI. Scott Thorman had the other Mud Hens RBI.
Erie 6, Bowie 2 (Orioles)
Drew “thank God I wasn’t the PTBNL” Smyly (LHP) improved to 4-2 after a superb start. He struck out 7 and walked only one batter over 7 2/3 innings. He scattered 5 hits and allowed 2 ER. His ERA at Erie is an impressive 1.23. Tyler Stohr (RHP) picked up save number 3 after a perfect inning and a third.
Michael Rockett (RF) was 1-4 with a 2-run homer. Bryan Holaday (C) and Cale Iorg (SS) each hit solo homers. Rawley Bishop (1B) had the other Erie RBI on a sac fly.
Lakeland 5, Clearwater 14 (Phillies)
Mark Sorensen (RHP) dropped to 2-4 and gave up 7 ER on 12 hits in 2.2 innings as the starter. Zach Samuels (RHP) allowed 2 ER in 2 1/3 and Nate Newman (RHP) let 5 more runs cross the plate in 3 innings of work.
Jordan Lennerton (DH) was 2-4 with a double. Tony Plagman doubled in 4 ABs and drove in a run. Rob Brantly (C) had an RBI and was 1-3.
West Michigan 0, Dayton 2 (Reds)
Kyle Ryan (LHP) was robbed of a win. He threw 6 innings of 1 run ball and allowed only 4 hits and a walk, while striking out 5, but still wound up with the loss. Tyler Clark (RHP) was also beat down by the baseball gods. In one inning of work, he allowed only a single walk. Unfortunately, that walk stole second, stole third, and then scored on a weak ground ball to the right side of the infield. He finished with the following unusual line: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K.
Jason Krizan (OF) and Dixon Machado (SS) each had 2 hits. Castellanos was 1-4. He’s hitting .311 on the year.
Toledo 1, Buffalo 0 (Mets)
Jacob Turner looked impressive but did not factor in the decision. Turner threw 6 shutout innings and held Buffalo to 4 hits and a walk while striking out 6. Brayan Villareal (LHP) earned his third win of the year and Enrique Gonzalez picked up his 12th save after three combined innings of shutout relief.
Timo Perez (LF) drove in the only run of the game on an RBI single in the bottom of the 8th. In his first game after being promoted from AA Erie, Justin Henry (3B) was 2-4 from the plate. In 363 ABs with Erie, Henry hit .311, with an OBP of .414.
Erie 7, Bowie 5 (Orioles)
Jay Voss (LHP) received a no decision following a mediocre start: 6 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 6 k. Jared Gayhart (RHP) improved to 5-0 on the year after 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.
Bryan Pounds (3B) was 2-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored. Brent Wyatt (OF) also drove in 2 runs.
Lakeland 6, Clearwater 8 (Phillies)
Reliever Kenny Faulk (LHP) allowed 2 unearned runs in the bottom of the 8th and got stuck with the loss. Victor Larez (RHP) started the game and got the hook after 5 innings and 5 ER. Zach Samuels (RHP) replaced him and coughed up another ER in 2 innings of work.
Avisail Garcia (RF) homered twice and drove in 3 in 4 ABs. Jordan Lennerton (1B) went 3-5 with a triple, an RBI, and a run scored.
West Michigan 4, Lake County 2 (Indians)
Josue Carreno (RHP) and Ryan Woolley (RHP) combined to throw a tremendous game. Carreno started, earned the win, and went 5 and Woolley made it 4 to pick up the save. Each man gave up an ER.
Hernan Perez has struggled over his last 10, but responded well with a 2-4, 1 RBI night. Castellanos went 2-4 with a double and a RBI. The final 2 WM runs were driven in by Jones and Krizan.
Toledo 7, Buffalo 6 (Mets)
Fu Te Ni gave up 3 quick runs in the first, but settled in somewhat and finished the night after 5 2/3 innings and 5 ER charged against him. Ni allowed 8 hits but just 2 walks with 6 strikeouts. Brendan Wise (RHP) was the beneficiary of timely ‘Hens hitting and improved to 5-2 with the win. David Purcey (LHP) threw an inning and a third in relief allowing one walk, but no more. Enrique Gonzalez closed this one down, earning his 11th save of the season, while striking out 2 of 3 in a perfect 9th.
Danny Worth had a huge night, going 2-3 from the plate with a grand slam in the 6th. Max St. Pierre (C) had 2 RBIs on a homer and Argenis Diaz (3B) went 3-4 with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored.
Erie 5, Binghamton 10 (Mets)
Casey Crosby (LHP)was beat handily and fell to 8-6 on the year: 5 IP, 8 H, 8 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Rob Waite (RHP) gave up 2 more ER over 2 innings.
John Murrian (C) drove in 3 on a HR in four ABs. Rawley Bishop (1B) went 3-4 with a double and a RBI. Brandon Douglas (2B) drove in the final Erie run.
Lakeland, Dunedin: PPD
West Michigan 2, Lake County 1 (Indians)
James McCann hit a sacrifice fly to score Steven Moya in the bottom of the 13th for a walk-off giving reliever Jade Todd (LHP) his second win of the season. While he didn’t factor in the decision, Kevin Eichhorn (RHP) pitched very well: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 4 K. In his last 10 starts Eichhorn has gone 4-2 with a 4.19 ERA; however, he’s struck out 38 while walking just 13 over 62 1/3 innings of work.
Josh Ashenbrenner (3B) went 2-4 from the plate. McCann and Steven Moya (DH) had one RBI each.
Toledo 3, Louisville 10 (Reds)
Thad Weber dropped to 5-10 after giving up 4 ER on 8 hits and a walk over 6 innings. Jose Ortega (RHP) imploded over just one inning of relief as he allowed 6 ER on 6 hits, including 2 HR. Robbie Weinhardt pitched a perfect 8th.
Argenis Diaz (SS) was 1-4 with 2 RBI. Omir Santos (C) drove in the other run and was also 1-4. Ben Guez (RF) was 3-5 with a double and 2 runs scored.
Erie 4, Binghamton 6 (Mets)
Brooks Brown (RHP) had a mediocre outing as the SP: 5 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 1 K. Ryan Robowski (LHP), who has pitched at Toledo, Lakeland and Erie this year, took the loss after giving up 3 ER over 2 innings.
Bryan Pounds (3B) drove in 2 RBI on 3-4 from the dish, including 2 doubles. Henry and Holaday drove in a run each.
Lakeland 1, Dunedin 6 (Blue Jays)
Shawn Teufel (LHP) found a way to allow 9 hits in 5 innings. Predictably, he took the loss and dropped to 4-4 on the season. Tyler White (RHP) gave up 3 unearned runs over 3 innings in relief.
Jordan Lennerton (1B) had the only night worth noting: 3-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI. The 25-year-old is hitting .274 on the year, but has been on a tear over his last ten games: he’s hit .526 with an OBP of .561 and .921 SLG with 3 HR and 7 RBIs.
West Michigan 3, South Bend 2 (Diamondbacks)
Brian Stroud (RHP) pitched well and put together a near-quality start (statistically speaking): 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. However, Ryan Woolley (RHP) wound up as the winning pitcher after throwing 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
Nick Castellanos went 2-4 with 2 RBI and is hitting .312 on the season. The other WM run was unearned.
Toledo 1, Louisville 12 (Reds)
Starter Trevor Feeney (RHP) got knocked out before he recorded 9 outs. Feeney gave up 11 hits and a walk which turned into 8 runs, all earned. Last night was Feeney’s first start at AAA after being called up from Lakeland. While at Lakeland, Feeney had an 8-11 record with a 4.39 ERA, 96 K’s, and 30 walks. David Purcey threw a perfect inning of relief. Robbie Weinhardt gave up one more run and Jose Ortega (RHP) allowed 3 ER in 1 inning of work.
Argenis Diaz (SS) drove in the only Toledo run with an RBI double. Max St. Pierre (C) was 2-3 with a double and a walk.
Erie 7, Harrisburg 0 (Nationals)
Luis Marte (RHP) improved to 2-0 after he held Harrisburg scoreless through 5 innings and gave up just 3 hits and a walk. Marte also struck out 6. In 21 games with Erie, Marte has a 1.99 ERA 56 strikeouts and 16 walks over 45 1/3 innings. Jared Gayhart (RHP) threw 2 innings in relief and held Harrisburg off the base paths while striking out 3.
Bryan Pounds (3B) was 2-5 with 3 RBI and a run scored. Deik Scram (DH) was 2-5 with a 2-run HR. Justin Henry (OF) was 2-5. In 105 games and 346 ABs, Henry is hitting .309 with an OBP of .412. He’s stolen 20 bases in 28 attempts.
Lakeland 7, Clearwater 3 (Phillies)
Victor Larez (RHP) made his first start since July 13th and looked terrific: 7 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, W.
Wade Gaynor was dominant from the plate. He went 3-4 with a double, triple, and three RBI. Rob Brantly (C) went 2-4 with a HR and 2 RBI.
West Michigan 3, South Bend 5 (Diamondbacks)
Alex Burgos (LHP) dropped to 6-4 after he gave up 5 ER on 6 hits and 2 walks in 4 innings. He was relieved by Ryan Woolley (RHP) and Daniel Bennett (RHP) who combined to throw 5 shutout innings with 3 strikeouts each. Despite his near-.500 record, Burgos has an impressive 2.44 ERA with 76 K’s and 28 BB’s over 73.2 innings with WM.
Nick Castellanos (3B) went 1-2 with 2 walks. Jason Krizan (OF) went 1-4 from the plate and drove in 2. Jeff Rowland (LF) went 2-5 with a solo home run and 2 runs scored.
Toledo 2, Buffalo 4 (Mets)
Fu Te Ni had a tremendous start but did not factor in the decision: 7.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. In 91 innings of work with Toledo, Ni has a 3.16 ERA, 32 BB, and 77 K with a 5-2 record. He’s started 9 games and appeared in 31. Enrique Gonzalez ruined the night for Ni as he allowed the deciding 3 runs in 2 innings on 5 hits and a walk.
Timo Perez and Ryan Strieby (1B) had 1 RBI each. Scott Thorman (DH) went 2-4 with a double.
Erie 2, Harrisburg 1 (Nationals)
Casey Crosby (LHP) went 8 innings and held Harrisburg scoreless. He allowed only 6 hits with no walks and 7 strikeouts. Crosby’s win improved his record to 8-5 with a 3.57 ERA. My primary criticism of Crosby has been his lack of control (70 walks in 118 innings). In his last 4 starts, covering 26 innings, he’s walked just 7 batters while striking out 25. If this trend continues, Crosby will be on his way to a successful career as a big league starter.
Audy Ciriaco (DH) and Shawn Roof (LF) had an RBI each. Rawley Bishop (1B) was 1-3 with a run scored and a walk.
Lakeland 0, Clearwater 1 (Phillies)
There’s something frustrating about writing a game recap in which you have to explain how your team’s minor league club managed to go 11 innings without scoring a run; unfortunately, that’s the situation. On the bright side, Lakeland pitching held Clearwater scoreless through 10.
Luke Putkonen (RHP), Zach Samuels (RHP), and Michael Morrison (RHP) combined to throw 9 scoreless innings with 3 walks and 14 strikeouts. Kenny Faulk (LHP) continued that dominance over the final two innings as he struck out 3, walked no one, and gave up just one hit. Unfortunately, that hit was a solo homer which was the difference in the game and Faulk dropped to 2-4.
Jordan Lennerton (1B) went 2-5 from the plate. Fields and Rockett each went 2-4. Other than Plagman being HBP, no Lakeland batter drew a walk.
West Michigan 2, Fort Wayne 10 (Padres)
Kevin Eichhorn (RHP) ruined his streak of quality of 4 quality starts (and 7 out of his last 9) with a terrible outing: 3.1 IP, 11 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. Tyler Clark (RHP) gave up one more run and then Jade Todd (LHP) shut down Fort Wayne through 3 and a third.
Jeff Rowland (LF) and Dixon Machado (SS) produced an RBI apiece (Rowland’s coming off a solo homer). Nick Castellanos went 1-4 and is hitting .307 on the year.
Toledo 2, Buffalo 3 (Mets)
Ramon Garcia (LHP) went 5 2/3 as the Toledo starter allowing an ER on 4 hits and 2 walks. He also struck out 5. Brendan Wise (RHP) lost his 2nd decision of the year as he allowed 2 ER, including the walk-off game winner, over 2.2 innings.
Inge went 2-3 from the plate with a solo homer and a walk. Will Rhymes was 4-5 with a double. Ben Guez (LF) was 0-3 but drove in the other Toledo run on a sac fly.
Erie 8, Trenton 2 (Yankees)
As many of you know, the Tigers still owe the Mariners a player from the Fister deal. One name discussed in that trade has been this games starter, LHP, Drew Smyly. While he wasn’t lights out last night, he still produced the type of quality starts that will make him a good middle of the rotation starter: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. His ERA at Erie is an impressive 1.23 with a 3-1 record. He earned his third win last night.
Brandon Douglas (2B) went 1-4 with a 3 RBI double. Bishop and Ciriaco each drove in 2 (Bishop homered).
Lakeland 12, Tampa 5 (Yankees)
Lakeland’s defense tried extremely hard to ruin a decent start from Mark Sorensen (RHP). Sorensen gave up 5 runs, only 1 earned, over 5 innings on 8 hits and 3 walks. Samuels and Faulk pitched two scoreless, one-hit, innings each. Faulk improved to 2-3 on the year.
Michael Rockett (OF) drove in 4 runs and was 2-5 with a double. Jordan Lennerton went 4-6 with a homer, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored.
